Textual Tension

Ep. 24: For Whom the Cinnamon Rolls

August 27, 2019 Textual Tension Season 1 Episode 24
Textual Tension
Ep. 24: For Whom the Cinnamon Rolls
Show Notes Transcript

Summer has been getting HOT. Who's ready for a breath of fresh air? Listen in as your co-host Margie tells Rachel all about Nalini Singh's book, Rock Hard. Sometimes you really CAN'T judge a book by it's cover!

Rachel:

Warning. The following podcast contains adult themes. Our hosts are just too romantic saps that love overthinking and overanalyzing their favorite literary genre the thoughts and opinions expressed are entirely their own listener discretion is advised. tearing me apart from

Margie:

Hello, and welcome to textual tension in love hate relationship with romance novels podcast. I'm your co host, Margie,

Rachel:

and I'm your co host, sicko. I mean.

Margie:

Every other week one of us reads and summarizes a romance novel for the other unsuspecting co host this week that unsuspecting co host is Rachel me. And together we unpack what the fuck just happened.

Rachel:

RJ I have an important question. Oh, am I gonna laugh a lot?

Margie:

I think so. Okay,

Rachel:

I do a fair warning to listeners and you and everybody laughing makes me hack up along. So I could be just over here dying and that's okay.

Margie:

It's like a What did you say earlier?

Rachel:

Sounded like a like a 70 year old like grandmother chain smoker earlier this week. It was like it just like your father. Or your mother call anymore.

Margie:

She literally sounded like that. Or she sounded like I thought she sounded like a boy going through puberty.

Rachel:

See, I don't think my voice cracked was more low. No, when I cry my laugh It goes very high. That's okay. I made it to the live show, which we can safely say was amazing. It

Margie:

was really good. It was so good. And both of us are also very tired today. Yes,

Rachel:

we both woke over and over so it's gonna be Jay. Yeah, it's gonna be great. And I'm remembering now. And I apologize listeners this intro is all over the fucking place. Because we are nuts right now. We forgot Well, that's like two episodes so please rate review and

Margie:

we're so Oh, sorry. Did see. Yes. Give

Rachel:

me a long recording.

Margie:

Somebody did though recently and there it was really sweet Watson. Wow.

Rachel:

Well strap in because your co hosts are hot messes right now. So yeah, fun.

Margie:

I Yeah. Okay, so Rachel, are you ready? I were

Rachel:

like so Margie was telling not obviously nothing about the book. But she said it was wholesome is shit. It's real. So so you know with how this morning's

Margie:

a little bit of both. I was totally prepared for this guy to be a homeboy. Yeah, and he's not. He's ready. I'm so ready to go. I know.

Rachel:

Okay. All right. So this this book is called rock hard. By Nalini Singh. Um,

Margie:

I sent sage because I thought that was sexier.

Rachel:

You know what, I'll take it. I like that. Um, it is a rock kiss novel. Nalini is the one author I wholeheartedly recommend is what the front is. So what this looks like is it's a dude. Who What is the whole Is it a

Margie:

rugby? It's a rugby?

Rachel:

Rugby ball. I do love rugby. So I'm excited about that. Hey, um, so it's a dude who is wearing like a suit jacket and a button up shirt. That is completely unbuttoned with the collar popped, glassy and you can see his washboard abs

Margie:

which should also be a sign of a homeboy status. Right?

Rachel:

But you can see his rippling abs and the bottom half of his face like tip of the nose down and it's all in black and white and there's a lot of signatures on this your rugby ball although it does kind of look photoshopped in. So I'm I'm curious you have me intrigued

Margie:

your let me I realized I forgot to pull up this summer and it

Rachel:

I'm so excited for this. Because I'm impressed like you have like another Rachele book where are you picking up thinking this is gonna be terrible. And then it's not like Oh, right. Not that long ago. Description. No, but come on. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Okay, I just I happen to glance at the very bottom of yeah, see the word T Rex and I'm afraid Okay, here we go. In New York Times bestselling author in the Leni Sims thing, whatever. Newest contemporary romance pashing nights between a gorgeous sinfully sexy man who built himself up from nothing and a shy woman who has a terrible secret in her past. wealthy businessmen. Gabrielle Bishop. Oh no. He's the same name as my little brother. Okay, rules boardroom with the same determination and ruthlessness that made him a rockstar on the rugby field. Awesome. He knows what he wants and he'll go after it. No holds barred. And what he wants is Charlotte Baird Charlotte know she's a mouse, emotionally scarred and painfully shy. She just wants to do her job and remain as invisible as possible. But the new CEO a brilliant broad shouldered T Rex of a man growls at stormed through the Office leaving carnage in his wake clearly has other plans, plans and maybe equal parts business and bedroom. If Charlotte intends to survive this battle of wits and hearts the mouse will have to learn to wrangle the T Rex game on Okay, first of all, no, it's a mouse and elephant is the actual analogy there the this the the saying that I think she's trying to reference and I'm an introvert that sounds miserable.

Margie:

She's not but I don't think that she's an introvert because she wants to be she's an introvert. This shift that's happened during the past. Hey, all right, sir. Here, let me take that back. I'm just wanting you right now. This episode's gonna be a hot mess. So I wrote some notes but like they're all Yeah, it's just we're going off the cuff here. It's been a day it's been it's been a weekend really? Yeah, I

Rachel:

blame my neighbors fully. Yes. Thanks, Rachel. And Emily, you got me really drunk last night? Yeah, it's a good day. Yeah,

Margie:

I blamed Carly at work. Yes. Oh, well, that's exactly alright. So um, triggers triggers maybe triggers kidnap physical abuse and torture stalking

Rachel:

Can we can we come up with a con my voice is getting worse. I think it's eliminate. Um, can we come up with a textual tension like card game? With triggers? I would call this a full house. Full House of triggers. There is

Margie:

no sexual assault. Okay, so full house. Absolutely a full house right? That's fine.

