0076 (hung-up upon)
Once you’ve broken with someone, there’s an awful feeling of softness for them afterwards. [26-48-1]
“I know you might not be totally over Ramon. [24-265-11] I just want a word, that’s all. [10-134-9] I love you so much it hurts.” [25-107-16] That’s when I heard the click. [28-111-21]
0056 (teen-ager laissez-faire)
When I called Leon back, to apologize, his line was busy. [28-111-23]
In a way I was waiting for my life to begin – tomorrow, I thought, or next week, or next year everything would fall into place. [1-107-8]
This year, the teen-agers were all imitating Sal Mineo and Brigitte Bardot, and they all looked as though they were going to do something obscene any minute. [18-19-24] And April Lee Stuart, from White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, with her apple-fresh darting tongue… [2-2-17] She had long, tanned legs. [11-201-25] The last year had given her a Paul Jones of partners; a lot of laughter, glamour, fun without guilt, no responsibilities and usually no phone calls. [6-61-27] She made a beeline to El Tocón Sangriento – I wouldn’t recommend the sangria, by the way – where she came on to this guy like a seasoned pepera girl. [24-30-30] Love was worse, far worse, than I had ever imagined. [5-24-26] Betty had understood this from the first. [8-62-33]
0060 (Betty’s affairs, loneliness)
I haven’t kept up with Betty’s affairs lately. [8-6-29] She had learned the hard way not to wait, [21-256-12] and I was just a little worried about her. [4-178-11] I had hoped it wasn’t pills or drugs, which I knew her friends were involved in, and I was hoping and still hope to this day that she wasn’t involved in that. [3-165-26] That’s what love is: the shutter that comes down to prevent you thinking. [26-68-1] There were long stretches of loneliness and boredom where I wandered around, during the day or at night, hoping that somebody, preferably a woman, would appear and set things right. [1-105-25] I used to go out and hang out in the clubs at night. [14-453-28] It’s called flagging someone down. [10-101-5]
0075 (acrid morning with Betty)
The alarm clock blared, preset by a previous user of the hotel room to some country music station. [14-386-1] Brichera. [24-31-4] My brain started to function at last, recovering from the shock of waking up after insufficient sleep. [16-9-10]
Betty stood by the front window, staring quietly across at the lighted windows in the buildings opposite. [8-3-13] Finally, we sat at her computer, together. [5-21-20]
My pain was for Nicole more than what they [the media] were doing. [3-165-11] “I know….They think you are a publicity-seeking broad out to make a name for yourself.” [6-136-1]
She made some off hand, acid retorts about ‘dagos’ and ‘wops,’ to make her point. [11-89-17] Socialising was definitely not one of her strong points. [10-7-5]
“Now, what was it you wanted scratched?” [21-190-12]
“Mesquites.” [13-106-14] She pointed at the top of the display, eyes hot with accusation. [17-73-27]
“So I don’t regret that. [15-239-10] I don’t even count the chickens once they’ve hatched.” [20-228-10]
0078 (in-crowd)
I didn’t answer because it was something we never actually said out loud. [28-8-13]
0005 (argument, tension)
“You know what I mean,” I said. “What are you doing out here with this bunch?” [23-86-7]
“What makes you say that? [5-2-13] You’re not serious.” [24-31-4]
“Correct.” [10-101-34]
Now the hazel eyes seemed alight with a combination of embarrassment and mischief. [17-2-25] I could see that she was hung up on being with the in crowd but didn’t like to admit it. [12-22-21] “I would say probably that our motivation was just to get away.” [19-127-7]
“Yes, [13-38-7] perhaps.” [15-18-16] (That she would do without me; as Dirty Harry said, a man has got to know his limitations.) [20-49-3]
It was the first opportunity I had had to speak to Paul on my own for any real length of time. [16-189-37] He had enormous pink lips that moved like fat rubber erasers when he talked. [28-20-1] I think it was I who suggested that Betty move to the second bedroom. [1-107-8] “You don’t have to explain her to me,” I told him, [18-26-8] craning to see Betty’s face. [27-71-14]
Things began to get better after that. [4-177-9] Too much pleasure to be permitted to ordinary people, as Charlie had once remarked. [2-160-34] Breakfast arrived and they courteously poured each other’s coffee, his eyes anxiously on her, hers sliding away to avoid his. [6-90-6]
“Odd phrase, ‘making love’. [11-218-5] If you really love somebody, you love them wholly, with all their faults and adulteries. [26-48-13] He looked past her to make certain they were still alone. [21-189-12]
0108 (free-lancing)
Then he talked to me for a few minutes. [4-184-11] He managed to frown and still keep smiling at the same time, something only politicians can do. [18-22-13] “See? This was scratched out.” [21-190-17]
Socialising was definitely not one of his strong points. [10-7-5] “You don’t read the paper you free-lance for?” he asked, almost affectionately. [8-65-6] “There was a newspaper story circulated around here not long ago, [13-111-6] some nine years after Wakshul’s dismissal.” [15-52-10]
“Who is this guy?” I exclaimed, and looked at the title page. [1-104-24] “Diamond stud, left ear?” [24-31-30]
0110 (hike to Browning’s pool)
I had a room with a bed, a gas heater, a table, a book case, and two chairs. [1-87-25]
“Tempus edax rerum,” Art said quietly. [27-224-25]
We got outside; [4-202-46] we wanted to hike through the forest up to the lake. [20-255-26] It was once called Browning’s pool, on account of the famous poet’s penchant for swimming in it. [5-73-18] Some laughter, and banter about the coldness of the water, and Amos dives, barely breaking the surface, powering down to the end nearest me. [29-76-16]
But Scott had other ideas. [16-243-21] “I’ve just been keeping the plants company,” he explained. [17-125-18] “Oldtimers referred to that little hill behind us as Indian Knob.” [11-132-20]
“What did the voice sound like?” [8-205-32]
0101 (the bog)
Jake was trying desperately to spread his body over the largest possible area, which would hopefully enable him to stay on top of the bog and craw out. [25-179-22] To the south was a wooden jetty where three speed boats were moored on the riverside. [31-99-9]