Scene 3

Like always Marie Soussent wore a blouse that was so short that one could see her tummy. Marie was proud of her tummy, which she diligently toned on the tread-maschine and tanned regularly in the sun. And, what's more, a year earlier she had had a tiny point tattooed on it. It was a minute point, about 3 cm below the belly-button. Maille found himself immediately entranced by the tattoo and stared at it fixedly, as though he expected that tint of colour in her skin to suddenly reveal a secret, to reveal its meaning.

Marie was more than just the top secretary of the department: she was a centre of two legs that knew everything, that coordinated everything and, without question, recalled everything that others forgot – and that was something. Once, when Marie's cat was run over by a car, Maille had invited Marie to his house. He had cooked green rice with fresh Sepia (Dirivè). They had sat in his garden and had drunk a few glasses of wine. Maille remembered well how her short blond hair had shone in the dark. Then they had kissed. She had allowed it to happen, she had even pressed herself against him, and it had gone to his head. But sometime later she had abruptly pulled herself away and vanished into the night. They had never again spoken about the episode – why should they have? But afterwards, she had seemed convinced that Maille was a womaniser who went from one amorous adventure to another on his official journeys. Moreover, she lost no opportunity to make malicious insinuations about his philandering ways. That he could not tear his gaze away from her beautiful belly, she apparently did not notice.

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