Unknown:

Hey guys, feature Rachel here. Just letting you know we forgot that this book does also discuss suicide. So that is another trigger. Take it away past Rachel and Margie.

Margie:

Gabrielle Bishop tall six five. muscley Holy shit. Yeah.

Rachel:

I'm a five three woman that is fucking tall. He's

Margie:

really tall. Okay, former rugby player until he tore his Achilles tendon. So he was like a star rugby player.

Rachel:

You tear your Achilles you don't walk ever again. Well, he's walking. Okay, so good. Good. Good guys.

Margie:

He's smart. Well educated now has the reputation of taking failing businesses and getting them back on their feet. Okay. Black hair. I think I remember his skin tone being darker, but I can't guarantee you that. Yeah, exactly. Oh, and he's tattooed.

Rachel:

I dig it. Yeah, super into it.

Margie:

Charlotte Bard is a teeny tiny curly haired blonde. She wears very unflattering clothes that would fit an older woman and Amy Yeah, sweet child, and she's easily spooked. She's like, she really is just like a little like a cat. That's like, she's like Betsy. Oh, yeah. Like Betsy.

Rachel:

Betsy says. Okay,

Margie:

so we open this book was Charlotte working late at the company that Gabriel bishop has just been named CEO of as it is running into the ground. Good. Yeah. Charlotte's boss is Gabriel's personal assistant and said personal assistant is a bitch who knows that she can take advantage of Charlotte because Charlotte won't say anything slash will do anything to avoid confrontation. And also Charlotte is really smart. So she'll get like, she'll get the shit done. Right. So Charlotte thinks that it's just her they're at the office really late at night. When she hears someone moving around instead office. She calls her best friend Molly, who's the subject of another book in the series. Just like leave the office now it's like really late at night. No one should be there. But Charlotte grabs as she's leaving she like grabs a stapler. Because

Rachel:

please tell me she staples him.

Margie:

She grabs say scraps a stapler and throws it out who she thinks is an assailant? Turns out it's her boss Gabriel who catches it

Rachel:

then they're robbed rugby scale. Oh, my God.

Margie:

Ads are boy that says we're both in the office late let's grab a reading.

Rachel:

I'm sorry, Rachel, Google something real quick. You can come back from an Achilles tendon rep. Okay, I wanted to know, I wanted to know that is the smoothest fucking thing

Margie:

ever. And later on he says like instead of well with your size, you should because it was like an industrial grade stapler. He was like you should really try to hit somebody with a hole punch. Oh, the Snark between them is awesome. snore. Awesome. So

Rachel:

that is like, like I've watched co workers Get ladies numbers by leaving their business card which I didn't think ever happen. Like I didn't think that was a thing that could happen. This is more smooth than that. Oh, just like we were both. Both here. Sheena's smooth shit. Well,

Margie:

he's actually I'm probably

Rachel:

work on me. Yeah.

Margie:

He's he's not doing it because he's like, interested in her at all. I think he's doing it because like, we're both here. Let's go grab dinner. You know, your employees. So okay, more that.

Rachel:

Okay, that's a little odd.

Margie:

I don't think it's that weird. Yeah,

Rachel:

I wouldn't. Again, we're in very different industries. Yeah, that is not something I would do. If me and my boss were at the

Margie:

I think if they're the same age, it would be weird if it was like someone who's much older than you and very, like senior. I don't know why. Like, if you're kind of the same age and you can you can find things outside of work right about that. I think like, why not?

Rachel:

I think for me, like going getting lunch with someone is like a, I already kind of know them. And I want to get to know them more. But if this is like our first time meeting him ever, yeah, like, Yeah, I'd rather sit and chat and then like, hey, maybe tomorrow, we could grab lunch or something like that. I think

Margie:

I have a little bit more of an explanation why he takes her out. But sure. Let's Okay, so they have she, Charlotte is afraid of pretty much every man who gets anywhere near her. So she's terrified. And she doesn't like it's not that she needs to be Yeah, it's just like she can't help it. And she beats herself up for it, which is really sad. They have an extremely awkward dinner because she basically sits a terrified silence and barely gets two words out. He's crying, but he doesn't really understand sweet

Unknown:

baby child by no means a hog.

Margie:

So he eventually just has the food they ordered packed up and taken to go and get her a cab home. And he he insists that she built it to the company points

Rachel:

for awareness. Just wait. Oh, I know. I

Margie:

know. It's so good. So surely goes to work the next day and finds that people are getting off left and right by Gabriel

Rachel:

laid off laid off. Okay, you definitely just said people are getting off getting off

Margie:

I'm so tired. Just go around the office. Get everybody off.

Rachel:

I love you. And I'm not cutting. Please don't. Please don't cut the parts where I'm coughing. I can't listeners. I apologize so much. I can't help it. We're

Margie:

trying so hard so people

Rachel:

are getting laid off.

Margie:

After that day, she begins calling him a T Rex as he chews people up and spits them back out again. I couldn't help but be reminded of the chuck tinkle novels

Rachel:

to how many requests I've been getting for that

Margie:

are not romance novels. Typically there are no Radhika

Rachel:

but I will be reading multiple for an April Fool's episode.

Margie:

Probably we should do it or we should do if we ever get a Patreon. Yeah, the more money will reach

Rachel:

central readings of Chuck Tingle novels. That would be great be so amazing. Um, okay, so I had T Rex. Not the first analogy I'd make. But okay, I'm here for it.

