“It was a face which darkness could kill in an instant a face as easily hurt by laughter or light 'We think differently at night' she told me oncelying back languidly And she would quote Cocteau'I feel there is an angel in me' she'd say 'whom I am constantly shocking' Then she would smile and look away light a cigarette for me sigh and riseand stretch her sweet anatomy let fall a stocking”

“I feel there is an angel in me' she'd say 'whom I amconstantly shocking”

“Then she smiled and told me I was cute, and that I should be careful, and I asked her why, then she said that she might fall for me, but I know she was joking, because who would want to fall for me? I'm a mess.”

“There is an angel inside me whom I am constantly shocking.”

“Think she could have told us we were going to fight the NFL?" "Would that have stopped you?" "No" "Me either."The laughter between the two of us echoed into the night.”

“Laughter rose from the clatter of china and silver, and I felt so very close to Zora's circle but not quite in it. It wasn't Zora's fault, because she addressed me often and encouraged her cousins to speak to me - once or twice with kicks beneath the table.But she couldn't know that the light on her circle paled to the light in mine. Even though I looked at the cousins, admiring their smiles and pretty laughter, I found myself drawn back to Nathaniel Witherspoon. And each time I caught him looking at me. At my mouth.”