The Pleasure of M Read Online Free Page B

  it:
  it
  has
  to
  be
  over.”
  While
 
Alexander
  babbled
  like
  a
  would-‐be
  recovering
  alcoholic,
  Michel
  mulled
  it
  over
 
before
 launching
 into
 a
 stern
 monologue
 that
 did
 not
 call
 for
 response.
 
    “The
 first
 thing
 that
 needs
 to
 be
 clear
 is
 that
 you
 have
 started
 this
 and
 cannot
 stop
 it.
 
She
  has
  my
  number
  and
  I
  have
  instructed
  her
  to
  call
  me
  in
  three
  days.
  If
  you
  find
 
yourself
 full
 of
 regrets
 when
 all
 is
 said
 and
 done,
 blame
 yourself.
 Next,
 I
 need
 to
 tell
 
you
 that
 I
 find
 it
 an
 honor
 that
 you
 would
 have
 made
 such
 an
 offer
 to
 me.
 Clearly
 my
 
love
 for
 you
 as
 a
 friend
 is
 only
 burgeoning,
 but
 it
 is
 already
 strong
 and
 I
 am
 moved
 
to
 find
 that
 this
 is
 true
 also
 for
 you
 to
 the
 point
 that
 you
 would
 introduce
 me
 to
 your
 
mistress.
  You
  see,
  in
  France,
  it
  is
  considered
  a
  bond
  of
  friendship
  and
  an
  honor
  to
 
share
 a
 woman.
 It
 is
 remarkable
 when
 two
 men
 are
 so
 similar
 that
 they
 can
 prove
 to
 
be
  of
  equal
  pleasure
  to
  the
  same
  woman,
  and
  it
  is
  a
  powerful
  friendship
  that
  can
 
sustain
  the
  sharing
  such
  an
  experience
  as
  the
  pleasure
  of
  a
  woman.
  Now
  the
 
situation
  here
  is
  less
  stark
  since
  she
  lives
  three
  thousand
  miles
  away.
  There
  is
  for
 
instance
 no
 chance
 of
 meeting
 her
 in
 the
 streets
 while
 with
 our
 spouses.
 That
 seems
 
to
 be
 one
 of
 the
 reasons
 that
 brought
 you
 to
 Los
 Angeles,
 in
 fact.
 The
 chances
 that
 
she
  and
  I
  will
  physically
  meet
  are
  remote.
  So
  that
  will
  make
  things
  very
  simple
 
overall.
  We
  must
  nonetheless
  be
  careful,
  you
  and
  I,
  and
  especially
  you,
  I’m
  afraid.
 
You’re
 the
 one
 with
 the
 most
 to
 lose,
 and
 you’re
 freaking
 out.
 No,
 let
 me
 talk.
 You
 are
 
freaking
 out.
 But
 there
 is
 no
 need
 to.
 There
 is
 a
 very
 simple
 set
 of
 ground
 rules
 that
 
we
 must
 observe.
 To
 start
 with,
 we
 have
 to
 be
 lucid
 and
 clear-‐headed.
 You
 and
 I
 are
 
friends
 and
 I
 am
 most
 likely
 about
 to
 engage
 in
 what
 can
 only
 be
 called
 an
 affair
 with
 
a
 mistress
 of
 yours.
 What
 matters
 between
 you
 and
 I
 is
 our
 friendship.
 Nothing
 can
 
harm
 this
 unless
 we
 allow
 it,
 not
 even
 a
 woman.
 Call
 me
 French,
 but
 if
 a
 woman
 can
 
destroy
 our
 friendship,
 then
 it
 was
 not
 worth
 having.
 If
 we
 agree
 on
 that,
 the
 next
 
part
  follows
  easily.
  If
  you
  wish
  to
  talk
  about
  her,
  do
  so.
  If
  you
  do
  not,
  don’t.
  Just
 
afford
 me
 the
 same
 freedom
 and
 you
 will
 find
 that
 there
 is
 no
 reason
 that
 she
 be
 off-‐
limits
  as
  a
  topic
  of
  conversation.
  But
  that
  takes
  us
  to
  the
  last
  rule:
  my
  affair
  is
  my
 
affair,
  and
  yours
  is
  yours.
  If
  your
  affair
  is
  a
  burden
  to
  you
  then
  understand
  that
  it