Margie:

Mm hmm. Alright, so that same day T Rex calls Charlotte into his office and so he bring her computer with him with her.

Rachel:

Tie Dr.

Margie:

Charlotte is dead certain she's about to be sacked.

Rachel:

Oh, good. Yeah. Got to get off the

Margie:

T Rex actually called her into his office to get her opinion on several business matters. He had noticed that the work that his pa had claimed to have done had actually been done by Charlotte. And so he says Miss Bard, from the memos I see on these files, all of which were apparently created at your workstation. You're highly intelligent. I don't want to fire you, but I will if you can't give me the information I need. Because she's just sitting there like, terrified. Uh huh. Yeah, so she's like, okay, so they sit there for like, a couple hours. Yeah, go over things and like actually get work done. This is how Gabrielle described Charlotte. I told you these notes are all over the place. Oh, that's fine. What Gabriel had discovered today was that the mouse was the only hard working but was also highly intelligent and had a keen intelligence and the minuscule fractions of time in which she forgot to be terrified of him. She sparkled like there's a brilliant light deep inside her stifled by a crippling lack of competence.

Rachel:

She's like Bitsy, she really, really is

Margie:

like, but this is the day we need Betsy. Good here.

Rachel:

She's napping right now it is prime naptime. Yeah, so

Margie:

Gabriel fires his useless PA and takes on Charlotte's UPA? Yeah, who was surprised? No. Haha. He starts to hammer her hard with work.

Rachel:

Please keep making sexual innuendos to make that I'm going to call you on every single one. Good.

Margie:

But at one point and he loved us he tells her to do so. He yells back at him. I am going as fast as I can. So she starts to regain like her spunk and spark afraid of him anymore. And when you realize he's pissed her off he goes to a nearby bakery a biser Cupcake to sweeten her mood.

Rachel:

I love this man. I love this man. Hell yeah, I

Margie:

have to mention his sense of humor is great. Charlotte does technically have a boyfriend, but it's very like air quotes, air quotes. They don't really do anything other than talk and like somewhat like even Molly's like, he's not your boyfriend. He's your friend that you spend a lot of

Rachel:

time with. Yeah. Soon as Molly like her friend,

Margie:

yeah. Molly's I'm sorry, Molly's her best friend and Molly was in a previous novel.

Rachel:

Okay. All right. You didn't mention that. I just Yeah,

Margie:

but they. So the guy's name is Ernest in Gabriel's constantly getting the guy's name. One point calling of eggplants. What at what day, she's out to lunch with Molly and gets frustrated and Gabrielle for demanding she returned to the office, and she says, You know what? I'm about to check into a hotel with Ernest. Kay, thanks. Bye. So she returned to the office after that Gabrielle says seems like her mind is a short draw. There are pills for that, you know?

Rachel:

Oh, my. My first thought when you said eggplant was oh, it's Bandersnatch Cumber come

Margie:

look at the eggplant emoji.

Rachel:

Yeah. Oh my god.

Margie:

Um, so a couple couple things. Get

Rachel:

it on.

Margie:

No, no, no, it was a joke. She was like, Screw you. I come back to the office that you know, because he really does. he'll, he'll say things are like, Okay, we need to work later tonight. Okay, you need to come in and work on the weekends. That kind of shit.

Rachel:

You gotta be getting overtime for that shit. I

Margie:

hope so. God, so like, but so she was basically saying like, Hey, you're making me? Oh, you're overworking me. A couple hours with my friend. Uh huh. Gonna be fine. You're a big boy.

Rachel:

Oh my god. I love them a couple of months

Margie:

later, like, of this banter, and she's really warmed up to him. And Gabrielle is pretty much like, Yep, I wonder and I'm gonna get her. Well, okay. Yeah, that's like pretty much how his brain works. He's like, Oh,

Rachel:

I believe that this uh, this the phrase girls get what you want applies here. Yes.

Margie:

And he's like, I'm gonna be patient. Take the slow route. See how this

Rachel:

goes? You know, upstanding human? Yeah. Wow. Um,

Margie:

so like, he's the ice cream together in like the break room and they're just like chatting. Like when they have to stay late. He's like, No, come into my office and let's have dinner together like that we ordered out. So like how to just like chill and talk. And you can tell he's like really just trying to like, get her comfortable or comfortable. See how things go. You know, she's really into him, too. She's constantly fantasizing about like being at his office and straddling him. It just is like thirsty. And she really enjoys like, giving them snide snarky remarks and just loves talking to him. So they head to a business trip at one point about three hours away. They have a lovely flirtatious car ride together. And when they conclude the business, Gabriel's like, hey, let's get lunch together. She says, that's great. Let's do it. They get fish and chips together at eight in a comfortable quiet that did nothing to the height that the rubbing sexual tension beneath.

Rachel:

That is just like so impressed. This is a normal human relationship developing.

Margie:

And they also have like a lot of common interest. They both love rugby. So they talk about rugby all the time. And they both have had like some past parent trauma, and they kind of like dodge around that but like, Yeah, feel it, you know? Right. So lunch doesn't seem like much until Gabriel says something that induces a really bad anxiety, panic attack in Charlotte. Like it's something that's in he was just being flirtatious. It wasn't anything that you would know, right? It caused an anxiety. It's not like he said something really creepy. Right? Right. So but she's just like, freeze. So here's how he handled this situation. His instinct was to touch her comfort her but the way she held herself shoulders hunched in and next rain as she stared at the tabletop, told him she couldn't handle such contact. Seeing her shiver, he went to the car and grabbed his jacket. She flinched until he put it over her shoulders and his gut clenched. But then she took the jacket around herself, her fingers tight on the lapels. And so then he goes, so like, once she's like, calmed down, he like sits next to her. And he's like, okay, let's talk about this. Like, what? So that line really made you uncomfortable. So I'm going to avoid that. Is that okay? Like and, and like he kind of kind of like touches on the fact like, I am flirting with you a little bit. Is that okay? Does it make you uncomfortable? And she's so good, guys. Oh, my Oh, I see. Right we've

Rachel:

been saying it for episodes now. Women like men that can empathize. Yes.

