Page 33, “The Persuasion”
Tonin set a matchbox between us, then removed the sticks one-by-one, criss-crossing them until he constructed what looked like a small house (it had three rooms). Then he tossed the box of matches on the table and stood. I thought he might be leaving. Instead, he repositioned his chair, then mine with me in it, until we were facing each other, and he sat back down. He cupped his palms over my temples and lifted his eyebrows in the gesture that told me I was supposed to do the same.
“What are you doing?”
He placed my hands on his temples, pulled my face close to his, and gave me a dry kiss on the lips as a friend might, if I ignored how long it lasted. Then he dropped his hands, which I quickly did too, and he returned to his oral examination of my life.
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