Chapters 7 & 8: More Enormous
Genitalia. (Also, half-naked men and addled-men with shotguns)
The
questions of where and how Billie spent the night are dismissed in favor of
Logan saying he’d try to find out who damaged her car and Billie responding
badly when he says, “I’m just trying to look out for you, kid,” (122). She goes
into a tirade of how she hadn’t expected this mess and also that she’s not a
kid, she’s been taking care of herself for a long time, now. Then, while
they’re standing in the yard of her family’s house, she kisses him.
Kid? No effing way. Billie withdrew
her tongue and suckled on his bottom lip, her eyes open once more so she could
watch him. So he would know she was playing with him.
So he would know that she was in control (126,
emphasis original).
The
text continuously reminds us that she’s attracted to Logan. (And vice versa. In
fact, any time these two are in a scene together, assume that the narrative is
describing the point-of-view character’s favorable opinion of the other’s ass,
because it happens all the damn time.) But here she’s not kissing him because
of the attraction; she’s doing it because she wants him to see her as an adult
and, it seems to me, because so much of the rest of her life is out of her
hands that she’s taking control here. For that matter, she had to back him into
his truck to get him to stay still for this kiss.
But
after his initial hesitation, he reciprocates. In fact, he takes control. …Logan’s hands moved to her hips and he
took over (126).
This
makes me sigh over its cliché-ness. (Cliché-ity?) It’s so standard for a male
character’s attraction to be signaled by his dominating a physical, intimate
encounter. I’m not saying that finding that appealing is a bad thing or in any
way abnormal. (And the market’s current flood of Fifty Shades knock-offs and read-alikes certainly suggests that
it’s popular.) However, male dominance is by no means the only way for a
heterosexual couple to interact, and not every man is dominant. Also, it seems
lazy to me that this is how so many writers signal a male character’s strength
and the strength of his attraction. And I find it particularly unfortunate
here, with a character like Billie who is seen to be strong and capable and
would probably have better appreciated being in control in this moment.
He pulled her flush against his body
so that not only were her breasts crushed to his chest, her hips were held in
place, there where he was hard and heavy, and really, really big.* … Warning
bells rang in her head and she tried to wriggle away, suddenly okay with the
fact that she’d make a mistake. A huge freaking mistake….
“Where do you think you’re going?” he
asked silkily, though there was a hint of rasp beneath his words.
“I…” was all she managed to get out.
“This… I shouldn’t—”
“No,” he replied, a dangerous glint
in his eyes. “You shouldn’t have started this, but I sure as hell don’t have a
problem finishing it” (128).
The
warning bells are a problem for me. What kind of warning bells? Does she not
want to be in this position? Billie doesn’t manage to say “No” or “Stop” but “I
shouldn’t—“ doesn’t sound like enthusiastic consent, either. And yes, she
started it, but either partner is always allowed to stop it at any time. Does
she want to stop? That’s unclear to the reader—although romance novel tropes
tell us that she doesn’t—and it’s unclear to Logan. Ergo, he ought to stop and
clarify.
Logan now controlled the kiss, and
each lazy draw on her tongue made her head spin. Slowly, he delved deeper, his
taste and feel making her weak. He held her in place so she couldn’t move, but
really, did she want to? (129).
Billie
is a physically strong woman. She’d have to be, to have played professional
hockey for any amount of time, even in Sweden. She’d have to be even ‘just’
playing college women’s hockey. But Logan also plays hockey and apparently very
well, even if it’s just men’s league. And he’s a man, and statistically men are
physically stronger than women. So when Billie/the narrative tells us that she
cannot move, I suppose we should believe it. Yeah, there’s a good chance that
Billie could knee him in the balls and get him to stop, but this is one of
those unfortunate places where clearly not everyone is in communication. And I
know that romance novels would likely be very boring if, like the jokes about
political correctness, the characters had to okay every single sexual action
with each other, but all I’m asking for is a little less norming of men in
control and women being swept away by what the men make them feel.
