“But I can't see how anybody who drives a '68 Shelby could be all bad.”

“We could work on our English outline," I say and almost can't contain the chuckle."Really? That's your idea of a hot date?""I'm sorry, I wasn't aware we were on a 'hot date'" And this time I can't contain the chuckle when she cringes. "So, how hot would you like it? I'm capable of all levels of hotness, from Luc-warm to - and I'm being literal here - hotter than Hell.”

“But his eyes say what he can’t. I see it, clear as day, even if she doesn’t. He’d give up his wings for her. All she’d have to do is ask.”

“What is it?”“Well, how it works is you take the box out of my hand and open it,” I say with a grin.”

“I don't believe in love at all, really. But lust ... is alive and well.”

“She gets to the bottom of the stairs, and I lift her off the ground and kiss her. As I lower her back to her feet she says, ‘Mmm, nice. That’s gonna score you some points with the parents.’ I look into the stands and see her parents standing there, slack-jawed, Dad with a camera perched, forgotten, in his hand. And Grandpa is laughing. ‘So what’s the plan?’ ‘I’m working on it. But I’m pretty sure it doesn’t include molesting me in front of them.”

“There’s no crying in baseball and no love in Hell. It’s just the rules. You could say it’s against our religion, more or less.”