Read Online Fine Lines - SA by Simon Beckett - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Simon Beckett
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lightly punched his arm. "Oh, piss off. You don't know anything."
"Yes I do. I know what body language is."
"What is it, then?"
"It's this." He held up his third finger at her. Everyone laughed.
"There you go. Body language. Easy." The girl hit him again.
"So is that what anthropology is, then? Body language?" one of the others asked. Marty adjusted his glasses.
"Wel , that's part of it. But there's a bit more to it than that. It's basical y the study of Man." There were giggles from around the table.
"That explains why Cindy knows so much about it," another boy said.
"She's done plenty of research in that department." The blonde girl pul ed a face at him. "Why is everyone picking on me tonight?"
"Because it's easy." Zeppo had been listening. Now he turned to Marty, a faintly condescending smile on his face. "Are you studying us now?" Marty shook his head. "You needn't worry. I don't do it al the time."
"Isn't it difficult not to? I mean, you're always surrounded by what you study, aren't you? How can you switch off?" Marty shrugged. "The same as anyone, I suppose."
"Yes, but it must be great to be able to know if someone's lying by the way he scratches his nose, or something." Zeppo's mockery was dangerously obvious.
"Wel , it's not quite as simple as that."
"No?"
"No." Marty's hand went to his glasses, touched them, came away again.
"Nose-scratching can be an indication that someone's
lying, or nervous. Then again, they might just have an itchy nose.
It's not an exact science."
"So you don't know what I'm thinking by the way I'm sitting," said the blonde girl. She was leaning with her elbow on the table, chin on hand, gazing at him intently. She was also showing a considerable amount of cleavage. Marty glanced across and hastily looked away. "Ah
… no." Zeppo's smile was perilously close to being a smirk. "Oh, I bet you're just being modest," he said. "I can't believe you can't tel more than that. What about me, for instance?
What would you say my "behaviour" tel s you?" Marty looked uncomfortable. "I real y don't ..."
"Oh, come on. You must be able to hazard a guess after al the years of work you've done." There were sounds of encouragement from around the table. Anna was looking at Marty a little anxiously. I hoped Zeppo was not being too heavy handed. Marty gave a reluctant shrug.
"Okay, if you real y want me to." Zeppo smiled superciliously. Marty studied him and took a deep breath.
"Wel , the way you're leaning forward, legs apart, facing me directly, suggests that you're feeling confident. Possibly even confrontational.
You've been displaying signs of aggression for a while now, so I'd say you either feel threatened or want to assert your dominance over the other males in the group. If you were a goril a you'd probably be beating your chest and roaring." Zeppo shifted slightly in his seat. "Ah, now you're starting to feel a bit more uncomfortable," Marty went on. "You're drawing back slightly, moving your legs together, which suggests that you no longer feel quite so sure of yourself- and now you're leaning forward again, displaying more aggression characteristics, so perhaps you didn't like what I said. Now you're frozen and tense, which could mean either that you're nervous or that you're ready for sudden movement. And by the way your jaw muscles are bunching I'd say it's probably the latter, so I'd better stop before I real y piss you off and get my teeth knocked out." No one spoke when he had finished. The blonde girl stirred first.
"Wow, that's amazing!" The spel was broken. There was a ripple of laughter, and everyone began to move again.
"He's got you sussed, Zepp," the boy with dreadlocks said. Zeppo's mouth was set in a glassy smile. His cheek muscles were stil working, I noticed.
"That's real y bril iant! You can tel al that just by looking at someone?" The blonde girl was plainly impressed.
Marty's hand went to his glasses again. He glanced at Anna, a half-smile on his face.
"Yes I do. I know what body language is."
"What is it, then?"
"It's this." He held up his third finger at her. Everyone laughed.
"There you go. Body language. Easy." The girl hit him again.
"So is that what anthropology is, then? Body language?" one of the others asked. Marty adjusted his glasses.
"Wel , that's part of it. But there's a bit more to it than that. It's basical y the study of Man." There were giggles from around the table.
"That explains why Cindy knows so much about it," another boy said.
"She's done plenty of research in that department." The blonde girl pul ed a face at him. "Why is everyone picking on me tonight?"
"Because it's easy." Zeppo had been listening. Now he turned to Marty, a faintly condescending smile on his face. "Are you studying us now?" Marty shook his head. "You needn't worry. I don't do it al the time."
"Isn't it difficult not to? I mean, you're always surrounded by what you study, aren't you? How can you switch off?" Marty shrugged. "The same as anyone, I suppose."
"Yes, but it must be great to be able to know if someone's lying by the way he scratches his nose, or something." Zeppo's mockery was dangerously obvious.
"Wel , it's not quite as simple as that."
"No?"
"No." Marty's hand went to his glasses, touched them, came away again.
"Nose-scratching can be an indication that someone's
lying, or nervous. Then again, they might just have an itchy nose.
It's not an exact science."
"So you don't know what I'm thinking by the way I'm sitting," said the blonde girl. She was leaning with her elbow on the table, chin on hand, gazing at him intently. She was also showing a considerable amount of cleavage. Marty glanced across and hastily looked away. "Ah
… no." Zeppo's smile was perilously close to being a smirk. "Oh, I bet you're just being modest," he said. "I can't believe you can't tel more than that. What about me, for instance?
What would you say my "behaviour" tel s you?" Marty looked uncomfortable. "I real y don't ..."
"Oh, come on. You must be able to hazard a guess after al the years of work you've done." There were sounds of encouragement from around the table. Anna was looking at Marty a little anxiously. I hoped Zeppo was not being too heavy handed. Marty gave a reluctant shrug.
"Okay, if you real y want me to." Zeppo smiled superciliously. Marty studied him and took a deep breath.
"Wel , the way you're leaning forward, legs apart, facing me directly, suggests that you're feeling confident. Possibly even confrontational.
You've been displaying signs of aggression for a while now, so I'd say you either feel threatened or want to assert your dominance over the other males in the group. If you were a goril a you'd probably be beating your chest and roaring." Zeppo shifted slightly in his seat. "Ah, now you're starting to feel a bit more uncomfortable," Marty went on. "You're drawing back slightly, moving your legs together, which suggests that you no longer feel quite so sure of yourself- and now you're leaning forward again, displaying more aggression characteristics, so perhaps you didn't like what I said. Now you're frozen and tense, which could mean either that you're nervous or that you're ready for sudden movement. And by the way your jaw muscles are bunching I'd say it's probably the latter, so I'd better stop before I real y piss you off and get my teeth knocked out." No one spoke when he had finished. The blonde girl stirred first.
"Wow, that's amazing!" The spel was broken. There was a ripple of laughter, and everyone began to move again.
"He's got you sussed, Zepp," the boy with dreadlocks said. Zeppo's mouth was set in a glassy smile. His cheek muscles were stil working, I noticed.
"That's real y bril iant! You can tel al that just by looking at someone?" The blonde girl was plainly impressed.
Marty's hand went to his glasses again. He glanced at Anna, a half-smile on his face.
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