Also,
remember that they’re still in her driveway when Logan pulls down her shirt,
and pushes aside her bra, and starts with the licking/sucking. Billie finally
remembers this as well and says that they can’t and to his credit, Logan
accepts that and helps put her back together. Billie says she doesn’t know why
she started what she did; Logan says he’s glad she did.
“But I don’t play games, Billie… Were
you with Shane last night?” (133).
I
suppose this is supposed to seem less like policing Billie’s sexuality and more
like Logan caring for her, but I don’t know that it comes across that way. Nor
do I understand the question, since Billie isn’t saying “we can’t do this now” she says “we can’t do this,” ergo
the question is none of Logan’s business.
Alas,
no answer is forthcoming because Billie’s father comes into the yard with a
shotgun, thinking Billie is his late wife (Chantal) and that she’s being
attacked by someone. (In)conveniently, Bobbi and Gerald also return from their
weekend trip, early, just at that moment.
This
is where chapter seven ends, with Billie comparing her life to a reality tv
show as her grandfather also appears, dressed in slippers shaped as beavers and
too-big boxers that are precariously slipping down.
I,
however, am a kind and generous Commissioner of the FHL, and thus I am going to
continue on into chapter eight for you.
Billie
gets her father to recognize her (although he’s off in timing) and her
grandfather takes him back inside, crisis with him averted. This, however,
still leaves Bobbi to deal with.
The
next book in this trilogy is Bobbi and Shane’s book, but an awful lot of their
story is entwined in this book. Recall from previous posts that Bobbi is the
put-together triplet, the one who stayed at home and held the family together
and who now always looks perfectly made up and kind of plastic.
For once Bobbi didn’t look put
together. Her hair was clipped haphazardly on top of her head, with day old
makeup smeared beneath her eyes—eyes that were bloodshot. Her yellow track suit
was top of the line, the label, Lulu
Lemon—an import from Canada—but she’d pulled on slippers instead of running
shoes. One of her earrings was missing, and was that dried toothpaste in the
corner of her mouth? (140).
Lulu
lemon is ludicrously expensive and seems a bit out of place here. Also, how
would Billie know it’s Lulu Lemon? (They don’t seem to be one of those brands
that splatter their name over everything.) Also-also, they don’t (at least
currently on their website) make yellow track suits. Also, given the emotional trauma that Billie
is currently embroiled in (the make-out session with Logan, which she hasn’t
processed yet; her father’s dementia; her grandfather’s sadness over said
deterioration of her father; the entire town against her desire to play hockey,
the only thing that makes her feel good; her car’s destruction and its subsequent
bill for fixing), I’m shocked that she can notice these things about her sister
in such detail and so quickly. On the other hand, they are identical, so maybe
that makes it easier to spot the differences?
On
the other hand, I suppose she could notice all these things while she’s being
yelled at for not taking care of their dad, since Bobbi doesn’t let Billie get
a word in edgewise.
“You were practically having sex in
the freaking driveway and Dad was on a rampage with a fucking rifle in his hands”
(144).
Well,
geez, how long were you there, Bobbi? The text has you pulling up when Billie
and Logan had already stopped.
When
Billie finally can speak, she uses the chance to suggest that Bobbi is home
early because Gerald-her-boyfriend can’t get it up and also because Bobbi can’t
stop obsessing over Shane. She then insinuates that she had sex with Shane last
night (by saying she “spent last night with” him (146)). Unfortunately, Logan
is still standing right there during all of this, which is bizarre in itself,
and the chapter ends with Bobbi storming into the house, and Billie awkwardly
thanking Logan for the ride then following her sister.
*At
this point, do I even have to point out that Trope of the Humongous Genitalia?
" On the other hand, they are identical, so maybe that makes it easier to spot the differences?"
ReplyDeleteHilarious! I look forward to this blog when I open up the laptop in the morning.
I feel the same way about your comments. :D Between you and one other reader (who texts me comments), I'm delighted to know that I'm not just sending these blog posts out into the void. (I'd probably write them anyway because they amuse me, but still!)
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