00:04You
00:35Maybe she got held up.
00:41Sorry, I'm not used to someone of your stature.
00:44Oh, yay!
00:47Are all your parts intact?
00:50You bet!
00:51Oh, I like your jacket.
00:53Cynthia thinks it's douchey.
00:54Oh, no.
00:56No, no, no.
00:56No, and it were for you because you were always so perfectly styled.
00:59You don't notice how I dress?
01:01Yes.
01:02Yes, I do.
01:07It's been forever since I had an afternoon.
01:09Oh, you deserve it.
01:11Well, I don't know about that.
01:13No.
01:14Well, no, I don't think anyone deserves anything.
01:18That is rather Puritan of you, Vlad.
01:20I am a big-time Puritan.
01:22Oh, no.
01:22No, you aren't.
01:23I am.
01:24No, you are not.
01:24Yes, I am.
01:25No, at grad school, Cynthia basically had to hit me over the head with a frying pan to...
01:30Oh.
01:32Anyway, yes, I am a pretty buttoned-up fellow, don't you think?
01:37I mean, I don't know.
01:38I suppose I...
01:41I don't know you well enough.
01:48Are we not going to eat on Main Street?
01:50I thought we'd go a little further afield.
01:55As long as I'm back by five.
01:57Well, we'll see about that.
02:12Why are you blowing up?
02:13I'm sorry.
02:14Do you want me to...
02:14Oh, yes.
02:15If you could just grab my, uh...
02:17No, if you could just put it...
02:18Put it on my...
02:19Yeah, yeah, I too.
02:20Um, yes, sorry.
02:22Um, oh, God.
02:23It's just a friend.
02:31I know the hearing's today.
02:34You do?
02:36I understand why you want to be somewhere else.
02:38Oh, thank you for saying that.
02:40Well, yeah, you need a break from it all.
02:42But you wouldn't say I deserve a break.
02:44No, I'm kidding.
02:45I'm not saying you.
02:45You're the only person I'd say deserves a break.
02:51Oh, well, I know you're gluten-free.
02:53I mean, when I'm being good.
02:56Are you being good today?
02:58I'm gonna try.
02:59Hmm.
03:00Um, red or white?
03:04Cool.
03:05Wait, should we do glasses or a bottle?
03:07Will you drink more than one?
03:08I haven't gotten day drunk in many years.
03:12Oh, well, in that case,
03:13we are definitely getting a bottle.
03:15Um, hi.
03:16Could we possibly have this, uh, Montepulciano?
03:20Of course.
03:22Please.
03:22Okay.
03:25You're fun.
03:28And she's on her way to swim class.
03:30Aw.
03:31I take her every Wednesday.
03:32It's the best part of my week.
03:34Mm-hmm.
03:34Mm-hmm.
03:35Would now be a good time to talk about your book?
03:38Sure.
03:39Yeah, let's, let's, uh, let's pop the cherry.
03:41Oh.
03:42Sorry.
03:43Oh, no, no, no.
03:44Let's pop it.
03:47Well, first, I think you're a genius,
03:49and you're going to be very famous.
03:53Oh.
03:54I don't know about that.
03:56Well, you'd be surprised.
03:58Things are going to happen for you.
03:59I know it.
04:01Wow.
04:02Are those notes?
04:03Do you mind?
04:05No, I'm flattered.
04:07I mean, too much?
04:08No, no, no, no.
04:09No, please.
04:10Oh, should we, um, put our phones away?
04:13Yeah, I wish I could.
04:14It's just, you know, Cynthia might need me.
04:17I'm worried about her.
04:18She, uh, she's been...
04:20Distant?
04:22I don't want to talk about it.
04:24Um, you know what?
04:26I have a challenge for you, Vlad.
04:28What's that?
04:28How about we make this afternoon about you?
04:33Certainly be a change of pace.
04:35Well, what I find so remarkable about your book
04:40is that, um, you've created this,
04:42this character that has intense resistance.
04:45There's a rather tried and true way to seduce fellow writers,
04:48and that is to pay them some attention.
04:52I have found that there is nothing more irresistible than attention.
04:57Close reading, not only to the words,
05:00but to the person who wrote the words.
05:03And I think if Vlad can understand how deeply I see him...
05:07I could kiss you.
05:09Oh.
05:09I don't give feedback like that anymore.
05:11Cynthia's a good reader, but...
05:14You know, it's kind of like this bit's too long,
05:17or that guy's too fake, and that's it.
05:20So, I'm not used to this kind of attention.
05:23I mean, your book just moves.
05:25I'm not sure I achieved that with mine.
05:28I'm offering a segue.
05:32Um, do you have the time?
05:34Uh, uh, uh, yeah, it's 3.30.
05:37Uh, darn it.
05:38I-I wish we could hang out more.
05:40Um, I'll be back in a minute, sir.
05:42Can we get sick?
05:49Oh, excuse me.
