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- Hello. - Hello.
I just wanted to ask you something.
- What are you reading? - Why?
I'm meeting with a friend, we're going to the *** Store
I'm looking for stuff to buy, and I know it might sound a bit silly but...
...when I'm in a bookstore, I don't know what to pick.
I'm looking at what other people are reading and I go ask them...
- It looks rather... - It's... I don't know if you're going to like it.
- What is it? A girly novel?
Not at all. It's pyschology stuff.
Ok. Is it for work?
- No, no. - An interesting book maybe?
- Yes, it is.
I mean, what's an interesting book you've read? A novel.. something...
There's this pretty funny one called... "Hérisson" or something...
Is that some Katherine Pancol kind of stuff?
- I don't know... I can't remember. - What's your favorite book?
- Actually, I don't read that much. - ***. I'm talking to the wrong person.
So you're not reading... just pretending. In fact, you came here to get a tan.
- Yes. I mean, I like reading but... - Only psychology stuff.
- No, not really... - That's too bad. I could have recommended you stuff.
- Really? - Yes.
- Like what? - Whenever I find an author I like, I read all of his books.
Right now, I'm reading Henry Miller. Have you heard of it?
Get off me. I'm afraid of bees.
He's written like 8 or 10 very famous books. I've read about 4 or 5.
A few of them take place in Paris... Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn.
- Ok. - They're really good. So, that would be my...
- You're not working? - No, I'm kind of in-between jobs right now.
What do you do to keep yourself busy?
- Apart from applications and stuff? - You're at the national employment agency?
- Yes. - Ok. You got laid off?
- No, I reached the end of my contract. - Oh, I didn't manage to last that long.
- Really? - I gave my resignation letter.
- Oh, really? It wasn't going well? - No, I really wanted to start my own company...
- Oh, nice. - I'm just starting, but still, I have a lot of free time...
...so I work and then I can go out for a walk. - In what field?
- I train people on how to use their voices when talking to other people.
- Ok. - In English, it's called "Public Speaker".
There's no translation for it in French.
- I used to have to talk to about 400 people in an amphitheatre for a living.
- And there's stuff that... - Oh, you're a teacher?
- Yes. It's a bit like... Have you heard about the "Cours Florent"?
- It's a bit like that. - Ok.
- What do you want to do? - I do market analysis for a pharmaceutical company.
- ***. Ok, I gotta go. Market analysis?
- I'm in marketing. - So it's like the business side of pharmaceuticals...
- Business marketing, yes. - Ok.
- "What can we do to sell more pharmaceuticals?" - Yes, unfortunately.
- Doesn't work on me. Unfortunately, that's how it is. - Yes, that's how it is.
- But I can check out other fields as well. - Yes... Well, if you like what you do...
- "Here! Have some Mediator!" - Exactly.
- I'm kidding. - Unfortunately, that's how it is.
- What's your name? - XXXX.
- I'm Nicolas. - Nicolas...
- Nice to meet you. - Nice to meet you.
- How's your tan going? - I think I have room for improvement.
- Mine is doing pretty good. I just checked. You're doing fine, you're not that white.
- Really? - Unless you're on some self-tanning lotion.
- It's make-up. - Oh, you're cheating.
I've tried that, but I was getting approached by too many guys so I kind of stopped.
- It's nice... wearing a T-shirt in March. - Yes, that's true.
- But I was getting a bit cold... The air is not that hot. - It's getting cooler. I have this big sweater in my bag...
- And... have you read any Werber books? - Oh, I've actually read one...
- Only one? - I think it's "Les Fourmis"?
- Yes, "Les Fourmis" is the first one. - Yes, that's the one I've read.
- I really liked "Les Thanatonautes". - "Les Thanatonautes"... I'm going to write that down.
Then you have the complete series "L'Empire des Anges", "Les Dieux"...
- The first ones are good, then it gets a bit repetitive. - Ok.
- But "Les Thanatonautes" is pretty good. - "Les Thanatonautes"... what a strange name.
- Ok, I'll let you know my thoughts on it. - And there's also "L'Élégance du hérisson"
It's the story of... I haven't even finished it.
It's the story of a concierge, who's very educated... She reads great authors...
- She did her very own MBA. - Exactly. And she makes tenants believe she's dumb.
- Ok. She plays dumb. - And there's this little girl, who's 9.. or 12...
and she realizes... because she's a prodigy herself... - They both recognize each other. That's funny.
- It reminds me of... I was watching... I have time to watch TV series now...
- "The Mentalist"... Have you heard of it? Do you like it?
- It's not the best series... but the actor is kind of good-looking so...
- There's a lot of suspense. And in one episode there's this kid...
Everybody thinks he has Down Syndrome but in fact he doesn't. Maybe they copied that book...
- Maybe... - Ok, I'm meeting a friend for a drink on the left bank now.
- So... Enjoy the book. - Thank you.
- Do you have some free time during the week? - I'd say so.
- How about we go grab a cup of coffee sometime? - Sure. Why not?
- I'm going to take your... Do you have facebook or a phone number? - Yes. I'd rather give you my phone number.
- Wait a second. I bought a Blackberry but I'm still getting used to it...
- 06- XXXX. Ok.
- You'll see when I call. My number ends in nothing but 6's. Do you want to take it?
- Yes. - 06... Oh, you're like me.
- No, it's my iPhone that's acting up. 06? - 06-... - 66-66
- You're Nicolas, right? - Yes. Nicolas.
- How old are you? - What do you think? How old am I?
- I think you'll be surprised about my age. - Maybe not. I'm 28.
- How old are you? - 29.
- I would have said less. - I know.
You have good genes, that's cool. Listen, I gotta go. I'm a bit late.
- I'll call you up. - Ok.
- I'm working tomorrow but maybe Thursday or Friday. - Ok.
- Ok? - Good afternoon.
- You too. Don't fry your brain with that book. - No, I'm taking it easy. One half page at a time.
One half page, one text message... One half page, one text message...
- Exactly. - Ok, bye.