Hi, Jim—
I found myself being fascinated by this simple transaction, wondering what the relationship is between the N and the knife-licking woman and what their exchange means about their relationship.
My first impression was that she was the N’s wife or girlfriend, deliberately teasing him with a provocative action to get his attention. It then occurred to me that by sweetening her mouth, she might be inviting him to kiss her. His failure to respond to her overture explains the curtness of her response. The knife suggests a desire to do something dangerous and exciting, but he is simply not interested.
The second possibility that occurred to me is that the girl is the N’s daughter, testing the rules that her father has established to protect her and finding him powerless to stop her from indulging in risky behaviors.
In both cases there is a definite darkness in the relationship. My advice is to lean into it.
Glenn
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