The Way We Were Page #3

I'll call the super.

Thank you.

Hubbell!

Hey.

I wasn't sure when

you'd be home. How are you?

I don't know when I'll be back.

Uh, could you leave a key...?

You can't. I got steaks and

potatoes and sour cream and chives

and salad and fresh pie.

I would have made pot roast,

but I didn't know if you liked it.

Anyway, there wasn't time,

so I got steaks with

my ration stamps.

And you must be hungry, you

couldn't have had time to eat.

You can't go yet. You've got to stay

for supper, that's all there is to it.

What kind of pie?

Oh, your hero, huh?

Who?

Yeah.

He wasn't in college

when he did nothing for Spain.

Congress was isolationist in '37...

You'd justify the Nazi-Soviet pact.

Easier than you can justify

the Allies sitting on their behinds...

Why can't you say "asses"?

Because I can't.

Why?

What happens?

I don't know. Nothing.

What a subject for two...

It's interesting.

You'd rather talk politics.

All the contradictions. Should we

get in the war, should we not?

Stalin's for Hitler.

Stalin's against him.

All political doubletalk,

but you hold on.

I don't know how you do it.

I don't know how you can't.

You're jealous.

What? Ha-ha-ha.

You are.

Why are you jealous?

I'll live.

Maybe longer.

But you won't write another novel.

You must've gotten one

of the two copies sold.

You get through it?

Oh, I managed.

Twice.

I liked it.

I liked it a lot.

What didn't you like?

The way you write is no problem.

Your style is absolutely

gorgeous. But...

Gorgeous?

It is.

It is gorgeous.

But you...

stand back.

Do you know

what I mean?

Go ahead.

You see, the people...

you watch them...

from a distance.

Where?

In the book.

I know, in the book.

Where in the book?

Be specific.

All through it, Hubbell.

But it's your first novel, and

I'm sure the second one will be...

Why should I write

another novel?

Because you must!

You're too good a writer not to.

Are you really so sure

of everything you're so sure of?

Sure.

Heh.

Aren't you?

No.

No. Not as sure.

Do things still come too easily?

Huh?

"In a way he was like

the country he lived in.

Everything came too easily

to him."

What made you remember that?

I always wondered

if it would stay true.

Not altogether.

What doesn't come easy now?

Hotel rooms.

Be serious.

Do you know

you're beautiful?

You are.

But you mustn't be

too serious.

I won't be.

Happy Rosh Hashanah!

What is it?

What do you mean, what is it?

Oh, come on. You get to

see your old pal J.J.

It'll be fun. We can all be

decadent and eat eggs Benedict

and vote Republican.

I don't like eggs Benedict.

Really?

I'll bet you were a cheerleader.

Me? Rah-rah.

Come on.

No!

Maybe you'll have

a good time.

A paper doll that I can call my own

A doll that other fellas

Boy, this is some Navy

you're in, J.J.

Hi, Hub.

Hi.

You mean all this?

It belongs to my aunt.

Is that the one that

plays the accordion?

Does she really

play the accordion?

She got squeezed to death.

She did not.

She's gone overseas.

She's with the USO.

Best USO?

Oh. Um...

Come on.

I got it.

Hollywood and Vine.

Best USO hostess?

Tallulah Bankhead.

I hope your aunt's

under Patton.

You can bet

she's under somebody.

Excuse me.

All right. Um...

Okay. How about... Gardiner?

Wait a second.

Best small hotel.

Not fair. I haven't been abroad.

But it's in Switzerland.

We don't want to make

any bad jokes. Saint Regis in Paris.

Pretty, isn't it?

Yeah.

You look different.

It's my hair. I have it ironed.

You what?

In Harlem.

I actually have friends

in Harlem.

I'm sure you do. Would

you like me to disapprove?

But how long has this been going

on? I mean, Hubbell Gardiner

And Katie Morosky.

No, she looks terrific.

I like her, J.J.

You really haven't changed, have you?

Neither have you.

As pretty as ever.

For a while.

I'm with J.J. Now.

Are you?

Excuse me.

Remember how she looked

in college compared to now?

Can I get you a drink?

I don't think so.

What were you doing?

She seemed upset.

Gone away and left

me Just like all dolls do

You do it. You make yourself

feel out of place.

I feel like I'm here for drinks

and everyone else gets supper.

Try talking to them.

I have.

No, you don't.

You don't talk, you lecture.

What was that speech

about Yalta?

No one here needs you

to explain it.

Then why all those silly jokes?

J.J. Called Roosevelt

the "Yaltese Falcon."

I thought it was pretty funny.

And selling your novel to Hollywood?

I hope that's meant to be funny.

Why?

Why?

Because you're too good

for Hollywood, that's why.

Maybe I'd be lucky to sell

a book to Hollywood.

You've never even

been there!

Besides, this isn't the point. Can't

we just relax and enjoy the party?

You get onto politics, and your sense

of humour goes right out the window.

I guess there are just

some things that are

difficult for me

to laugh about, Hubbell.

Than have a fickle-minded

Real live girl

I'm sorry.

I got caught up

at the studio

and then I met somebody from

the party who wondered...

What? What?

The first eight chapters.

Oh.

You want to read it, read it.

But let's not discuss it.

All right.

If you don't like it, you have

to say you don't like it and why.

What if I like it?

Waiter?

Ahoy.

Come in.

How you doing?

Fine.

Is that new?

It was in the other room.

Ah.

Looks good there.

Plants are all growing, hm?

How's your mother?

Much better, like the news.

I might be able to sell

my book to Hollywood.

I know, J.J. Told me.

What do you think about that?

About living in sunshine

all year long...

and going to work in a sports car?

Sailing.

Sounds wonderful.

Mm.

Would you like a drink?

No. Ahem.

No, I just, uh, stopped.

I was out walking.

Hey, thanks.

I love the way you write.

Franklin Roosevelt is dead.

Most of you have already

heard the news.

But it will take days,

perhaps weeks, even months

for the final tragedy of

what happened at 5:45 this morning

to be fully comprehended.

What seems particularly touching

is that he will not be here

to share in a victory

so close at hand.

Did you go see it?

I was talking to...

There was this older guy

on, you know, that

steel platform between cars?

I helped him open

a big door, he needed air.

Jesus, I can't even remember

when he wasn't president.

A fourth term was

too much for the old man.

A third was too much

for my old man.

At least it'll end those Eleanor jokes.

Some were funny.

How about Eleanor in the mine

with the hillbillies?

Her face was covered

with grime, right?

Grime? For chrissakes, Judianne,

Eleanor went down into

a mine and got her face black

with coal. The hillbillies saw her

big buckteeth shining...

Her husband is dead!

Dead.

Yes, Mrs. Roosevelt went down

into the mines.

And when they asked her why,

she said, "I am my husband's legs."

Did you tell cripple jokes too?

Is there anything that isn't a joke?

Sorry.

Who makes up jokes

anyway?

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