The Ex Talk Quotes
"I might be more stubborn than vicious. That stubbornness got me an internship here ten years ago, and now, at twenty-nine, I’m the station’s youngest-ever senior producer."
"The only thing that made me feel like myself again was my internship at PPR. That was when I realized the solution wasn’t impulse—it was consistency."
"I fight the urge to roll my eyes, and make an executive decision not to record this particular tidbit. Dominic seems to make an attempt at looking humble, his cheeks even turning pink before he lifts a hand as though to remind all of us who he is."
"Instead of opening my work email, I log on to my bank account. I have enough in savings to last me a few months, and I imagine I’d collect unemployment."
"I’ve never dated a younger guy; all my boyfriends have been my age or slightly older."
"She presses her ruby lips together and nods. "All right. Yes. I’m great." Her hand is at her throat again."
"I try to keep my voice down. "Or all we’ll hear is your heavy breathing.""
""People don’t turn to us for breaking news," I say, trying to keep my voice down. "We’ve done studies."
""Forget it," Dominic says, his shoulders rigid as he heads to the door. "I’m not doing it."
"That interactive element—hearing Paloma through your speakers one minute and chatting with her live the next—is why radio is the best form of journalism."
"I loved how radio could tell such a complete, immersive story."
"It’s a risky surgery, he’d say about an ancient iPhone. She might not make it through the night."
"Excuse me while I walk right into downtown rush-hour traffic."
"I wonder if it’s how he says a woman’s name in bed. A growl. A plea."
"I hope he doesn’t think I’m too old for him, at least in the hypothetical sense."
"I am not sacrificing my bed to a seven-pound dog."
"It’s for my career, I remind myself. It’s not forever."
"We’ve had a good run, I think. Eleven years? Most shows never get close to that long."
"And that’s a wrap on Puget Sounds. I’ve been Paloma Powers, and you’re listening to Pacific Public Radio."
"I have to remind myself he doesn’t really know me, even if this conversation indicates otherwise."
"I’m really wishing the floor would open up and suck me into the Hellmouth right now."
"Our parents didn’t get along, and they had different ideas of what the wedding should be."
"It’s not something I tend to broadcast very often."
"A little anxiety is natural when you're trying to impress someone new."
"If you're not making someone else's life better, then you're wasting your time."
"People have so quickly become invested in this story that isn't real."
"Sometimes I wish I'd stayed here for college."
"You're not alone. You have your fake ex-girlfriend slash current cohost slash fellow inept pasta chef with you."
"It's hard to let anyone else call me that now."
"You have to remove all the rust with some steel wool before seasoning it."
"You rub it down with oil, then place it in a hot oven for an hour or so, and after that, it’s ready for cooking."
"He claimed mosquitoes loved his blood because he always wound up covered in bites."
"I’m not sure what, exactly, he’s trying to pull here."
"You are beautiful, Shay. At work or in pajamas or at the top of a mountain."
"You’re killing me. I have to touch you. Please."
"You just climbed a fucking mountain. You’re beautiful."
"But things are going too well with the show to jeopardize it."
"I have no idea how long I can actually last."
"I can’t believe you had me convinced you were shy."
"You’re already sleeping with me. No need to butter me up."
"I’ll be your ex as long as you want me to be."
"We’re doing something a little different today."
"It’s that I’ve become complacent, letting Dominic and Kent speak for me."
"I truly thought I was done. I’d been lucky enough to have one great big love, and that was it for me."
"We were sitting right next to each other, and we had no idea the other person was grieving the same way. For so many years."
"There’s a jolt in my chest that turns into a pang when he looks away first."
"People want to talk to my mother, to Phil. A woman who lost her husband last month tells my mother how great it is to hear her so clearly happy."
"The music is somber but not hopeless. Maybe I’ve never loved it, but my mother does, that’s clear."
"When it’s over, I hate that the only person I want to celebrate with is Dominic."
"And I hate even more how quickly he leaves the studio."
"This is what I wanted, wasn’t it? How can my dad be holding me back if I’m going to PodCon?"
"I can’t believe it. We haven’t even had ten episodes, and we’re going to be at fucking PodCon."
"If we’re going to go onstage at PodCon in a few weeks, I’d like to at least be on speaking terms," he says.
"Everyone’s so polite today. It gets above seventy degrees, and suddenly everyone’s smiling. I’ve always liked that."
"I’m sorry again," he says with a sigh. "Wow, okay, this is not going the way I hoped it would."
"But sometimes I like to pretend there’s an invisible line between them, and you just crossed into my bubble. I like my bubble."
"I haven’t been completely honest with you," he says. "When I told you that sex was a big deal to me... it wasn’t just sex. It’s the whole concept of a relationship."
"I told you how I tend to get too attached. And I’m older than you, and I didn’t know if you wanted something serious."
"It would really help if you told me you like me, too."
"Dominic. I like you so much. I thought it was obvious."
"It felt too real, being there at your house. That was why I had to end it."