“Look,” Rose broke in. “If it's all the same to you, I don't want to hear gossip about Bobby's personal life. Would you hand me that bag?”

Tristesse handed her the bag, and then she picked up the mop and started cleaning the floor where Rose had already cleared away the debris. After a second, she stopped. “I want to say something—but first you gotta know Bobby and I never got it on. We cool on that?”

Rose glanced at the caked makeup and the stringy hair. “I believe you,” she said with total honesty.

“Bobby and me, we're like brother and sister. He tells me things.” Tristesse went back to her floor mopping. She seemed to be very efficient at it. “What he likes about you is, you don't need him. That's what he tells me.” She finished with the floor and straightened up. “You dig what I'm saying to you?”

Rose nodded. “He doesn't like clingy girls.”

“Give that woman the blue ribbon!” Tristesse did a little gesture with her hand like the host on Queen for a Day. “And he doesn't want to … oh, shit!” She stopped midsentence and raced to the apartment next to hers. She began banging on the door. “Mrs. Forentino?” she yelled. “I know you're in there, you perverted old bitch.” She banged again. “How long have you been listening at the door? I saw your eye in the peephole. I see it again, and I'll poke through the glass with an ice pick!”

“Screw you!” said the voice. But she must have removed the offending eye because after a second Tristesse came back to Rose. “The doors and walls in this dump are like cardboard; you can hear everything, and that old goat is nothing but trouble. She spends her life listening at that damn door. Two nights ago she called the cops on this guy I've been seeing just because we had a disagreement. Now he's pissed at me and I haven't seen him since he got out of jail.” She took the bag of broken china and glass from Rose. “I'll get rid of that for you,” she said.

“Thank you,” said Rose. “I really should be going. It was nice meeting you,” she added inanely, and held out her hand for another tobacco-stained shake.