The Neanderthal Box Set Quotes

“I wasn’t the princess- gown-wearing ribbons-and-bows girly type. At least…I didn’t think I was.”
― Penny Reid, The Neanderthal Box Set

“I saw Dan lift his eyebrows then look to the ceiling and sigh. I had come to understand that, for Dan, this was his silent way of communicating that he was dumbfounded. Some people say, “I can’t—I can’t even….” Some people say, “Bitch, you crazy.” Some people say, “I have no words.” Dan just glances”
― Penny Reid, The Neanderthal Box Set

“craptacularly idiotic”
― Penny Reid, The Neanderthal Box Set

“As Sandra would say, all I felt was Zen. But not Quinn. Quinn was not Zen. He was the opposite of Zen. I’d made a mental note to look up what the opposite of the word Zen was, thinking it should be something like “zook” or “z-oh-shit!” Or maybe it was “zinn.”
― Penny Reid, The Neanderthal Box Set

“I’d gone pee—”
― Penny Reid, The Neanderthal Box Set

“I’M NOT GOING to lie I was eating my second dinner.”
― Penny Reid, The Neanderthal Box Set

“Janie, this white man wants to know what’s going on inside your uterus.”
― Penny Reid, The Neanderthal Box Set

“I didn’t understand why it was so difficult for him to put the colander in the correct cabinet. Every time he emptied the dishwasher, it was like a scavenger hunt for the week that followed.”
― Penny Reid, The Neanderthal Box Set

“because I, too, am looking forward to the open bar.” This drew chuckles and a few exclamations of “hear, hear!”
― Penny Reid, The Neanderthal Box Set

“She then crossed to me and handed me a huge bunch of ferns. I smiled at the lovely arrangement—red, burgundy, and orange. There wasn’t a single green fern in the bunch.”
― Penny Reid, The Neanderthal Box Set

“Sandra said, “Go get ’em, Sexy-Brains.” Kat said, “I am so glad you got laid off!” This made us both laugh, then she added, “I prefer seeing you once a week sublimely happy than seeing you every day merely content.”
― Penny Reid, The Neanderthal Box Set

“In it was the most exquisite, delicate, and all around unbelievably beautiful object I’d ever seen. “It’s a Haapsalu shawl—an Estonian wedding shawl. We each knit a section,” Fiona explained. I lifted it up by one edge and studied the fine, intricate lacework. My throat wouldn’t work. I tried to speak but I was completely overwhelmed. “Let me help you put it on. You don’t have to wear it if you don’t want to, but we wanted to make something for you, and Kat found this pattern, so we all watched YouTube videos and learned how to do Estonian lace knitting.”
― Penny Reid, The Neanderthal Box Set

“It was a myth, like Bigfoot or string theory—which everyone but wackos knows is more of a philosophy than a science.”
― Penny Reid, The Neanderthal Box Set

“I should stop worrying about what I think I should want and just do what I actually want.”
― Penny Reid, The Neanderthal Box Set

“fab-bu-licious.”
― Penny Reid, The Neanderthal Box Set

“I wanted to discuss wedding dresses in specific,”
― Penny Reid, The Neanderthal Box Set

“If we’d flown in together then it could have been avoided.”
― Penny Reid, The Neanderthal Box Set

“She was being stubborn, so I told her that the ball was in her court—which is an idiom that comes from tennis, although some crazy people think it comes from badminton. Of course, this assertion is completely false, because it would be the shuttlecock is in your court, not the ball is in your court.” Quinn’s eyes held mine, but his face seemed meticulously expressionless when he said, “Why is it called a shuttlecock?” “Excellent question—I’m glad you asked. The word refers to the forward and backward movement it makes during the game: it was named after the shuttle of a loom.” “And the cock part?” My eyes narrowed on him and—by the power of Thor!—I could feel my neck heat. This was entrapment. I cleared my throat and looked away, picking a piece of lint from my jeans before responding. “It has feathers on it.” “Oh. So it wasn’t named after the forward and backward movement of….” “No! No it was not.”
― Penny Reid, The Neanderthal Box Set

