Love Virtually by Daniel Glattauer

Author:Daniel Glattauer [Glattauer, Daniel]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, book, ebook, General
ISBN: 9781743343975
Publisher: Quercus
Published: 2011-03-01T05:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SIX

Three days later

Subject: (no subject)

Hi Leo,

How’s it going?

Love,

Emmi

Fifteen minutes later

Re:

Hi Emmi,

Yes, not bad. How about you?

Eight minutes later

Re:

Good, thanks. Apart from the heat. Is this normal for the end of May? 95 degrees in May—has it ever been that hot in the past? I’m sure it hasn’t! And otherwise? Everything O.K.?

Twenty minutes later

Re:

Yes, thanks, Emmi, everything’s fine right now. You’re right— the temperature used to get to 95 degrees at the end of July, beginning of August, perhaps one or two days a year, no more than that. O.K., maybe it was for four or five days. But not in May, it’s never been like this in May! I tell you, global warming is going to become a hot topic. It’s not just some campaign launched by bored climate researchers. I think we’re going to have to get used to hot summers every year.

Three minutes later

Re:

You’re right, Leo, the variations in temperature are getting more and more extreme. And how are you spending these steamy days and nights?

Fourteen minutes later

Re:

And we’re going to have more frequent and violent storms. Mudslides, floods. There’ll be periods of drought too. Do you know what that means? It would be foolish to underestimate the economic and ecological consequences of climate change.

Five minutes later

Re:

Pineapples growing in the Alps. Compulsory snow chains for all cars in Apulia. Rice paddies on the Faroes. Stalls selling antifreeze in Damascus. Colonies of camels in Murmansk.

Yacht clubs in the Sahara.

Eighteen minutes later

Re:

Soon you’ll be able to fry eggs without a stove in the Scottish Highlands, assuming free-range chickens don’t come pre-roasted and lay hard-boiled eggs, even in winter.

Two minutes later

Re:

Stop, Leo, I can’t take any more. I give up: How did it go? And please please please don’t now ask me: “How did what go?” Let’s try to save ourselves a few keystrokes, O.K.?

Thirteen minutes later

Re:

You mean my Sunday meeting with Mia? It was nice! Very nice, in fact. Thanks for asking.

One minute later

Re:

What do you mean “Sunday meeting”? Does that mean there’s been a “Monday meeting” too?

Eight minutes later

Re:

Yes, Emmi, funnily enough we met up again yesterday evening. We went out for Italian. Do you know La Spezia in Kenienstrasse? It’s got a fabulously intimate courtyard. Perfect in this heat. Best of all, it’s very quiet with good, unobtrusive music and excellent wines from Piedmont. I can heartily recommend La Spezia.

Fifty seconds later

Re:

Did you click?

Eighteen minutes later

Re:

Did we click? You always use these technical expressions! You’d better ask Mia. She’s one of your best friends, after all. She even says she is your best friend. I’m afraid I’ve got to sign off now for today, Emmi. Let’s email again tomorrow. Good night. I hope your bedroom’s not oppressively hot.

Three minutes later

Re:

But it’s not late, Leo. Have you got something going on this evening? Are you seeing Mia? If you do see her today, could you ask her to give me a call? I can’t seem to get hold of her. Have a nice, hot evening, and enjoy yourself.

Emmi

P.S. And here’s a tip: definitely bring up climate change.

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