break their legs because the river is full of – guess.’
‘Trolleys from supermarkets.’
‘How did you know?’
‘It is always shopping trolleys.’ A dog padded up to them and went on its way. Nicole said, ‘Once I crossed this river fourteen times in a single day.’
‘In 1922 a pilot flew his plane underneath the central arch of this bridge that we are now standing on.’
‘On the day I crossed the river fourteen times I used six different bridges.’
‘In some century, I forget which, let’s say the fifteenth, the river, swollen with melted snow from the mountains, burst its banks and flooded the entire town – even though the region was in the midst of a terrible drought.’
‘A whale once swam up it as far as the Pont d’Austerlitz, a bridge which I did not cross on the day I crossed the river fourteen times.’
‘Is that true?’
‘About the whale?’
‘Yes.’
‘No.’
At a bar on the Ile St Louis they ordered a beer and a small bottle of intense apricot juice. The beer was served in a glass so slim and elegant it was almost a vase. Nicole sat very straight in her chair, tempting Luke (who managed to sprawl on his as if it were a sofa) to compliment her on her posture. A rose-seller offered him the whole bunch for thirty francs. A slight altercation between two dogs threatened to turn nasty. At the next table a woman was listening, spellbound, as an American told her about the deal he was on the brink of clinching. Nicole sipped her apricot juice.
‘You have beautiful posture,’ said Luke. ‘And the ability to sip. I admire that. I gulp.’
‘Gulp?’
‘The opposite of sipping. I don’t even try to sip anymore. I prefer to gulp and then just sit here wishing I had sipped. Is it OK like that, by the way, or would you like some ice?’
‘It’s fine. Are you comfortable, “by the way”? You don’t look it.’
‘Oh, I am, yes.’
‘It’s bad for your back to sit like that, “by the way”.’
Luke sat up and said, ‘How did you come to be called Nicole? That’s not a Serb name is it?’
‘Was my grandmother’s name. She was French.’
‘And are you studying in Paris, by the way?’
‘I came here to study.’
‘What?’
‘Oh, I don’t know. Architecture . . .’
‘Architecture?’
‘Mathematics.’
‘Ah, maths.’
‘Philosophy. Et cetera.’
‘It sounds vague.’
‘Vague? What is that? Comme une vague? A wave?’
‘Yes. Your study sounds wavy. You study waves. I mean it sounds like a lot of study.’
‘I don’t really study anything now. I came here on a scholarship. Now I just need to finish off a dissertation I have no interest in. Is nearly finished. I just need to add a comma here and there.’
‘What is it on?’
‘The same thing all dissertations are on. Nothing at all.’
‘You don’t want to be an academic?’
‘I thought I did. Once. Now, no.’
‘What do you do for money though?’
‘Translating and other things. Like everyone in Paris. And you? Why did you come here?’
‘To become a different person. Or at least more of a person.’
‘What were you before?’
‘An Englishman living in England.’
‘ Who were you before?’
‘Someone I’d lost interest in.’
‘And now you’re an Englishman living in Paris?’
‘Put like that it sounds even less interesting.’
‘How would you make it more interesting?’
‘I’m here because the bars stay open late.’
‘Are you learning French?’
‘A little.’
‘You have to. To become someone else that is essential. When I was little girl my father was very insistent that I learned other languages. He said, “The more languages you speak, the more people you can become.”’
‘I’m speechless.’
‘What is the work you do here?’
‘I work at a warehouse. Near passage Thiéré.’
‘And do you always play football?’
‘Yes, although I didn’t study it. I play every day. Rain or shine. As long as it’s not raining.’
‘My brother plays
‘Trolleys from supermarkets.’
‘How did you know?’
‘It is always shopping trolleys.’ A dog padded up to them and went on its way. Nicole said, ‘Once I crossed this river fourteen times in a single day.’
‘In 1922 a pilot flew his plane underneath the central arch of this bridge that we are now standing on.’
‘On the day I crossed the river fourteen times I used six different bridges.’
‘In some century, I forget which, let’s say the fifteenth, the river, swollen with melted snow from the mountains, burst its banks and flooded the entire town – even though the region was in the midst of a terrible drought.’
‘A whale once swam up it as far as the Pont d’Austerlitz, a bridge which I did not cross on the day I crossed the river fourteen times.’
‘Is that true?’
‘About the whale?’
‘Yes.’
‘No.’
At a bar on the Ile St Louis they ordered a beer and a small bottle of intense apricot juice. The beer was served in a glass so slim and elegant it was almost a vase. Nicole sat very straight in her chair, tempting Luke (who managed to sprawl on his as if it were a sofa) to compliment her on her posture. A rose-seller offered him the whole bunch for thirty francs. A slight altercation between two dogs threatened to turn nasty. At the next table a woman was listening, spellbound, as an American told her about the deal he was on the brink of clinching. Nicole sipped her apricot juice.
‘You have beautiful posture,’ said Luke. ‘And the ability to sip. I admire that. I gulp.’
‘Gulp?’
‘The opposite of sipping. I don’t even try to sip anymore. I prefer to gulp and then just sit here wishing I had sipped. Is it OK like that, by the way, or would you like some ice?’
‘It’s fine. Are you comfortable, “by the way”? You don’t look it.’
‘Oh, I am, yes.’
‘It’s bad for your back to sit like that, “by the way”.’
Luke sat up and said, ‘How did you come to be called Nicole? That’s not a Serb name is it?’
‘Was my grandmother’s name. She was French.’
‘And are you studying in Paris, by the way?’
‘I came here to study.’
‘What?’
‘Oh, I don’t know. Architecture . . .’
‘Architecture?’
‘Mathematics.’
‘Ah, maths.’
‘Philosophy. Et cetera.’
‘It sounds vague.’
‘Vague? What is that? Comme une vague? A wave?’
‘Yes. Your study sounds wavy. You study waves. I mean it sounds like a lot of study.’
‘I don’t really study anything now. I came here on a scholarship. Now I just need to finish off a dissertation I have no interest in. Is nearly finished. I just need to add a comma here and there.’
‘What is it on?’
‘The same thing all dissertations are on. Nothing at all.’
‘You don’t want to be an academic?’
‘I thought I did. Once. Now, no.’
‘What do you do for money though?’
‘Translating and other things. Like everyone in Paris. And you? Why did you come here?’
‘To become a different person. Or at least more of a person.’
‘What were you before?’
‘An Englishman living in England.’
‘ Who were you before?’
‘Someone I’d lost interest in.’
‘And now you’re an Englishman living in Paris?’
‘Put like that it sounds even less interesting.’
‘How would you make it more interesting?’
‘I’m here because the bars stay open late.’
‘Are you learning French?’
‘A little.’
‘You have to. To become someone else that is essential. When I was little girl my father was very insistent that I learned other languages. He said, “The more languages you speak, the more people you can become.”’
‘I’m speechless.’
‘What is the work you do here?’
‘I work at a warehouse. Near passage Thiéré.’
‘And do you always play football?’
‘Yes, although I didn’t study it. I play every day. Rain or shine. As long as it’s not raining.’
‘My brother plays
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