Margie:

Well, it's also a proof like there's so many novels out there that are like, he just grabbed her and pulled her into his arms. This is no like a sexy. Yeah, really? Like, I've like, oh,

Rachel:

like, this guy's awesome. He's really cool. That's like, I don't know, if I was freaking out. I wouldn't want someone to come up and grab me and yeah, quote unquote, protect me, right? No, I, I would like you to think about me for a second and see what maybe I actually

Margie:

need. Right? So in the next few chapters, we see a lot of Gabriel's very slowly testing the waters with Charlotte seeing what she's comfortable with not really chapters, but like, he calls her in the evenings and they just talk about like, non work things. It's really cute. And they'll say like, she'll like be ready to the phone, she'll get out of breath. He's like, Why are you out of breath? At this whole time she does think that he's interested in another woman because she's very much not his type and he's been going out like on like single dates with other right so but he does say later on in the book he's like, ever since I decided that I wanted to be with you. I've been I've been sleeping with anybody else and that's months. Wow. Yeah. Well,

Rachel:

I'm like it's it's a it's a good instance of showing that like, I am interested in this person and I would very much like to get her comfortable with me. But I'm not going to put my life on hold and wait only for this person like I'm you know, it's it's you can still you can have an interest in somebody and still pursue that goal. It's not like the end all be all because of that reason not to you. It's not your place to be so obsessed with them that

Margie:

like and I got the feeling from and we'll get into it later that if she had suddenly gone up to give me like, you know what, this is making me really uncomfortable. I don't really want to do this anymore. He would have been like, Alright, you're a great key. I want to keep you forever. Like they work really work. Really? Yeah.

Rachel:

He is perfectly capable of separating emotions and work. Yes, they are two very different things. Yes. All right. So one

Margie:

night after they finish work early for once they actually head back to his place. Hey, she had promised him that she was going to teach him how to make a pasta sauce for quote a girl he likes

Rachel:

to lose a mother.

Margie:

So now when so when she gets there, right as she's about to walk through the door, another panic attack starts up. Oh, no. So he goes inside he puts the bags down and he comes back with a rugby ball painted by a child and some other cards and saying that things that say uncle gave on them because it's Brett like these are his his nieces nephew. And he asked Charlotte if she wants to invite the little ones over to chaperone them so that they can just like she can feel more comfortable with the kids like because you like, Okay, I was like, weird.

Rachel:

It's a really cute way of like, he's like, okay, she's uncomfortable being alone with me. Yeah. But like, this is another option, right? If it doesn't work out, then it's fine. She doesn't have to stay

Margie:

here. So it shows that he just wants to spend time with her. He's not he doesn't have any ulterior motives, right? Yeah, yeah. So, but she refuses and she's like, You know what, you've been nothing but professional with me. Like, I need to calm the fuck down. And he's like, No, I have it. I've been flirting with you. I know that I shouldn't since I'm your boss, but I'm afraid I didn't follow my own advice. So He then tells her that if his interest in her makes her uncomfortable, that is totally fine. And he can either like cease and desist or if it's that still makes her uncomfortable. He knows someone else in the area who needs a personal assistance will help her get that job. And she says no, I like my job. And no, I'm not gonna sue you for sexual harassment if you keep flirting with me.

Rachel:

All right, all right. This is such a logical relationship. I am here for it. I'm so here for it.

Margie:

She, um, so they have this very sexual chemistry night together. And they're even there's a part even, he's like, pretty much describing what he wants to do, or and he's like, standing on the other side of the table. And like telling her all this stuff, and she's like, getting blushing, and just getting like,

Rachel:

so there's a lot of really good sexual chemistry, I

Margie:

guess. And so I won't textual tension, lots of textual tension. And at one point, like she's doing something at the stove, and he's like, if I come over, she has one she has another panic attack. He's a claustrophobia. And, and so later on, he's like, Okay, God, claustrophobic. Understood, and he's like, if I come over, and if I like, pulled on your shirt a little bit and give you a kiss on your shoulder, do you think that'll make that'll induce a panic attack? And she's like, I don't know. But let's try. And it doesn't. Ah,

Rachel:

willing to work with her. Oh, so girl girl needs to friends and listeners. It's okay to seek professional help if you need it. Oh,

Margie:

we get into that later. Really? Yes. Yay. Yes. At one point though, it's really sad. She's like, I'm not very good at sex and his reply is Miss barred. No one is good or bad at sex by themselves. It's a team effort and you No one would see players

Rachel:

like on one hand, cute on the other fucking really?

Margie:

That's like I love it I love it I'm here for it

Rachel:

it baby you know i i would have read assumed read that and assumed like that level of like eyebrows like kind of thing.

Margie:

So nothing really happens at night like a little bit of flirtation, no sex or anything but um, you could cut, cut that sexual tension with a dull knife.

