Contents
Summary
The interview doesn’t last long
Here’s the thing: Dirk is a slut
“Dad—what’s wrong with Betty?”
I should have taken the train
Life lesson #1
When I reach Nice, I feel like a chewed-up marshmallow
A driveway, a row of beautiful trees, and bushes in full bloom
Life lesson #2
I’m not all snarls and snappy remarks
On the subject of swear words
I’ve barely enough energy left to eat my sandwiches
Turns out the man is available right now
“Oh my God!”
Life lesson #3
And then there’s an eternity of silence
What am I doing here?
Surprise
“Hello, room service?”
Life lesson #4
“I saw you reading this afternoon”
A faint sound wakes me up in the morning
I’m so dazed
Someone must have started to sort out the books at one point
Travels and new environments can change a person
Life lesson #5
Chao just stands in the door and stares and stares and stares
I don’t get much work done after that
After some prodding from me
My, my, my
“Is there any butter in this household?”
When Chao comes back from his meeting
That evening, the tone for the next days is set
Life lesson #6
“I’m afraid we’re running out of food”
If I had done the shopping by myself
We don’t talk much after that weird incident
Life lesson #7
Let’s drape a cloth of silence over it, okay?
The Nice people are actually nice people
So, we don’t kiss
Work is a no-go
I start the barbecue at 8:00 p.m.
Yay!
Oh
Life lesson #8
What happens next is pretty foreseeable
Afterward, we take a shower
Sometime later
The rest of the afternoon feels like a languorous and sensual interlude
Life lesson #9
When I wake up the next morning
“Tell me about your ex”
What can I tell you about the next couple of days?
Life lesson #10
Damn
Karim is overjoyed when I suggest we meet somewhere
Usually, I’m not given to introspection
“At last!”
I wanted answers?
Life lesson #11
Life lesson #12
“What the fuck is wrong with you?”
Life lesson #13
I should be used to Chao’s stern face by now
I die a little that day
At the end of that week, I’m almost done
Life lesson #14
I manage to slip out of the Kinner summer house unseen
By the time we reach my parents’ house
I’ll spare you the detailed explanations
It’s early September
“So, this is where you grew up?”
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