“I can’t pee if I know you’re listening.” His mouth snapped shut as he swallowed a gulp too quickly, and he blinked at me as if a speck of dust were caught in his eye. “What?” “I don’t want to have the door open—ever—when we’re doing our business in the bathroom. Some things should stay a mystery.” He watched me for a moment then shrugged. “Okay…that’s fine.” “And I don’t want you to carry my purse—not ever. I hate that, and I actually feel a level of severe moral reprehension about men carrying their spouses’ purses. Don’t even reach for it. You can have your own purse if you want one, but I don’t want you touching my purse.” His mouth was pressed together in a stiff line and eyes were watching me like I was the most fascinating creature he’d ever seen. “And sounds,” I continued. “I know you’ll make them, but you need to be cognizant of them, like farting. Try to do it elsewhere so I can’t hear. I’ll do the same with you. Make an effort, you know? It’s like, why share that with anyone?” “Burping too?” I thought about that then shook my head. “I’m glad you asked. For some reason I feel like loud, long burps are okay, but little burps are disgusting. So, let’s just say no to burps unless we’re having a contest.” He stared at me for a beat, nodded. “I can see that. That makes sense. I have a request.” “Sure, go for it.” “Don’t talk about your period—ever. I don’t want to see evidence of it either.” “Ever? But what about if you want to do something and I’m….” “Then we’ll put it on the calendar. We can have a code for it so I’ll know when it’s happening. I just don’t want to talk about it.” I frowned at that, nodded. “Then I don’t want to hear about stomach or digestion problems—unless something is really wrong and you need to go to the doctor.” “Sounds good.” “And,” I continued, thinking of another item, “I want you to kiss me when you leave and kiss me when you come home.” Quinn gave me a quick smile then leaned forward and brushed a kiss against my mouth. “I like that one.” He settled back against the couch. “Same goes for you. And you should also tell me you love me, every day.” “I love you and I will. That’s a good one. You should say it too.” “I’ll say it too, and I love you. Anything else?” I studied him, tried to think of other specific requests, came up empty. At length I shook my head. “I can’t think of any more, but if I do I’ll email them to you.” He stuck his hand out for me to take, saying, “I can agree to those terms.”
― Penny Reid, The Neanderthal Box Set

“brooding.”
― Penny Reid, The Neanderthal Box Set

“Growing up I watched a lot of film noir, read a lot of comic books. When a character wanted to brood, they’d sit in the dark, usually in a large leather chair by a table with a single unlit lamp, holding a tumbler of whiskey.”
― Penny Reid, The Neanderthal Box Set

“It’s not okay to treat people that way,” I said. “It’s not okay to cut people out of your life, especially your family, because you’re too embarrassed or ashamed to take responsibility for your mistakes. It hurts them.” She didn’t move, and made no outward sign that she heard me. “They didn’t push you out, Shelly. You pushed them away. But you should know that your family loves you, and that includes me now. You have a family that will forgive you, but you have to want forgiveness. When you’re ready, when you want it, we’ll be waiting.”
― Penny Reid, The Neanderthal Box Set

“I had Quinn’s secretary, Betty, make the arrangements”
― Penny Reid, The Neanderthal Box Set

“It means a contented mind is a perpetual feast,” Nico said. “Similar to a burden that one chooses is not felt.” His hand around Elizabeth slid down the side of her body and grabbed her ass. “Enjoy yourself, and you might find that the task is not so difficult.”
― Penny Reid, The Neanderthal Box Set

“Chi s'accontenta gode.”
― Penny Reid, The Neanderthal Box Set

“Tutto questo è ridicolo. Quel che conta è che il mio cuore ti amava ancor prima di incontrarti e ti amerà sempre. Sii mia e lascia che io sia tuo.”
― Penny Reid, The Neanderthal Box Set

“You’re harshing my mellow”
― Penny Reid, The Neanderthal Box Set

“I also decided to ignore Jem’s request for contact. Quinn got her a good lawyer—which was somewhat awkward since she’d broken into his parents’ house—and I washed my hands of the situation.”
― Penny Reid, The Neanderthal Box Set

“and hadn’t returned any of my or Quinn’s phone calls since. She also wouldn’t take any of my calls,”
― Penny Reid, The Neanderthal Box Set

“staring at me, her anxiety clearly evident as she said, “Why ninety-seven percent?” “A three percent confidence interval is standard.”
― Penny Reid, The Neanderthal Box Set