“Yeah, Pudge is adorable / but you want incorrigible / so Jake is more endurable / 'cause he's so - damn. Damn. I almost had four rhymes on adorable. But all I could think of was unfloorable, which isn't even a word." - Takumi”

“Oh Jake," Brett said, "We could have had such a damned good time together."Ahead was a mounted policeman in khaki directing traffic. He raised his baton. The car slowed suddenly, pressing Brett against me.Yes," I said. "Isn't it pretty to think so?”

“How I adore you, Marya. How well I chose. Scold me; deny me. Tell me you want what you want and damn me forever. But don’t leave me.”

“I wanted to ask her how the same thing could be so ugly and so glorious, and its words and stories so damning and brilliant.”

“yeah. It's amazing. And when I'm not so damn hard I want to explode, I'm going to lick it all over. But right now there are other parts of you I want to lick”

“Well, I think we just had a date," he answers quietly; then, frowning, adds, "At least I think that's what it was. I told my boss I had a date. Hope that's okay?God, could he be any more adorable? Could he?”