One good thing about posting snippets of The Alice '65 is, for me anyway...I get taken out of it and can see where to cut. Like the part I posted on Tuesday...got rid of 7 lines that were overly emphatic about a point made earlier. For example, this little conversation is now --
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"I just spent two hours in a freezing theater watching a man I used to love pretend he loved me. I need a double-dose of Midol. Triple." Her tight face-mask was back on.
"Head?" Adam asked. She merely nodded. He slipped behind her and set his fingers on her shoulders with his thumbs pressing against her spine. "Here."
He began to run his thumbs up her neck, light and easy.
She tried to pull away, saying, "Baby, no -- "
"Just relax," he said as he pushed on.
Casey sighed. "Oh, Adam. Baby. Magic fingers"
He had to chuckle at that. "Told you, mum's a physical therapist. She knows how to make pain vanish. And she would give you the stick for letting your shoulders become so tight." He let his voice soften. Grow close to wistful. "But your skin ... the, um, the result of Orisi's cleansing products?"
"Same crap he used on you. If I didn't, I'd never get styled in this town, again."
"Was reaction good for the film, at least?"
"Who knows?" It took her a moment to continue. "Those cookies and juice, that should never have happened."
"No worries."
"But that's how my mother makes pain vanish." Then she sighed. "More and more, lately." Adam kept rubbing. "I think she's lonely. It's just been her and me since daddy left."
"Surely she has friends."
"You know what a friend is, in this town? Somebody you see once a year. Maybe twice. Three times? You're in a relationship. I bet you have lots of friends."
"I don't know about lots," he said, still rubbing. "People from university. Mates on the team. Neighbors. The spouses and families of David and Beryl."
She almost turned to look at him. "You keep inventory?"
"These are people I've been around forever. Who know me. Understand me. Let me be."
"People say they understand me, but they don't. Nobody does. Not even me."
"Doesn't everyone feel that way?"
"Yeah."
-----
"I just spent two hours in a freezing theater watching a man I used to love pretend he loved me. I need a double-dose of Midol. Triple." Her tight face-mask was back on.
"Head?" Adam asked. She merely nodded. He slipped behind her and set his fingers on her shoulders with his thumbs pressing against her spine. "Here."
He began to run his thumbs up her neck, light and easy.
She tried to pull away, saying, "Baby, no -- "
"Just relax," he said as he pushed on.
Casey sighed. "Oh, Adam. Baby. Magic fingers"
He had to chuckle at that. "Told you, mum's a physical therapist. She knows how to make pain vanish. And she would give you the stick for letting your shoulders become so tight." He let his voice soften. Grow close to wistful. "But your skin ... the, um, the result of Orisi's cleansing products?"
"Same crap he used on you. If I didn't, I'd never get styled in this town, again."
"Was reaction good for the film, at least?"
"Who knows?" It took her a moment to continue. "Those cookies and juice, that should never have happened."
"No worries."
"But that's how my mother makes pain vanish." Then she sighed. "More and more, lately." Adam kept rubbing. "I think she's lonely. It's just been her and me since daddy left."
"Surely she has friends."
"You know what a friend is, in this town? Somebody you see once a year. Maybe twice. Three times? You're in a relationship. I bet you have lots of friends."
"I don't know about lots," he said, still rubbing. "People from university. Mates on the team. Neighbors. The spouses and families of David and Beryl."
She almost turned to look at him. "You keep inventory?"
"These are people I've been around forever. Who know me. Understand me. Let me be."
"People say they understand me, but they don't. Nobody does. Not even me."
"Doesn't everyone feel that way?"
"Yeah."
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