05:50Excuse me.
05:50Hello.
05:51Yes, may we please have coffees,
05:54two funer-brancas,
05:55and please hold the chair,
05:56because it's his birthday.
05:57Okay.
05:58Okay.
06:03Tell me what happened.
06:05He was the chair.
06:07I went to him to ask for advice.
06:09He offered to read my work,
06:12and then he asked if I would like to go to a bar later to discuss.
06:17The bar was in a hotel.
06:20I knew sex was on the table.
06:23Everyone knew that John slept with undergrads.
06:27We all knew that.
06:31My brothers are all in finance.
06:34Um, yeah, they think I'm homeless.
06:37Sorry, have you seen the waiter?
06:39Happy birthday to you.
06:42Happy birthday to you.
06:45Happy birthday, happy birthday.
06:49Happy birthday to you.
06:53Wow.
06:59How'd you know?
07:01Well, it's not your birthday.
07:03Did Cynthia tell you?
07:05Wait.
07:06It is your birthday?
07:08You came out for lunch with me on your birthday?
07:11I had no idea.
07:13It's not my birthday.
07:16Oh.
07:18I can put that in, Jack.
07:19No, no, no.
07:21I'll get it.
07:22I'll get it.
07:22Oh, no way.
07:23We'll split it.
07:23No, I am too old to split a check.
07:25I'll, uh, you'll owe me a lunch.
07:27I may never be let out of the house ever again.
07:31I'm sorry that we couldn't stay longer.
07:34I need to sober up.
07:36Will you excuse me for a moment?
07:53He doesn't want to go.
08:11A cliche, but true.
08:26Professor of Ladinsky, I have an idea.
08:28I have this sweet little cabin nearby and I wanted to show it to you.
08:32It's for writing, you know, like for a retreat.
08:34So I thought we could go there and I could offer you a prompt.
08:38You have no idea how much I want to do that.
08:43But I just, I think I should probably go home.
08:46I think Cynthia would kill me.
08:47You know, sometimes it's better to ask forgiveness than get permission.
08:51You know, she's working her ass off on this book.
08:53She's coming home at 2 a.m. every night and I'm just, I'm worried about her.
08:57Are you sure she's working on the book?
09:01What?
09:01Lad, how are you going to enrich your inner life if you are always on the clock?
09:11All right, I need to call Cynthia for us.
09:14Mm-hmm.
09:18It's done.
09:20What does Cynthia say?
09:22She told me to have fun.
09:24She is a cool wife.
09:29Do you ever find it hard in a marriage to understand that the other person wants you to be happy?
09:37Who can ever understand what another person wants?
09:39Truly.
09:45We're two minutes away.
09:50Is there cell service?
09:51Oh, no.
09:52No cell service, no Wi-Fi, no distractions.
09:56Just us.
10:01Oh, my God.
10:06How long have you had this?
10:13God, it's perfect.
10:15I'm glad you like it.
10:17Oh, no.
10:19Is that a cappadina?
10:20Mm, I found this lime juice.
10:23I hope it's okay.
10:25Do you like them?
10:26Of course.
10:30Thanks.
10:33Would you like to go and write?
10:35Now?
10:36You could use the bedroom.
10:39I think I'd rather just talk.
10:44Cheers.
10:45Cheers.
10:48I like Florence.
10:50I don't mean to be hard on her.
10:51No, I like her.
10:52She's definitely one of the most irritating persons on the planet.
10:55She's just, you know, she's a challenge.
10:57You're empty.
11:01Yeah, I always drink too fast.
11:03Stay here, and I'll make you another one.
11:08Fuck it.
11:10Thanks.
11:13But he was so complimentary.
11:15I thought he was interested in me because he liked my writing.
11:20I felt chosen.
11:22And he was charming.
11:26Okay.
11:28We will hear the remaining testimonies tomorrow.
11:50We will hear the remaining testimonies tomorrow.
12:09Oh, I was going to bring these out to you.
12:11It's okay.
12:12The sun was getting a bit too much.
12:14Got to protect the moneymaker.
12:17Oh, yeah.
12:18Crossing the safety.
12:21Stagner.
12:21What a writer.
12:23Oh, you like him, huh?
12:31I'm sorry, Vlad, but weren't we going to discuss each other's books?
12:37Oh.
12:38Ah, shit.
12:40Yeah.
12:40I mean, I'm sorry to even bring it up, but wasn't that the plan?
12:43No, no, yeah, yeah, of course.
12:44Hold on.
12:45Where is mine?
12:47Yeah.
12:51Yeah, I'm sorry.
12:52It's just, you know, you're a very, um, formidable person.
12:55Oh, please.
12:56Uh, yeah, I felt a bit shy, so.
13:00Anyway.
13:04Here you are.
13:15Um, yeah, sorry about all that.
13:21What does this, um, a WIW mean?
13:25Wish I wrote.
