“Alan: "I had terrible stage fright."Sin: "I'm not familiar with the concept of 'stage fright.'"A: "It's pretty awful. You end up having to picture the entire audience in their underwear. Phyllis was in that audience, you know."S: "Why, Alan, I had no idea your tastes ran that way."A: "Phyllis is a very nice lady. And I do not consider her so much aged as matured, like a fine wine. But I still think you owe me an archery lesson.”

“I felt badly because I'd been nasty. After your behavior tonight, I only wish I'd been nastier. I can be," she added on a threat.Alan only smiled as Mario brought the wine to the table. Watching Shelby, Alan tasted it, then nodded. "Very good. It's the sort of flavor that stays with you for hours. Later, when I kiss you,the taste will still be there."The blood began to hum in her ears. "I'm only here because you dragged me."To his credit, Mario didn't spill a drop of the wine he poured as he listened.Her eyes heated as Alan continued to smile. "And since you refuse to give me my keys,I'll simply walk to the nearest phone and call a locksmith. You'll get the bill.""After dinner," Alan suggested. "How do you like the wine?"Scowling, Shelby lifted the glass and drained half the contents. "It's fine." Her eyes, insolent now, stayed level with his. "This isn't a date, you know.""It's becoming more of a filibuster, isn't it? More wine?”

“I don't come on to seduce the audience. I don't care if everyone laughs. I can't think about that anymore. If there's anything that a lot of experience on stage and a lot of stage time gives you is the confidence to know that it's ok if they're not laughing every second you're up there. Although that's what drives me and I still go too fast a lot of the time.”

“I would rather you wait till next Sunday" Phyllis politely told her boss, & added with a grin,If you had enjoyed the meal, why don`t you introduce me to some of your friends?I am sure they will like it too."She was putting all her cards on the table.Eros was taken aback but replied "Sure! Sure!" knowing very well he was lying to her.[MMT]”

“You sell your own wares,then.Are you clever at it?"Shelby lifted her wine. "I like to think so." Tossing her hangs out of her eyes, she turned to Alan. "Would you say I was clever at it, Senator?""Amazingly so," he returned. "For someone without any sense of organization, you manage to work at your craft,run a shop,and live precisely as you choose.""I like odd compliments," Shelby decided after a moment. "Alan's accustomed to a more structured routine. He'd never run out of gas in the freeway.""I like odd insults," Alan murmured into his wine."Makes a good balance.”

“In his new will, Typhon had named Phyllis as his only surviving relative & called her his wife.And he thus bequeathed to Phyllis everything he owned, including his flesh, bones & offals. And thus the terrible Typhon had married Phyllis without telling her.[MMT]”