Rachel:

Textual tension sexual

Margie:

digit anyway, so the next day, he invites her to a rugby game with his family. And they had this great time. And that's really one like, okay, their relationship is serious, like, I'm willing to show you to my family. This is the real deal. So that's when gray burial says, hey, I want to talk about your trauma, so that we can work through this together and like figure out how we're going to navigate this in this relationship. And so he says, Can we talk about it now? And she's like, I don't really want to talk about it now. Come tomorrow, we'll go to a public place and I will talk to you about it. Okay, I will tell you what happened to me. And so they go to a public park. And I think this is after like, she actually invited him to her house to which is like a big step for her. Yeah. And they like, watch rugby together. Oh, and here's what so he does not cook at all, but he knows that she loves to cook. So at one point, like in the months when he was trying to like, hurt, he handed his credit card to his mom and like his sister and brother were like, go buy a bunch of kitchen should impress us. So he's like this was it was he disguised it as a booby trap? Because he knows when she walks in that kitchen like, oh my god, oh my god.

Rachel:

Oh my God. What a fucking cinnamon roll. I know. Like, if Zach, like if Zach's mom was into something I'm into. And he was trying to impress me, and he went to his mother and was like, hey, there's a girl that I like to try to impress. Will you help me do it? That's so god damn cute. So it's hella cute.

Margie:

He's Yeah. Alright, so now they go to the public park her choice. And he places her like, it was kind of described awkwardly but up and like a tree branch or something not that far, like, low enough. So Graham, where you can get to her? Right? But so and she's, she's like, you're not gonna sit with me. And he's like, I want to give you your space. Like when you need me. I'm right here. But like, I want to give you your space because I know you get claustrophobic. Yeah,

Rachel:

I know. Hands on my chest.

Margie:

I have this man. I know. Okay, so basically our girl has had a really rough time of it. Her mother died of cancer when she was 18. And her dad died of heartbreak A few days later. Okay, yeah. Okay, when she was in college heartbreak,

Rachel:

probably hard to see swell.

Margie:

Come on. It's

Rachel:

okay. All right. All right. Hey, this is the first death by heartbreak. We've had all of our romance now.

Margie:

Yes. When so why? When she was in college in the throes of great grief. She met this total homeboy, loser Richard. Deke deke. They call him that. Yeah, who was obviously a psych like total psychopath. It started with just really manipulative behavior. And then one day he hit her. And he so he tried to get back with her after that, and Charlotte was like, No, fuck boy. I'm out. Yeah, good for her. She's done. And she had a shoot Molly with her and Molly is like such an awesome friend. It was really supportive through all this time. So now homeboy enricher did not take that well. He stalked her around campus, which apparently the campus police could never prove. He sent her weird letters, gave her number out on websites so she would get disgusting images and times at basically like psychological torture. What do you know? Oh my god, it gets worse. So finally, finally the police got enough evidence to tell him to back the fuck off and got Charlotte a restraining order. Good. Right so and then things quiet down for like a few months enough so that Charlotte felt safe enough to encourage her best friend and roommate Molly to go on a trip and leave Charlotte alone. So big mistake. One night when Charlotte comes home from work homeboys there in the house, he ties her up and basically tortures her for days. beats her shins off her hair locks her in a closet with tape over her mouth so she can't breathe properly cuts her it's really bad like calls are like you know, calls are all sorts of horrible names and tells her that he's going to invite a bunch of his friends over and to party with a slight like, really, really bad stuff. Now I'm saying I know it's really sad. So now you get why she has all this like overly you

Rachel:

take as much time as you need.

Margie:

But Molly calls to check on Charlotte and when Charlotte doesn't answer, Molly immediately calls the police good and they break into the house and arrest Richard in Charlotte survives encounter. Yeah, yeah. And also, like there was part where she finally like Charlotte breaks down and started crying in front of Richard. And that's when he said, like, you know what, I'll take you back and I was like,

Rachel:

Oh my God, I

Margie:

know. I know. I know. So, but, um, she's terrified now. So she said this to Gabriel. She's terrified what he's gonna say. And she's afraid these and say, You know what? Our girl, you're right, this is too much baggage. I can't handle it. But he's an AR boy. So he doesn't he's like, don't even think that and the next thing he suggested, I'm gonna give you such a big orgasm that you'll forget you even ask the question.

Rachel:

Okay, no, that doesn't sound like a normal human response to I'm sharing my trauma, please don't

Margie:

mediately like that. She's basically like, you're an amazing fucking woman for getting through this, like, I am so impressed with you.

Rachel:

I mean, it's still not a normal human response. But it's pretty funny it is.

Margie:

So later, they're back in his apartment. And he's like, I've got a gift for you. I've been wanting to give it to you for a while. And he presents her with a bracelet that she'd spotted months before and that he knew that she loved and it has a little inscription in it that says Miss barred. And he she thought so like it was a situation where he's like, come to the store with me and help me pick out a piece of jewelry for this other check. Ah, so he's she's like, buy that one. He's like, you know, like that one. And she's like, just buy it, whoever it is, she'll like it. But he spots are taking a picture of a bracelet. And she was sending it a picture to Molly and so he buys that one. Oh,

Rachel:

Jesus, he's such a frickin sin.

Margie:

Okay, so that's all I know, said, Okay, we're doing a live, we're doing off the cuff. So the relationship continues pretty much like everything's going pretty well, at one point, so they start to get it. And she starts discovering things about herself that she doesn't really like in the bedroom. Like if he touches the back of her neck, that immediately induces a panic attack. Okay. And so she's like, she gets really frustrated at herself, because she wants him to, like, just be able to not think about it. And yeah, sex with her to enjoy himself. And he does. He's like, I am enjoying myself. Why are you worrying about this so much? It's really obvious that I'm enjoying myself. And but she's like, Yeah, but I want you to just be to like, let go and not worry that, you know, right. And once I get it in the other sense, I'm kind of like, you should always be cognizant of your partner. Yeah, he's, he's, I think he's always going to be thinking about it. But he suggests to her, why don't you go and talk to this therapist that I talked to, after my, after my sports injury, it really helps me get through that. So like, he takes her to his office, he sits outside and like,

Rachel:

oh, you Oh, my God managing her. So my God, love

Margie:

it. Love it. So

Rachel:

your partner should make you a better person and help you strive to be a better price.

