dialogue | lest they leave
âTesoro, it would have been awful if you hadnât been here tonight! Did you hear Caron mess up that delivery. Ugh, awful, I say!â
âAh, you brought a guest, and sheâs dressed for afternoon tea, pity I have none of that here, but I do have a Dom Perignon waiting.â
âWhen I didnât know she was such a doll, Charles, itâs a sign that you need to talk about your sister more.â
âMy nose gets so stuffy.â
âTell me about yourself, Sylvie.â
âWhy not? Itâs true, after all, weâre very rare. Like dinosaurs.â
âEveryone does, chĂ©rie. At some point.â
âRelax, chĂ©rie, itâs just good, old me.â
âDisappointed? Were you waiting for some guy?â
âYouâre sweet, little Sylvie.â
âWhere has Charles disappeared off to?â
âCiggy?â
âI hope not, he still needs to pay for my new automobile.â
âWeâre not those kinds of lovers. He buys me things, I pay him back, thatâs it. No strings attached.â
âWho do you think suggested it? Iâm not doing anything he doesnât want or like, there are no benefits to that.â
âKnow what? That your brother was that kind of man, or that I am that kind of woman?â
âYouâre an odd one, huh? Charlesâ ward.â
âSylvie. All right, call me Eloisa.â
âDonât slap me.â
âDeep breaths, chĂ©rie.â
âYou have no idea.â
âI guess, homeâs calling, topolina.â
âShuffle along, now.â
âEveryone does, little Sylvie. At some point.â
âCharles, tesoro. You came to see me in this little hellhole, how kind. And you brought friends!â
âMonsieur Dubois and little Sylvie who has never seen a redheaded Italian before.â
âThatâs fine, topolina. I like being a girlâs first.â
âIsnât she sweet? Did you enjoy the performance?â
âReally? This piece of rubbish? Maybe I should invite you to come every night, in that case.â
âListen to the good monsieur Dubois, tesoro.â
âYou are sweet. Come see me, little Sylvie.â
âI thought Iâd managed to scare you off completely. How silly of me.â
âTopolina. Itâs okay, everyoneâs scared at first.â
âMore than you could ever imagine.â
âWe donât have much time. Kiss me now if you want.â
âWhat you have to learn is that we have to create the right opportunities ourselves, chĂ©rie.â
âFix your mouth, you look like youâve been eating pomegranate.â
âHere. Get yourself in order.â
âTo get us alone, of course, silly. Why do you think I invited you?â
âNo, donât look at me like that, you make me want to keep your lips otherwise occupied.â
âCome see me. Weâll figure something out, topolina.â
âCome in.â
âLittle Sylvie, I was afraid something would keep you.â
âSo sweet and so anxious. Topolina.â
âDonât worry, Sylvie, Iâm not going to deflower you tonight, Iâm too tired, but soon. I promise.â
âIt means little female mouse. Only the cutest girls get that name.â
âWhat do you want me to say, that when I kiss you, it means nothing? Well, when I kiss you, Sylvie, it means nothing what I call Charles.â
âYouâre not only sweet, chĂ©rie. Thatâs whatâs so enticing about you. Youâre like acid drops, and who can get enough of those, right?â
âSee you next week, and give Charles my love.â
âI heard about the Dubois boy. Sorry for your loss, chĂ©rie.â
âThatâs what they all say.â
âOh, now you notice. I thought you were too busy feeling self-righteous. I prepared a gift for you, to cheer you up, now that your other lover is out of the picture.â
âUndress for me.â
âDid you think of monsieur Dubois even once?â
âThen, you live in the wrong world, topolina.â
âAll right, little Sylvie, make the operator connect you to Elisabetta Paolo, and weâll be dandy. Thereâs only one of her in Paris, donât worry.â
âElisabetta is me.â
âOnly the whole Gallard household.â
âHe paid my car, topolina, giving him my number was the least I could do. Donât think I lick his fanny the way I do yours.â
âThere are many things you donât know.â
âWeâve already started, my good girl.â
âTopolina. I know a secret about you, and you mustnât ask me how I found it out.â
