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Anthony: I can't go into all this. It was an emergency.
Julie: What fucking emergency?
Anthony: If I hadn't done that on that day, I wouldn't be here now. I... That's all I can tell you.
Julie: What's that supposed to mean? You can't say stuff like that and then not... I don't.. I appreciate there are some things you can't tell me.
Anthony: Well, uh, you know, I appreciate there's things about me that you find unacceptable. There's things about you I find unacceptable. There's things about this conversation I find unacceptable. We're gonna have to meet somewhere.
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[at a dinner party; Anthony has left the table]
Patrick: You don't seem druggy to me.
Julie: [smiling] No, I'm not, no, I'm not.
Patrick: Interesting. So I'm trying to work out... where you two tessellate here.
[Julie is wordless, confused]
Patrick: I'm not good with euphemism, so...
Julie: Sorry, I don't understand.
Patrick: OK, so,
[gestures to Anthony's vacant seat]
Patrick: habitual heroin user,
[gestures to Julie]
Patrick: trainee Rotarian... which is a good look, I mean it nicely. How, what, why, when... ?
Julie: [quietly stunned] Sorry, I don't...
Patrick: You don't even dabble?
Julie: No.
Patrick: Okay. I mean, I don't, I feel it's very mainstream behavior. I've said to him, it's mainstream. I actually think, you know... I mean, it was fine in the '40s, but...
[Julie is still speechless as Anthony returns]
Ben Hecking
Extended Reading
