If he is anything other than a total gentleman, I’m going to gouge his eyes out.” “So you’re into it.” “Withholding judgment! When can I see you?” “Certainly not until you finish An Imperial Affliction.” I enjoyed being coy. “Then I’d better hang up and start reading.” “You’d better,” I said, and the line clicked dead without another word. Flirting was new to me, but I liked it.

Something about telling that story made my gut grow back together." What?" Oh, nothing. Just thinking out loud." That's who you really like. The people you can think out loud in front of." The people who've been in your secret hiding places." The people you bite your thumb in front of." Hi." Hi." ..." ..." Wow. My first Lindsey." My second Colin." That was fun. Let's try it again." Sold." ..." ..." ...".

A drink this good deserves one's best posture.

Dutch is not so much a language as an ailment of the throat.

I've read a lot of bad books. I used to review books for a living, and when you're a reviewer you read tons of terrible books.

You never know. It's just. It's like. POOF. And you're gone.

I wondered whether I could find a Great Perhaps here at all or whether I had made a grand miscalculation.