âThat you may ask, chĂ©rie.â
âThe secret is that on Saturday, something very special is happening.â
âIâm taking you out, little Sylvie.â
âYouâll see. I simply need you to have your chauffeur take you to some theatre in town, no matter which one, buy a ticket for a show, the longest performance you can find. Iâll pick you up at that venue.â
âI have a new car, after all. And I can drive it, Iâve been taught well.â
âYouâre so sweet, topolina. How did I know youâd say that?â
âSay it anyway.â
âI have my sources, my secret spies.â
âThat would be a silly question. It doesnât matter. Ask me the other question.â
âWeâre going to see Giovannina Roux.â
âShe has money and power from her dead husband, thatâs all you need to know. Because most importantly, little Sylvie, she has founded her girlsâ club, have you heard of such a thing before?â
âTheyâre like gentlemenâs clubs, but for a particular type of girl. Guess which type.â
âYou have to be silly and pretty to get in, sure, and flappers are very welcome, but thatâs not the type, topolina. Girls like us, chĂ©rie, who like our fannies licked by other girls.â
âAnd this is my friend, Sylvie Gallard.â
âOh, sheâs a good girl. Be a good girl for Giovannina, now, topolina. Itâll serve as your access ticket.â
âThis is your birthday present, little Sylvie, the freedom to be everything and anything you want, in full view of everyone.â
âChĂ©rie, not many. All of them. Weâre not exactly a whole battalion, we must take whatâs there.â
âLittle Sylvie, youâve got some memory on you.â
âWhy do you think I said that? Because I thought youâd hit me? The difference between you and every girl here, topolina, isnât that Iâve slept with you, itâs that youâre so very good, you would never hit me, no matter what I did. Every other girl in the world, inside this house and outside of it, they would jump at the chance. Thatâs what makes you special.â
âAnd the thing about special things, chĂ©rie, is that they make a fool out of you, if you leave them behind unclaimed.â
âListen, Iâm not promising Iâll always be here, but I promise you, for as long as I am, youâll be mine.â
âYou do know how to pick them, Charles. Your own sister.â
âYou should buy your sister new roses, Charles. Be a good older brother now.â
âNo faces like that. Remember the world I showed you. I gave you that experience, I will give it to you again. Be patient, chĂ©rie.â
âPlay a game with me.â
âItâs called waiting, topolina. Play it with me, please.â
âA kiss for your brother to thank him for his present, too.â
âEloisa Paolo speaking.â
âWhat hour is this to call, really now, chĂ©rie.â
âAm I alone? Iâve just got home from the theatre. You do know our premiere is in a week, little Sylvie, I sent you that invitation myself.â
âNow? Why?â
âWhat happened, topolina?â
âMeet me on the corner of rue CrĂ©mieux, Iâll pick you up. Within the hour, chĂ©rie.â
âYou told him about us?â
âWell, no matter. Little Sylvie, where are you going with those heavy suitcases?â
âI canât stop you, can I? Youâre going with or without me, arenât you, chĂ©rie?â
âWill you believe me when I say, starting over somewhere foreign and strange is a hard exercise and you may not gain what you want from it?â
âYou silly, little mouse.â
âYouâre blemishing my spotless career, topolina. But fine, Iâll come with you. England is the birthplace of Shakespeare, everybody knows.â
âNo, no, no. No âweâ, chĂ©rie. If youâve run away from home and your brother knows about us, hereâs the first place heâll go to look. You must spend the night somewhere else, then pick up the tickets at the train station tomorrow. Iâll meet you there. Then, weâll go.â
âThereâs a hotel three streets over, itâs very good, you can bill it to Charles.â
âNo, no, no. No âbutâ. This is my one condition. Either we do it my way, or we donât do it at all.â