Margie:

Right? And just not even she's not even a better person just happier. Yeah, the thing with her is that she was just like, really unhappy. Yeah. And he really helped her come out of her shell. So I'm sure that Molly is like, I love him. So Molly approves all your shares. So um, she gets a call, however, from a Detective Lee, who says, Hey, Richard is being released from jail. Yeah, just wait. Ah, you know,

Rachel:

I want you to know, that's part of the drinking game, is whenever one of us says Just wait, it gets worse?

Margie:

Well, so it was. So Detective Lee calls her and says, Hey, Richard is getting out of jail. And Charlotte, like, What are you talking about? And she's like, he's served the sentence that the judge gave him or the events like, we can't keep him in jail any longer. So he's still have that restraining order. I'm going to put patrols around your house. So that hopefully that'll keep them away. But I mean, I can only get so close to richer without getting in trouble. Right. So she's letting so um, it's such a stupid thing, because the judge was basically like, Yeah, but this is his first offense. So we're just gonna give them five years

Rachel:

fucking white man. Fucking white man, Jesus fucking white people.

Margie:

Right? We do. Cover the word. Yeah. So, um, Richard is about to get out. And it's actually really cute woman too, because she's on the phone with him. And she's like having a panic attack. And Gabriel walks into the her office and it's like, what's wrong? And so he takes the phone Hummer and is like, Okay, who is this? What's going on? So he gets the whole lowdown. And he takes her he's like, Okay, we need let's leave, let's go for a walk. Let's talk about what we're going to do. Right? And he suggests to her immediately, because detectably It said, don't live by yourself. That's first thing. Do not live by yourself. Right? And so Gabrielle says, come live with me. And she's like, what? And he's like, I have another bedroom in this huge house Penthouse and don't have to see me, you just have to live with me, right? And like you can act like you still have your own space and it's fine. And she's like, Let me think about it because she after the attack. It took her a long time to have the courage to lead by herself. Right. She knew that she was becoming very dependent on Molly. And so that's why they moved cheap. Molly moved out, right?

Rachel:

It's like, it's one of those things where it's like, she has so many things that she can't control. That's one thing she can.

Margie:

And it's also it's like, it's what she's, it's a symbol of what she's gained. Right. Right. Right. And competence and like her own independence since the encounter. Yeah. So she's like, I don't really want to give that up. And I especially don't want to do it because of Richard Brasil, right. So he's like, alright, you have to let me help me, though. So either you're gonna move in, or I'm hiring security to put around your house like, those are your options, because I'm not just gonna let you write it. So what ends up happening is she's like, Okay, I'm gonna move into your building. And he's, he's like, great. She's like, there's a little studio that's like three storeys down from you. And I'm going to, it needs to be sublet for six months. So I'm going to rent that and he's like, wait, what? And she's like, you're right. Like the building has security on the floor. Nobody could get into the apartment without me knowing like, it's a perfect situation. He's like, That's not what I meant. No, right. No, anyway, well, but but but he supports her. Sure. And he's like, You know what, that's a good middle grounds. I'll accept that. And she starts the process of, he's like, so he walks into the apartment. He's like, You know what, you're right. Like, it's high enough that nobody can climb up here. I know the guy downstairs. I know you're gonna be safe here. We'll we'll get you new locks on your door. There's just one problem. And she's like, What is it's like, it's not my apartment. So basically, Richard gets out of jail, and she starts he's so he sends her a letter. Here's a here's the really funny part is that certain letter that's just like, pay that wasn't me. Or it wasn't you? It was me. Well, it was and it was really gross, too, because he was like, he does blame her a little bit of a letter. So like, she reads it, she gets really angry and she's with Gabrielle at the time. And so she starts what he calls rage cooking. Like, there's literally I have

Rachel:

totally done that before. I'm so mad. I'm making brownies Shut up.

Margie:

So she starts like, he's got like a takeaway meal that's like sitting there waiting is like, No, I'm just gonna let her through this. So she bakes muffins. And she's like, begging her adult kids to like talk to her. Isn't that right? Gabrielle? He's like, Yes, honey.

Rachel:

That's absolutely

Margie:

are so right. I love it. And like he so she gets she feels comfortable because she's with Gabrielle. But she also was like gaining confidence in herself of having someone there to be like, yes, you're totally right. Right. And so one point Richard also sent her a dozen roses at red rose. Office, Richard Oh, I hate him. He's such a douche canoe. So boy is what he is. He's not even a homeboy he goes oh, he

Rachel:

is a fuck boy.

Margie:

So he's so she's like he

Rachel:

might have transcended fuck boy I mean like yeah, Jesus yeah you know torture someone for Oh my god. Yeah,

Margie:

so he Richard sends her flowers to the office. And but she's very good about it. She's like, you know what? Tucker is taking out his girlfriend tonight I'm just gonna give this to talk personally he can Yeah, no so that we make something good out of this I don't want them to just go away.

Rachel:

This is he's okay. Richards the new standard? I think like everything should compare back to Richard because he's absolutely to to date almost a year into this podcast. The worst dude yeah.

Margie:

Yeah, but here's the thing about Richard though is that he's not very interestingly written if you know what I mean. He's pretty much kind of like he's like the doodle Bob of psychopath like you get what I mean.

