“I've met the girl. She's a zero in my opinion but terrific-looking. I don't actually know that she's a zero. I mean she hardly said two words the night I met her. Just sat and smiled and smoked, so it isn't fair to say.”

“...smoking is just a habit. 'Tolstoy', she said, mentioning someone I hadn't met, 'says that just as much pleasure can be got from twirling the fingers'. My impulse was to tell her Tolstoy was off his onion, but I choked down the heated words. For all I know, the man might be a bosom pal of hers and she might resent criticism of him, however justified.”

“I know, I'm sorry, "Bailey says. "What does exsanguinated mean?" The girl smiles. "It means draining all your blood," she says. "But they don't actually do that, I don't think.”

“I've known my mom since I was zero years old. She is quite dope.”

“And then you met me," I said."And then I met you," she said, smiling softly."And all was right with the world," I joked."Exactly," she said seriously.”

“She craned up on her toes and kissed my cheek..."Don't do that", I said. "You just met me. This is New York.”