Scenes Of A Sexual Nature Page #6

Well, what do you want to know?

Well, I don't know. What was he like?

He was decent. No one had

a bad word to say about him.

Even you?

Even me.

Tommy loved spending time...

He was never very big on plans.

The future. He said

the future was nothing.

That what we had at any given

moment, was what we had.

He was a regular philosopher, then?

I suppose he was in a way.

I was more of a dreamer.

I liked him. Mostly.

Well, that's a big achievement.

You know, after all those years.

And you liked Teresa.

Yes, but I couldn't help...

wondering.

Me too.

Albert Camus. "L'tranger".

Oh-la-la.

It's French, right?

Are you French?

Yes, I am.

Oh, you are French?

Yes.

I went to France once.

Don't even think about it.

Don't!

Okay.

Go away.

All right, I'll go, then.

Allez. Allez!

I'm going.

All right. Dgage!

Yeah. I'm going.

Dgage!

OK! All right, all right, all right.

You look nice, though,

when you're angry.

Dgage.

I saw a film once.

It was one of those, uh...

"boy meets girl, boy loves girl,

"boy marries girl,

girl meets another boy,

"girl leaves boy, boy goes mad,

"and boy kills other boy and girl,

"and then boy goes to prison"

kind of film.

It was all, er, very stressful.

Sounds it.

I'm not sure I get the point.

Well, I don't know, but I think

I found a certain comfort

in not being that boy.

Or that girl.

It's all extremely complicated.

Tommy was right. It's a minefield.

I think maybe it's good.

Things that are

completely impossible to understand.

All the best things in life

are utterly indecipherable.

I mean, Tommy loved

collecting first day covers.

I would ask him, what is it

about coloured envelopes

that so intrigued him.

He could never explain it.

He said he liked them

because they kept on coming,

and his collection got bigger.

It baffled me for years.

And then there came a point,

when I began

to look forward to them arriving

almost as much as he did.

You see, once you

commit yourself to something,

however bizarre

it may seem to other people,

you kind of owe it to yourself

to enjoy the experience.

[SIGHS]

I hope it's all been worth it.

All those choices we make.

You see what we've done?

We've talked about our partners.

I didn't think we'd do that,

you know, if we met.

[BELL CHIMES]

Ooh.

[CHUCKLES]

Well, this should, er...

Do it?

Well...

Yes, it should.

It's perfect. Here.

[BOTH LAUGH]

[SHE SIGHS]

[EXHALES]

Ooh, I rather assumed.

But if you don't...

What is it?

Chateuneuf-du-Pape, '93.

Good year.

Do you think?

Oh, I don't know.

Whoops.

Oh.

No, no.

Shall I be Mummy?

Why not?

Just hope it lives up to its billing.

What is its billing?

Well, I'm led to understand

that this particular year is...

light on the palate, a little oaky,

but with an affectionate aftertaste.

Mm. Oh, oh...

Thank you.

Cheers.

Mm.

Very smooth.

Eh?

[COUGHS]

Yes. Do you not think?

Smooth, indeed.

Cheese?

Er, yes, please.

Although I should probably

keep a close eye on it at my age.

I know what you mean.

I didn't mean I know what you mean

about you having to keep a close...

I mean I do, as well. Not that you do.

Erm, no, I just put on weight

walking past a boulangerie.

A boulangerie.

Sorry, it's French for bakery.

Yes, I know.

[CLEARS THROAT]

Jeremy was telling me

about your book collection.

Was he?

Yes.

He says you can

get hold of any book in print

with 48 hours' notice.

Yes, well,

I'm not a collector, I'm a dealer.

Oh, a dealer.

Yes, yes.

I buy and sell books.

Jeremy likes to pretend to himself

that it's some sort of hobby of mine

or something.

He did speak very highly

of your "collection".

Yes, well, it's just

his little joke, I suppose.

How about you?

Me?

Oh, I work for a charity.

Very worthy.

Isn't it?

I'm sorry,

I was just agreeing with you.

Do you agree with everyone?

No, of course not.

I was being self-deprecating

but, as it happens, charity work

is very hard and very worthwhile.

Yes, must be.

What sort of people do you help?

What sort of people?

Yes, I mean, erm...

poor people,

starving people, black people?

Black people?

Yes.

You think black people need help?

Well...

I think you might need some help.

Well, that's very possibly true,

but I meant Africans, not...

I meant Africans,

not black people as a race.

You're wondering

whether I was just being racist.

No, not whether. Why.

Is that racist?

Yes.

It's so tricky nowadays,

don't you think?

Tricky?

I mean, last week I was told off for

referring to my lovely newsagent

as coloured.

Instead of Asian.

Asian? No, he's black.

I think you may have been racist.

Do you?

Assuming he was Asian

because he was a newsagent,

when in fact he's from Somalia.

My mother was asking me about work.

Uh-huh.

I said it was good.

She didn't believe me.

She's convinced I have

no idea who I am or what I want.

All mothers think like that.

It's what connects them

to their children.

Well, I know she doesn't

really understand what I do,

but she won't let it go.

She has no idea what you do?

No.

All she needs to know

is that I love what I do.

My point exactly.

But she's proud of you.

How do you know?

Well, you told me.

Hey, I tell you a lot of things.

I'm like that.

And that's why I love you.

I know.

Excuse me, mate, erm,

can I get a light, please?

Yeah, sure.

Very nice.

I'm sorry?

Um, I said very nice.

What's very nice?

She looks very nice.

Oh, do you want to f*** off?

Erm...

How dare you

f***ing talk to me like that?

Go on, f*** off.

Erm, sorry. I'm not having

a very good day today. I'm sorry.

Just leave.

Can you believe that?

What makes someone

think it's remotely okay

just to walk up to a man and say,

"Your girlfriend's very nice"?

"Very nice"?

Unbelievable.

There should be a law.

Oh, I've missed you, Louis.

Yeah? You too.

[BOTH EXHALE]

After finally climbing

this infernal hill,

after all those years

of thinking about it,

what you're saying is, the view

is better from where we were.

Well, on reflection, yes.

I think you're right.

It may not be as high,

but it did seem clearer.

I mean, maybe

it's just what we're used to.

I've never been a fan of change.

Never been a risk taker.

Apparently not.

I'll never be Thierry Henry, you know.

Well, that's good.

It means

you'll never be responsible for

my champagne-infused death.

Why do you like me, Esther?

Why?

Yeah. Why do you miss me?

What is it about me that

makes you pleased to see me?

Are you fishing for compliments?

No. I'm asking for them.

Okay.

I like you because you're honest.

Mm-hm.

I like you because you know how

to listen, and you know when not to.

I like you because

when you take my hand

and when you touch my neck

you're not just touching, you're...

I don't know.

I like you.

Do you want to know why I like you?

I don't know.

I think sometimes it's good to

never quite know. It's good to guess.

What? Keeps it interesting?

Which is the most important thing

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