13:30Yeah, I think I'm a little hot for your narrator.
13:34Yeah, it really spoke to me, personally.
13:39In what way?
13:41All of one's different wants being in conflict with each other.
13:48That's how I feel.
13:49I never seem to make up my mind about what I want.
13:56Why can't I just come out with it?
14:05Um...
14:09You have records.
14:12What if I take a look?
14:15Oh, of course.
14:20One, two, three.
14:22That's the basic step.
14:23That's good.
14:24How do you know how to do this?
14:25I used to go to a salsa club in Florida when I was 16.
14:28Very formative.
14:30How?
14:31I like dancing with the 30-year-old women.
14:34Oh, sorry.
14:35Oh, sorry, sorry, sorry.
14:40There you go.
14:46All right, sorry, I'm a bit too busy.
14:50Okay, I'm going to try and turn, okay?
14:52Okay.
14:53And...
14:54Oh!
14:56That was good.
14:59Oh!
15:01Oops.
15:02Yeah.
15:03Oh.
15:05Oh, yeah, I meant to, um, I just forgot I brought these for you.
15:09I wanted to return them.
15:16Should I put them on?
15:20No.
15:22Sure.
15:25Uh...
15:37You know, if I had a place like this to go, I don't know what I'd write about.
15:43I'm so lost.
15:43Oh, well, that sounds hard.
15:47What's your new book about?
15:48I can't talk about it.
15:51You don't need to tell me the story, but, you know,
15:54what's it about?
15:57I suppose it's about...
16:01desire.
16:03The...
16:03spiritual imperative of desire.
16:07How...
16:08sometimes in one's life, wanting something can feel akin to...
16:14holiness.
16:20I think I'm going to take a swim.
16:23and...
16:23and go back to my real life.
16:26A swim?
16:28Since you brought my trucks.
16:30Gonna be quite cold in there.
16:31I'm rushing.
16:38It's fine.
16:41I'll drive him home and drop him off,
16:44and the next time we see each other,
16:45we'll pretend that nothing out of the ordinary has happened.
16:49we'll continue a friendly, but distant relationship.
16:55Look down and smile when we pass each other in the halls, and...
17:00one day I will look at him and wonder what I ever felt.
17:04It's better that way.
17:06It's just life.
17:09It was a nice afternoon.
17:18What did I expect?
17:20That he was gonna take my face in his hands and kiss me?
17:24I'm not a teenager anymore.
17:27I'm not even 35.
17:29I would have to wake him up.
18:02I don't want him to go.
18:37Oh, God, you're freezing.
18:40Oh.
18:41Oh.
18:43He might get very drunk and be in no state for a long drive.
18:47You should get in the shower.
18:48I'm going to turn it on.
18:50Okay.
19:03The hot water's going to run out.
19:08Oh.
19:10The hot water ran out.
19:11Oh.
19:12Right out.
19:12Oh, my God, you're...
19:14Just wait, let me...
19:15Hold on.
19:21This is John's sweater.
19:23It's Irish wool.
19:24Okay.
19:25Just stay there.
19:26I'll get your clothes.
19:31Oh, my God.
19:36Oh.
19:53Oh, wow.
19:56Oh, wow.
19:57Oh, God.
19:59Okay, I'm gonna get you a little...
20:02Have a birthday.
20:04Okay, just take a little...
20:06Maybe some water would be...
20:08You?
20:09Yeah?
20:11You're gonna take advantage of me?
20:13Is that what you want?
20:15You're gonna do it?
20:16Vlad!
20:18Vlad, is that what you want?
20:21Vlad!
20:22Okay, I'm just gonna wake you up a little bit.
20:25Oh! Oh!
20:26Oh!
20:28God, I thought Russians could drink.
20:41In medieval, or even Elizabethan agrarian times,
20:45mothers would tie their babies to chairs
20:48to keep them safe and upright
20:50so they could go work in the fields.
20:52Oh, my God.
20:56God, that's coconuts.
20:58Crazy amazing boo-coo boxers.
21:00Jamie, awful luxury.
21:02Baby, who knew you'd go fucking crazy?
21:04Crazy, got them more crazy.
21:06All of these hatin ass bitches go crazy.
21:08All of these hatin ass bitches go crazy.
21:09All of these hatin ass bitches go crazy.
21:12Huh! Huh!
21:14None of these, none of these crazy.
21:16Huh!
21:18Now I got them more crazy.
21:19I'm coming out with the new reason
21:30It's good.
21:49It's just us.
22:28He'll be grateful he wrote this. Because of honesty.
23:04He dropped his phone.
23:16When he wakes up, I'll explain.
23:17He drank too much and I couldn't move him.
23:34I'll just keep the job.
24:04I'm coming out.
24:16I'm coming out of a tunnel.
24:28I don't know.
24:47I don't know.
25:22I don't know.
25:56I don't know.
26:26I don't know.
26:56I don't know.
27:19I don't know.
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