“Oh, sure, they’d insisted I take Washington Wife class after I’d inadvertently insulted the Prime Minster of England, but how could I have known he wasn’t willing to admit that the Rolling Stones weren’t half the band Aerosmith was and never would be?”

“He could take one look at me- at the ashtray, the bottle, the four pots of coffee, my face, and my gut set like a stone on the white band of the towel- he could take one look at me and be pretty sure i ran on heavy fuel.”

“I could always make you.”The way he says it sounds dark and dirty and infinitely pleasurable. All I can think of is what I’d like for him to make me do.There’s an unsavory term for that—a guy forcing a girl to do sexual things. But what is it they say? You can’t rape the willing. And I’d be willing. Oh, how I’d be willing.”

“Oh, I take your meaning now, Marcus,” he said, as if comprehension had just dawned. “You would have me harken back to a time when the outcome of a contest was not known until after the voting. How nostalgic.”

“I wanna put you in my car and driveAnd turn you up loud, roll down all the windows and shout it outI love this girl ohIf I could press play, repeat how happy I’d beWherever I’d go I’d have you there with meYou’d be right where you belongI wanna put you in a song, oh oh oh.”

“When i was nervous, I resorted to inadvertent insults.”