it’s not the fun that I miss, it’s the fluidity. Where a chance encounter, or an impromptu night out, or a wrong turn, or a last-minute trip could suddenly somehow change everything, alter your direction so utterly – without it ever being too late to change course again if you didn’t like the latest view. Yes, back then I felt lost, but now I feel so stuck. (Location 322)
he actually took me to a half-decent place. Not Gordon’s Wine Bar. I swear to God if one more fucking guy thinks it’s “cute” to take me to Gordon’s – where we just stand there awkwardly, watching everyone else around us on bad dates also standing there awkwardly – I may give up wine for ever. But no. He took me to this nice restaurant, with proper napkins (Location 332)
‘Turning thirty is like playing musical chairs. The music stops and everyone just fucking marries whoever they happen to be sitting on. (Location 442)
Olivia nods along, stroking her stomach like her bump is personally offended. She mutters ‘of course’, and ‘I can see why it’s difficult’, and ‘people don’t understand how expensive babysitters are’. She turns to Steven and asks him what he thinks and Steven is smart enough to say how unfortunate it is. (Location 469)
It’s time for the big moment and the air in the room fills with anticipation, like someone famous is about to come in. And I guess Jessica is famous – for today at least. She is getting married and therefore this little microcosm will orbit around her all day, making her feel the most special and totally worth blowing twenty grand on. Here she comes. (Location 487)
She steps forwards and we twist and crane to get a look of her. I am immediately analysing her for how pretty she looks. For what the dress is like, what her body looks like in it. How her hair is done and if her make-up is enough but not too much. It is what we are conditioned to do. How pretty do you look? Have you managed it? Have you made all the right style choices? Oh, how we will notice if you haven’t and discuss it privately, bitchily, at the end of the day. (Location 490)
Tags: girls
Note: .girls
‘Mum? Dad?’ I begin, swirling my drink in my glass. ‘What is it poppet?’ Dad asks. I pause and swill the crimson liquid around some more. ‘How did you know you were each other’s One?’ They both laugh at exactly the same time. Mum reaches over and puts her wrinkled hand on top of mine. ‘What is it? What’s so funny?’ I say. ‘It’s just I don’t think I ever thought about it,’ Mum replies, before turning to Dad. ‘Did you?’ ‘I knew I got on better with you than I did with anyone else.’ ‘Yes, me too. We just got on.’ She turns back to me. ‘Your generation are way too preoccupied with this sort of thing. I think if I’d looked at your father thinking, “are you The One? Can I spend every moment of my life with you?” I would’ve freaked out and got on a train to Timbuktu.’ (Location 1054)
The table becomes a giddy self-help group of women complaining about all the gross things their boyfriends do. Some of them leave their towels on the floor, some of them fart under the duvet, some of them don’t know how to wash up properly. God, aren’t they awful creatures? Why do we put up with it? (Location 1535)
I don’t know how to reply. If I tell him I’m not happy, he will ask why. And then, when I explain, he won’t understand why I’m sad. So he will do that thing where he pretends he is being sympathetic, but I can sense that, underneath, he thinks I’m being a giant brat. Therefore I’ll get mad at him. That anger will then seep into something that happens the following week, when I’ve realised I can’t bury it any longer. We will have a spat about something insignificant, like what time-slot to get the groceries delivered, and I’ll end up yelling ‘I’M MAD AT YOU FOR NOT BEING SUPPORTIVE ABOUT MY MEETING.’ And first he’ll ask, ‘what meeting?’ because so much time has passed. And then, when I explain, he will think I’m crazy for bringing up something that happened over a week ago. And then he’ll be angry at me because he was supportive. And then I’ll have to try to explain how I know he thought he was being supportive but actually I could tell he didn’t mean it, and that’s actually worse. Then he’ll accuse me of putting him in situations where he can never win. Then he’ll make that face – the one where I know I’ve pushed things too far and need to be careful – and I’ll say sorry because I can’t handle the pure hatred in his eyes. And Tom won’t apologise back because he won’t think he’s done anything wrong. He’ll punish me for ever having said anything in the first place. (Location 1553)
guess she has more on now. She cannot be blamed. It’s not fair to set people tests and then get annoyed when they fail them. (Location 1705)