Digging Up Love Quotes

“OMG, did he just sext you?"
Alisha clapped the phone to her chest, as good as clutching pearls. "No!"
"Yeah, right." Simone tilted her head sideways, gold hoops catching the light. "You're guilty as all get-out. What did he send you, a dick pic?"
The waitress sailed up to the table with a wide smile. Alisha slumped down in her seat, resisting the urge to continue the slide until she was hidden underneath the table. "What can I get for you ladies?"
How about two eggs with a side of mortification?
"I'll have an egg white spinach omelet," Simone said, holding loosely clasped hands by her cheek, her upturned face a ringer for a baroque saint. "But better bring my sister a smoothie, because she's so thirsty.”
― Chandra Blumberg, Digging Up Love

“Welcome to Vanilla Honey," Alisha sang out, sliding a tray of golden-brown scalloped madeleines onto a display shelf. Butterscotch notes of blond chocolate wafted toward her. The flaked sea salt on top balanced the sweetness and lent texture to the airy cookies.”
― Chandra Blumberg, Digging Up Love

“I'm pretty sure the only thing that makes you look bad is how eager you were to invalidate a colleague's role in a groundbreaking discovery." She stood, scraping her chair against the concrete. Shouldered her purse and looked down at Dr. Yates, waiting for him to meet her eyes. Then she summoned her last reserve of courage and found her voice.
"The choice is yours, Dr. Yates. Lose out on access to the discovery of a lifetime, or give a deserving man his job back.”
― Chandra Blumberg, Digging Up Love

“But, Q, she seemed awesome. The girls have been asking about her, and you know they hated Mercedes."
"They were toddlers when I was with her."
"Intuitive toddlers. When we watched Tangled the other day, they pointed at Mother Gothel and said, 'Look, it's Tía Cedes!”
― Chandra Blumberg, Digging Up Love

“You guard your heart so hard I'm surprised it hasn't turned to coal. But instead it sounds like you found a guy who sees you for the diamond you are. And whether you realize it or not, you're worth it. You deserve happiness, on your own terms.”
― Chandra Blumberg, Digging Up Love

“Wish I was closer so I could take the reins myself."
"Take the reins of my life?"
"Since you've had your foot on the brakes for... I dunno, ten years? Yeah.”
― Chandra Blumberg, Digging Up Love

“Since the picture is supposedly PG..."
"How do you even know there is a picture?"
"Are you going to share it or leave it to my imagination?"
With a petty smirk, Alisha said, "I'll take door number two."
"Oh, girl, c'mon."
"Nuh-uh, nope. You took the wrong approach." Alisha kept the phone pressed to her chest. "Maybe one day you'll learn: shock and awe can't win every campaign.”
― Chandra Blumberg, Digging Up Love

“It's been forever since we watched Friends. Besides, you're the one who made me sit through that show."
"Because if it was up to you, we would've watched Bewitched reruns every night."
"I Love Lucy," Alisha muttered.
"And you say you're not a boomer."
"Whatever. You're just bitter my mind is more sophisticated than yours and didn't immediately make the leap year to pop culture when I met Quentin."
"Oh, okay." Simone crossed her arms, and the gold cuff on her wrist flashed in the sunlight. "You're gonna stand there and tell me you and your minion Meg haven't been dropping Jurassic Park references since he showed up?"
Tongue in her cheek, Alisha scowled. "I hate you so much."
"Behold, my sister the meganerd." Cackling, Simone struck a Vanna White pose.”
― Chandra Blumberg, Digging Up Love

“I kind of associate people with flavors. My grandpa? He's an acquired taste, but the closest I can get is crème brûlée. A caramelized shell on the outside. Burnt, bitter notes. But crack the surface, and you find nothing but sweet custard. And Granny? She's a lemon meringue pie. A classic. Pillowy, silken-sweet egg whites, tamed with a hint of sour lemon and a snap of rich, buttery crust."
Squinting at him, she stopped rambling, feeling naked under his smoldering gray gaze. She lifted her heavy twists off the spot between her shoulder blades and fanned her neck. "Told you it was weird."
"It's not. It's beautiful." He looked down at the water, then met her eyes. "Do you have one for me?"
"I didn't. Before. I tried to figure you out, but nothing ever fit. I think maybe because my doubts got in the way. But now...?"
"Now?"
She traced her finger along the veins in his arms, watched his breath catch. "A ginger cookie. Not a gingersnap. Those are brittle and grate against your teeth. You're a chewy molasses cookie, the kind that gives when you bite into it, with exciting zings of crystallized ginger and pops of raw sugar." She dipped her chin, leaning on the railing again.
He moved behind her and slipped his arms around her waist, melting her to the core. He placed his mouth right by her ear, his breath tickling her neck. "What I'm hearing is, you like things a little spicy."
Laughing, she craned her neck around to catch the gleam in his eyes. "That's what you got out of that?"
"I heard what I heard.”
― Chandra Blumberg, Digging Up Love

