Laurent doesn’t just enjoy leading a life full of pleasure and passion—he seems to
need these pleasures, since he has become accustomed to an existence in which it was easy for him to satisfy his every desire. Such ideas seem completely foreign to Camille, who doesn’t yearn for anything other than a fancy job and a respectable salary. But they
do resonate with Thérèse, and Laurent seems very aware of the interest she takes in his stories—so aware, in fact, that he makes a point of flirtatiously looking at her as he speaks about sexual matters that Camille would never discuss.