“Why are you dressed?”
“Because I thought you might be about to leave me, and I don’t want to be wearing a dressing gown. I slept with someone in New York. A whore. I’m sorry”
“Why did you tell me?”
“I couldn’t lie to you”
“Why not?”
“Because I love you”
“What will you do if I find someone else?”
“Be jealous”
“I amuse you. But I bore you. Did you love me?”
“I’ll always love you. I hate hurting you.”
“Then why are you..?”
“Because I’m selfish. And I think I’ll be happier with her”
“You won’t. You’ll miss me. No one will ever love you as much as I do. Why isn’t love enough? I’m the one who leaves. I’m supposed to leave you”
“This will hurt. I’ve been with Anna. I’m in love with her.”
“I’m going.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Irrelevant. What are you sorry for?”
“Everything.”
“Why didn’t you tell me before?”
“Cowardice.”
“Is it because she is successful?”
“No, it’s because she doesn’t need me….she stopped seeing me”
“Did you phone her? Beg her to come back? When you were out for your long, lonely walks?”
“Yes”
“You’re a piece of shit”
“Deception is brutal. I’m not pretending otherwise”
“How? How does it work? How do you do this to someone? Not good enough”
“I fell in love with her, Alice”
“Oh! As if you had no choice? There’s a moment. There’s always a moment. I can do this. I can give into this. Or I can resist it. And I don’t know what your moment was. But I bet you there was one. I’m going.”
“
“I had a chat with young Alice.”
“Fancy her?”
“Of course. But not as much as you.”
“Why not?”
“You are a woman. She’s a girl. She has the moronic beauty of youth, but she’s sly.”
“Intense conversation?”
“Were you spying?”
“Lovingly observing, with a telescope.”
“Look at me. Tell me that you’re not in love with me.”
“I’m not in love with you.”
“You just lied.”
It’s a lie. It’s a bunch of sad strangers photographed beautifully..and all the glittering assholes who appreciate art say it’s beautiful, because that’s what they want to see. But the people in the photos are sad..and alone. But the pictures make the world seem beautiful. So, the exhibition is reassuring, which makes it a lie. And everyone loves a big, fat lie.
“I’m waiting for you.”
“To do what?”
“Leave me.”
“I’m not going to leave you! I totally love you. Why is this?”
“Please let me come. I want to be there for you. Are you ashamed of me?”
“Of course not. I told you…I want to be alone.”
“Why?”
“To grieve. To think.”
“I love you. Why won’t you let me love you?”
“You’ve got a great face.”
“Doesn’t everyone?”
“Why are you wasting her time?”
“You’re judgmental”
“You’re devious”
“I’m not wasting her time. She’s completely lovable. And completely unleavable.”
“And you don’t want someone else get their dirty hands on her. Men are crap.”
“But all the same..”
“They are still crap.”