“The bite melted on her tongue. Golden oil and toasted flour. Powdered sugar clinging to the roof of her mouth like summer and sunshine. But all that faded away when Quentin stepped closer, cupped her elbows.
Her senses filled with him---earthy spices---cloves and cinnamon and the cleansing hit of ginger. Deep notes of molasses, unique unto itself. Her eyes opened.
"Alisha? What did you taste?" You.”
― Chandra Blumberg, Digging Up Love

“I ultimately settled on cookies because they're straightforward. Cakes are pretentious and divisive. People either like the frosting or the cake itself. Pastries are yummy, but fussy. They're a bit elitist. But cookies?" She plucked out a piece of ice and sucked on it, momentarily distracting him. Then she wedged it in her cheek and spoke.
"Cookies are like jeans---perfect for everyone. You never see someone picking chocolate out of chocolate chip cookies or scraping the filling out of a macaron. You can dress them up or down. And cookies are adaptable. Take chocolate chip cookies. So many possible add-ins. And don't get me started on sugar cookies---sweetened with brown sugar or powdered sugar or agave or honey. Plus, cookies are portable, no silverware required.”
― Chandra Blumberg, Digging Up Love

“They stepped into the gloom and peered into the rows of cages. Luxuriant, curly fur covered some rabbits, so thick it weighed the tips of the ears down. Other pens housed pink-eyed albinos, their jaws working furiously on bits of hay poking out of their mouths. Earth's biodiversity never ceased to amaze him.
One of the rabbits was easily the size of a dog. The label on its cage read FLEMISH GIANT. Giant was right. Quentin leaned close to one to snap a photo for his nieces, and the rabbit thumped its back feet on the metal cage. Next to the rabbit, Alisha jumped a mile, her sneakers skidding on the concrete as she danced away.
Not so eager for the bunnies, then. Fine by him.
The next barn housed horses. In one of the stalls, a huge horse regarded them through wise dark eyes, like a sentient Narnian beast. A black mane fell across its face, and feathery white hair fanned out around its hooves.
"A Budweiser horse!"
She laughed, pointing to the placard. "Clydesdale.”
― Chandra Blumberg, Digging Up Love

“Careful, we can't have you falling again."
"Oh my gosh, just couldn't resist bringing that up, could you?"
"In my defense, if you could've seen yourself... I've never in my life seen someone so dirty." He let go of her arm. "Er..."
"It's okay. I was dirty. Filthy, in fact." Brazen in the tug of his magnetism, she held his gaze. "Good thing for showers."
"Yeah." His voice dipped low and husky. "Good thing."
Alisha swallowed, consumed by the sudden thought of what he would taste like. Crisp beer and salty fries. From the unfocused look on his face, his mind was tracing a similar path.”
― Chandra Blumberg, Digging Up Love

“We usually camp out on digs. Smoked briskets and pulled chicken is a big step up from hot dogs and walking tacos.”
― Chandra Blumberg, Digging Up Love

“Curlicues of yellow lemon peel floated down into the sugar. Aromatherapy.
Some people might turn to the homey flavors of vanilla and cinnamon to chase away nerves, but citrus calmed Alisha's soul.”
― Chandra Blumberg, Digging Up Love

“Anyone with a brain in their head could run a restaurant they'd worked at since they were old enough to bus a table. A restaurant where the menu was a twentieth-century relic. Choice of meat on a toasted roll. Shells and cheese. Shoestring fries. Apple pie à la mode, and brownies, also à la mode, courtesy of a big plop of store-bought ice cream. Bottled chocolate syrup on request.”
― Chandra Blumberg, Digging Up Love

“But what Honey and Hickory lacked in ambiance, it made up for in flavor. Meat and potatoes, hearty and addictive, drenched in their signature smoky-sweet sauce. Which meant no one had room for dessert after filling up on Grandpa's award-winning ribs and brisket.”
― Chandra Blumberg, Digging Up Love