Icing on the Lake Quotes

“Are we just going to stand here all night quoting each other?" Conor asked. "I mean, not that the material is bad, but I was kind of hoping we could get beyond that.”
― Catherine Clark, Icing on the Lake

“I don't know what she's going to do when I leave to go home, actually. She's gotten really used to having me around."
"Me too," Conor said. Then he cleared his throat loudly. "You're, you know, kind of blending in here. With the furniture."
"Thanks. I guess." I looked behind me at the tables and chairs. I didn't see any similarities, but whatever.”
― Catherine Clark, Icing on the Lake

“I've never really done much cross-country skiing before. I tried telemarketing once—"
"Telemarketing?" Conor burst out laughing. "Did you say 'telemarketing'?"
"What," I said.
"I think you mean telemarking."
I grinned. "Oh yeah. That sounds better."
And everyone at the table starting laughing at me, and both Sean and Conor were laughing, too. The one time they agreed on something, and it had to come at my expense.
"Yeah, that's the worst kind of skiing," Conor said. "You have to hold the phone to your ear while you're going downhill. There's the do-not-call list, and then there's the do-not-fall list," Connor added.
"Very funny," I said. But I couldn't stop myself from smiling, because it actually was.”
― Catherine Clark, Icing on the Lake

“Conor," the cashier, an older woman, said in a weary, warning tone. "More bagging, less commentizing."
"Commentizing?" Conor dropped a loaf of Italian bread and a package of thin spaghetti into a new plastic bag. "Mary, you are making up new words every day."
"I have to do something to amuse myself," she said. "You sure don't help."
"Help? Did you say help?" Conor cleared his throat. "Yes? Okay. I'd be glad to help you, Miss," he said in a loud voice.
"Miss?" I repeated as I followed him out of the automatic doors, past a bunch of giveaway newspapers in wire displays and a collection of carts and baskets. "Since when am I a Miss?"
"What do you want to be? Ma'am?" He quickly wheeled the metal cart toward the door.
"How about just . . . how about you let me carry my own bags?" I said.
"We have a rule here. Two bags' worth, and you get me," he said.
"Remind me to shop lightly next time, then," I said.”
― Catherine Clark, Icing on the Lake

“But I got this picture of me with my skis crossed, butt up, face down, in the snow. Then, the next day, Gretchen and I sitting on the sofa, side by side, staring out the picture window, waiting for something interesting to happen, for someone to fall on their way past. Spring would come and we'd still be there, immobilized, and both on diets . . .”
― Catherine Clark, Icing on the Lake

“We learned some things anyway," I said. "Didn't we, Brett?" Like how nice it is to skate with Sean and how he's the perfect height for me. "Until we got a little on the frozen side. Then it wasn't so fun."
"Kirsten, you never wear enough clothes," Gretchen said.
"Oh, really?" Sean smiled at me, as if that fact weren't necessarily a bad characteristic to have. "Actually, I did notice that when she ran outside in her pajamas the other morning."
"And then she wonders why she's never warm enough," Gretchen said. "What do you think? Maybe she's cold-blooded. Does that mean she's cold-hearted, too?"
"Oh, yeah. In fact, not only am I cold and unfeeling, I'm a reptile, basically. Thanks, Gretch."
"Well, you did fall through the ice when you were two," she reminded me—not that I had any memory of the event, just of this story being told every year at about the time everyone was asking, "Is the lake frozen yet?" I was like the poster child for waiting for a deep freeze before venturing onto questionable ice.”
― Catherine Clark, Icing on the Lake

“So, are there, ah, lessons or classes or something?" I asked instead.
Sean smiled. "In broomball?"
"Sure. That, or skating in general."
"I don't know. I mean, sure, probably—for kids. That's what you mean, right? For Brett here?"
"Uh . . . sure." I smiled. "For Brett."
We both knew they were for me, but he was nice enough not to tease me.
"I could, you know. Show him a few things."
"Really?" My voice squeaked as I said that, and I cringed at the sound of my inner flirt. She needed practice. Badly.”
― Catherine Clark, Icing on the Lake

“When I emerged, there was a boy standing behind me, staring at me.
Not just any boy, either. The one who'd returned my lost hat at the lake the other day. The cute one with short auburn hair and green eyes. The one I'd fallen on top of.
They were coming out of the woodwork. Or the ice. Or somewhere.
He was wearing an apron with the store's name stitched over the pocket. Unless his name was Zublansky's, Your One-Stop Shop.”
― Catherine Clark, Icing on the Lake

“Don't forget to check your rearview mirror," Gretchen said, peering over her shoulder as I backed out of the parking spot at the mall.
"Gretchen," I said, trying to keep my composure, "I've been driving for a couple of years. You know that, right?"
"I know, but this is city driving. It's different."
"Yes. Very different. At home, we just back up without looking," I said. "We smash into other people's cars and that's how we figure out when to stop. Every parking lot is a demolition derby, basically.”
― Catherine Clark, Icing on the Lake

“Besides, I don't really wear much makeup."
"Yeah, well, that's because you got the good-skin gene in the family," Gretchen complained. "You got Mom's golden skin. You're like the perfect Norwegian goddess."
"Excuse me?" No one had ever called me a goddess before, and I was pretty sure no one would ever do it again, either. Could she at least do it while Sean was still hanging around? And in a very loud voice, with the door wide open? Just shout it: Kirsten is a goddess!”
― Catherine Clark, Icing on the Lake

“You don’t want to date anyone else, though?” she asked. “No cuties in your class?”
“Cuties?” I wrinkled my nose.
“Cuties, hotties, dudes. Whatever,” she said. “Isn’t there anyone at home that you like?”
“No, not really. There aren’t that many guys I’d want to date. And the ones I do like, usually like Emma first. Or . . . eventually.”
“Yeah, I had a friend like that, too.”
“You did?”
Gretchen nodded. “Her name was Ashley.”
“Her name’s not still Ashley?” I said.
She glared at me. “You’re such a smart ass. No wonder you don’t have a boyfriend.”
― Catherine Clark, Icing on the Lake

“The first gift I opened was a striped scarf from Emma. It matched my pink and orange puffy down jacket perfectly. “Maybe you could drop that at the rink, too,” she suggested.
“Yeah, just leave random items of clothing around there. See what happens,” Jones said.
I lashed her with the scarf. “Shame on you. I’m not going to disrobe on an icy lake.”
“Maybe not, but you’d find a date really fast if you did!” Jones said, and we were all laughing again.”
― Catherine Clark, Icing on the Lake

“As we eyed them over our hot cocoa, we all immediately, without discussing it, started talking a bit more loudly about where we were going for lunch. Yeah, we can be kind of immature when we want to be.”
― Catherine Clark, Icing on the Lake