Rachel:

Dude Oh Bob of psychopaths doodle blob of psycho oh wow

Margie:

that's what he's like not that interesting. He's very two dimensional you know? So

Rachel:

yeah, start using that motherfuckers like the doodle Bob

Margie:

of whatever so to dimension I watched you watch too much Bob was trial but also that was like such a good episode

Rachel:

Oh, Jesus so

Margie:

so so so so so so so so so because of these like little encounters with Richard like not encounters, but like things have been happening. It's kind of made her kind of go to Gabriel more independently. So eventually she says, You know what, I am going to move into your apartment because like, I'm spending a lot of time there anyway, we're having a lot of sex. They're like good sex. Hey,

Rachel:

so does a restraining order, shouldn't that also prevent him from contacting her at all?

Margie:

I think that the problem is, is that like with the roses and stuff, I don't think that she can prove that it's from him. She just knows what I thought like the letter. The letter was from prison, and he was approved to write that letter from his like, basically his parole officer. So he's, you know,

Rachel:

that seems like an oversight on the parole officers part. But yeah,

Margie:

yeah. Well, and so like, Richard is one of those types to wear, like, he's extremely charming. And so he gets away with a lot, a lot. A lot of talking to white men. Right. Exactly, exactly. And we'll go into that a little bit more later, with another thing that happens so so she moved in with him. And they're like, working through her other issues as well with like, being in the bedroom. She can't sleep with him yet, because she wakes up in the middle of night, she literally a black board, Gabrielle gives Gabriel, a black guy, oh, shoot him in the face. And she's like, I am so sorry. He's like, I've suffered worse, like, honestly, really fine. Um, and he's just, you know, he's fine with that. But she really is like, I don't want you to have to worry about me, right? So

Rachel:

I completely as a previously anxiety riddled human, I can see that going into a relationship of being so nervous and being like, no, no, I don't. It's fine. Yeah, that was the biggest thing I had to learn was Zach. He says, everything's fine. It really is fine. My kid right. And that hard to believe. And it takes time to get to that point,

Margie:

right. And I think that he and in the book, it's written from both their perspective. So you really do believe in when he says like, it's really fine. Yeah. Like, I really care about you. And so she at one point, she's like, I want to start moving towards so that we can like sleep together so that we there, I don't want to keep thinking or having panic attacks about Richard when I when I'm in bed with you. Yeah. Now, I don't want him to be in that space with us. So she, she like, as she tells him, she's like, I want you to touch me on the nape of my neck. He's like, I'm not doing that. Like, I'm not doing it. I'm not gonna hurt you. And she's like, I want you to do it. So they had to go to the site called like, the psychologist, and she pretty much demands she's like, No, you're gonna do it. And the psychologist is like, she is making this decision for herself. Like, hmm, you have to respect that. And he's like, fine. But if you start freaking out, we're done. So I can't remember. Oh, so like, at one point, he, they have sex. She wants him to stay in bed with her. And he's like, after the stuff that's happened today. I don't want to do that because something had happened earlier. Right. And so she sleeps in the bed, but she wakes up and he's out in the hallway just like sitting outside of her room. Ah, yeah. And so she's like, neither of us are sleeping. Let's just go watch movies in the living room. So they just snuggle in the living room. Together. Okay. Yeah. Yeah. Um,

Rachel:

so So do they, are they able to eventually do they get to a point then when? Yes, get to

Margie:

a point but they had so there's a final encounter with Richard. Okay. Of course there is right. So, Charlotte gets out of the car one night earlier than he doesn't walk up with her basically, because he's got to go pick something up at the store. Gabrielle does. So she goes into the apartment, and Richard is there. Yeah, how the fuck she he got let onto the penthouse floor by somebody else who lived in the building. So he kind of like smooth his way. There. Yes. I know. I know. So great. Ah, yeah. So and he pretty much blames her. He's like, if you were a real woman, you would have been able to do all those things with me. It wouldn't have made me so sexually repressed.

Rachel:

You cannot see my face right now. There's rage. Rage. So,

Margie:

God so and he says something along the lines of like, it's really insults. Gabriel.

Rachel:

He is not a footballer. He is doodle Boy.

Margie:

Boy, so she's uh, yeah, so she basically insults Gabrielle and she's like, you are not happy man. I Gabriel go girl, asshole.

Rachel:

I'm so so invested right now. This

Margie:

whole book. She he Gabriel has been mentioning your purse is way too goddamn heavy. Why is your purse so heavy? She uses the purse to whack Richard in the face. starts coming after her girl. Yeah. And she kicks him. I think she kicks him in the balls a couple times. Oh, yeah. So she beats the shit out of him. And then Gabriel comes in and literally smashes the spaceship

Rachel:

girl so both of them, girl. Yes. I am. So here right

Margie:

so the only thing that stops Gabriel from literally killing him is like no, I don't want you to go to jail. Don't kill him. If you kill a cow. Yeah. Oh, wow. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Rachel:

So I'm glad Richard gets punched in his stupid Richard face. Stupid dick face.

Margie:

And there's Yeah, so, girl. Yeah,

Rachel:

I am so pleased. Yes.

