“I loved the terrier quality Stuart had. He thought he was such a tough guy.”

“But Matt's the only guy I've ever gone out with,and he barely counts.I once told him I'd dated this guy named Stuart Thistleback at summer camp. Stuart Thistleback had auburn hair and played the stand-up bass, and we were totally in love,but he lived in Chattanooga and we didn't have our driver's licenses yet.Matt knew I made it up,but he was too nice to say so.”

“If Stuart is a freak... it is because he has had the superhuman strength not to be defeated by this isolation. It is because he has had the almost unbelievable social adroitness to be able to fit in smoothly with an educated, soft-skinned person like myself and not make me frightened half to death. If Stuart's a freak, I salute freaks.”

“Irene gasped. "Have you taken leave of your senses, Stuart?" she hissed. "Have you?"Stuart closed his eyes."No," he said. "Au contraire." It was strong language for the Edinburgh New Town, but he had to say it."Don't au contraire me," said Irene.But it was too late. He had.”

“It was the wife, John thought. And she was giving this tough guy a tongue-lashing. And the man was taking it."Okay. I love you. Bye." Tohrment flipped the phone closed and put it in his pocket. When he focused on John again, he clearly respected his wife enough not to roll his eyes and make some macho, shithead comment about pesky women.”

“Tough guys don't dance. You had better believe it.”