Bye Bye Blondie Read Online Free PDF Page B

circumstances, indeed, she would be amused, or flattered, or mad with rage that he might imagine she’d forgotten the past . . . but this evening she’s simply desperately disappointed that it’s him.
    She replies dully, “Sorry. I couldn’t wait. But honestly, I didn’t think you’d turn up.”
    He’s super excited, in a good mood, cheerful.
    â€œYou’re not far away, is that right? Jérémy told me. Come over here and join us! I’d so like to see you again.”
    He shouts the last bit, she pulls the phone away from her ear. If she had set out to impress Véro, she’d do exactly this. She wouldn’t have minded basking in a little reflected glory, but all she feels is sad, like someone who’s going to be sleeping alone because she’s been thrown out again. She has tears brimming in her eyes and is in no mood to joke, she sighs and replies, “Listen, I’m going to be straight with you. What the fuck makes you think I want to see you?” She articulates every syllable. “You and your fucking stupid TV face, do you get it, go back to your studio and don’t imagine for a second that I’ve forgotten anything, GET IT? ANYTHING AT ALL. Right, bye.”
    She hangs up. Now, as well as feeling sad, she feels ridiculous. Véronique stares at her in astonishment. Gloria feels tears running down her cheeks, her confused feelings are upsetting.She shrugs.
    â€œOkay, it’s silly to insult him. But it all started with him.”
    â€œWhat? Insulting people?”
    â€œHaving anything to do with men. Him, that prick, he was the first Hiroshima in my life. You have to understand, I don’t care if for him it’s all buried in the past, but for me . . .”
    She’s weeping softly now. Sweet tears running down to her lips, she can feel the floodgates about to open, she’ll be bawling soon. Véronique holds out a whole box of Kleenex and asks again, “Sure you don’t want some herbal stuff?”
    â€œYou haven’t got any pot left, have you?”
    Véro goes to look in a drawer, finds a little joint and hands it over. Then she hesitates, but ends up asking all the same, “You really know each other that well?”
    Funny how everyone’s so interested in that .
    She avoids talking about it, because it fascinates them so much, and that really drives them nuts.
    â€œBig fucking deal. He’s on TV, what’s so special about that?”
    â€œWell, to be honest, I really like his show.”
    â€œWell, to be honest back, are you out of your mind?”
    She feels as though she’s stuck in the last century, the olden days, when if you did something at home, you didn’t go telling everyone about it next day. One of Gloria’s big problems is that recently she hasn’t stirred outside her bar. She’s not up to speed with the huge changes that have happened to her contemporaries. For instance, their recent passion for watching trashy TV shows. As if it were fun, as if it were innocent, as if it were anything but pure surrender, and as such, totally unacceptable. She could give them a hard time about it, but she senses that other people are tired and discouraged. Not everyone is like her: still ready to go mad with rage and smash the place up. Most people need rest and something to amuse them, otherwise they wouldn’t get up in the morning.
    Véronique is avoiding her eyes, looking unhappy and embarrassed to have brought it up. She brings a prebaked pie out of the oven and cuts them two large slices. Gloria’s irritation vanishes as she watches her, with a slight feeling of shame. It’s not because her friend likes watching stupid TV shows that she’s in this state. Gloria pushes out her lips to look like a duck, as if it is going to help her think, then decides to try and tell the story. But it won’t come out easily, it was all a long time ago, and she