Hunting and Gathering Read Free

God’s sake! She was alive, after all. Doing as much as anyone else. She was just as cheerful, sad, brave, vulnerable and exasperating as any other young woman. There was a person inside her! There was somebody there!
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For pity’s sake, couldn’t they talk to her about something else for a change?
    â€œYou do agree, one hundred and five pounds isn’t a lot.”
    â€œYes,” she conceded, defeated, “yes, I agree. It’s been a long time since I weighed that little. I . . .”
    â€œYou?”
    â€œNo. Nothing.”
    â€œTell me.”
    â€œI . . . I’ve had better times in my life, I think.”
    He didn’t react.
    â€œWill you make out the certificate for me?”
    â€œYes, yes, you’ll get your certificate,” he replied, shrugging. “Uh, what did you say the name of the company was?”
    â€œWhich company?”
    â€œThis one, where we are, I mean yours—”
    â€œAll-Kleen.”
    â€œSorry?”
    â€œAll-Kleen.”
    â€œCapital A l-l-c-l-e-a-n.”
    She corrected him: “No, it’s k-l-e-e-n. I know, it doesn’t make sense. They should have called it All-clean c-l-e-a-n, but I think they wanted something different . . . It’s more professional, more, uh, tuhrendy . . .”
    He didn’t get it.
    â€œAnd what do they do exactly?”
    â€œWho?”
    â€œThis company.”
    She leaned back, stretching her arms out in front of her, and, with dead seriousness, in a flight attendant’s voice, began to recite the mission statement of her new job:
    â€œ ‘Ladies and gentlemen, All-Kleen will satisfy your every need where cleaning is concerned. For individuals or businesses, in your home or office, with clients as diverse as property managers, professional offices, agencies, hospitals, housing developments, apartment buildings and workshops, All-Kleen will be there on the spot to offer you immediate satisfaction. All-Kleen tidies, cleans, sweeps, vacuums, waxes, scrubs, disinfects, shines, polishes, deodorizes and leaves you with a healthy environment. We adapt our schedule to fit your needs, and we are flexible and discreet. Our work is meticulous; our rates are competitive. All-Kleen—professionals at your service!’ ”
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She’d delivered this remarkable spiel in one breath. Her classy little doctor sat there speechless, then:
    â€œIs that some kind of joke?”
    â€œCourse not. Anyway, you’re about to meet the dream team, they’re waiting just outside the door.”
    â€œAnd what’s your role in all that?”
    â€œI just told you.”
    â€œThat’s what you do, really?”
    â€œYup, I tidy, clean, sweep, vacuum, wax—the whole nine yards.”
    â€œYou’re a cleaning la—”
    â€œUh-uh. I’m a cleaning operative, if you don’t mind.”
    He couldn’t tell if she was serious.
    â€œWhy are you doing it?”
    She opened her eyes wide.
    â€œWell, what I mean is, why are you doing this job ? And not something else?”
    â€œWhy shouldn’t I?”
    â€œWell, wouldn’t you rather be doing something a bit more—”
    â€œRewarding?”
    â€œYes.”
    â€œNo, I wouldn’t.”
    He sat like that a little while longer, his pencil in the air, his mouth open; then he looked at his watch to read the date, and questioned her without raising his head:
    â€œLast name?”
    â€œFauque.”
    â€œFirst name?”
    â€œCamille.”
    â€œDate of birth?”
    â€œFebruary 11, 1977.”
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“There you go, Ms. Fauque, you’re fit for work.”
    â€œGreat. How much do I owe you?”
    â€œNothing—that is, All-Kleen pays.”
    â€œAaah, All-Kleen!” she exclaimed, getting up with a theatrical gesture. “Here I come, one hundred percent fit to clean your toilet!”
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He walked her to the door.
    He wasn’t smiling anymore,