Margie:

So that's like pretty much the end like they end up together. There's so much girl she can he can sleep in the same bed as her. Like they have so much. And also so I didn't mention this I'm going to go through it really, really fast. But over the course of this book as well, she's not the only one who's dealing with stuff. Uh huh. He he was his mother remarried who somebody else other than his father. And that man has been his has been like basically his adoptive father's right. His biological father was a douche canoe and left his mom and took all of their money. So they starved they literally almost starved. So now the sky. This was when Gabriel was like five. This guy has been trying to get back into Gabriel's life because dying of cancer. So he's finally facing all these regrets that he's had is right. And Gabriel is like, fuck you. You're not my dad. Like pretty much

Rachel:

my real dad. Yes, I

Margie:

am. No, you're not. So he's going through all of this. And there is a part in the book where like, Charlotte comes up to is like, Hey, I think you should talk to your biological father. Because if you don't, and he dies, this is you're gonna carry this anger with you forever. I know that from experience, do not carry this anger. And he snaps at her. And so she counters with Okay, so I'm allowed to have problems, but you're not like, what the hell? What's the deal there? And so he's like, You know what, you're right. Like, yeah. And so he actually starts to see his biological father, like, get to know and like, kind and forgives him. And then he starts going to chemo treatments, because the

Rachel:

characters are so well adjusted.

Margie:

Yes, yes. Wow. Yes. And he like there's this party where she's really upset because he kind of snaps at her. And he comes out of his office. And he's like, she describes him like, he looks like hell, because he feels so bad. And he's like, I know that I fucked up. And I'm really, really, really sorry,

Rachel:

awareness. And I do it's of you and all of those around you. I'm so happy. I'm so pleased. So wholesome. Wow. Not not what

Margie:

I would have expected No. Well, so that at the very at the very last few pages of the book, too. They get a call in the middle of the night. And it's Detective Lee. Richard has committed suicide. It is so

Rachel:

interesting. I actually don't know how I feel about that ending. Like, I mean, yeah, I hated rich. Yeah. But like, I don't know,

Margie:

she I will say that. So she, I guess rolls back over and she realizes that it doesn't really matter to her because she just doesn't care anymore. Right. You know, she had let she had let go of her anger for Richard. Right. So like, and that was the only part of her that was still connected to him. So I think that he when he died, I think that's what the author was trying to say. Like, it literally just doesn't bother her anymore. Right? Because she's like, go you know, she she still has a trauma. Yeah, but she's like, right, yeah. Right.

Rachel:

I am so proud of these two humans. And their ability to be aware of them. Yes. To be aware of other people. Yeah. To grow as to be willing to grow as people. Mm hmm. Oh, my God. Yep. I'm so pleased. Yep. I'm so happy.

Margie:

Yes. Wow. Yes. Wow. It's amazing.

Rachel:

It's not something I think I've ever experienced in a book before. Level of human understanding and awareness is

Margie:

about carrying a book that's titled rock hard. Yeah.

Rachel:

Which also makes no fucking sense. So where does that title come into play? Like the rocks it what?

Margie:

It's this part of the series, I think, because they're all supposed to be kind of like something about rock and roll as skirt. I don't know. Like, I don't know. I don't play rugby. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know.

Rachel:

That's just mine is Rocco rugby term. I don't think it is.

Margie:

I don't think so. either. I think into rate ratings.

Rachel:

Let's do the ratings. Um, so what did you think about our beautiful our boy? Real Fight?

Margie:

Like what? It's one out of 5125? Right. 555 lips

Rachel:

honestly agree? Yeah, like awesome.

Margie:

I love him so much.

Rachel:

This dude's amazing. And this is our first five. Yes, our first five. Yes, I am so pleased. Yes.

Margie:

I love him. Love him over the moon so much.

Rachel:

And what about Bitsy? I mean, Charlotte because it's definitely Bitsy. Oh, she's

Margie:

definitely that's a totally,

Rachel:

it's in actually you know what? Her her story definitely follows bitsey his life a little bit. Started out had been through a really rough situation kinda camera shy and all this stuff. And then slowly gaining her confidence. Definitely false. Fitzy a beautiful baby girl.

Margie:

beautiful baby girl. Um, I'm gonna say five too, but I feel like I'm being boring saying five

Rachel:

five Honestly, like, they're really good humans so like, I don't see a problem with it.

Margie:

Um, so then I would get the plot actually a three. Okay, it's more there isn't really it's mostly about the relationship and it's interesting because I love these two humans, but and like their relationship and then Richard yeah and that's not like that interesting all it's not that interesting all plot so

Rachel:

right. Okay, they missed out on a serious rugby pun. Oh really? Because it could have been rock hard. Rock is absolutely a rugby term, but there is no rock. Ah, claim I would I would agree with that. I said like three because it was interesting. And but

Margie:

it wasn't like super compelling, right?

Rachel:

It's kind of hard because like, I feel like this was very much more of a character driven story. So there is a plot. It's true, but the plot is way more about them growing as vehicles. Yes. So it's true. It's not super like action driven. Yeah, but it is very,

Margie:

maybe the 3.5 Yeah, cuz it's like not you know, it's not amazing, but it's still good. All right, I would and then what's the last one

Rachel:

last overall? Oh, no. Smile, smile.

Margie:

Smile. Smile was really good. It really was really good. Yeah. Cuz it's like it was really sexy reading about his control. Yeah, over the situations and like really like trying to make sure because in the book to

Rachel:

restraint is also sexy.

Margie:

It's also a sexy. He's trying though, to get her comfortable in the bedroom so that she feels like she's safe there and can enjoy herself, right? He's wondering when she she didn't have sex with Richard, but it was always kind of like transactional? And he's like, No, that's not what sex is about. Right? It's about like, it's 50 5050. Like it's about in, in enjoyment on both sides. Yeah. So he's kind of like trying to warm her up to that. Right, like,

Rachel:

right, right, right. Yeah. So you say 1544? All right. All right. Getting phenomenal reviews getting really good rubies. Wow. Okay, now, overall, one to 10.

Margie:

Seven to eight. Okay, in that range. See, I like character driven books. Okay. That's why I like

Rachel:

it. I see. And I do tend to be more of a story driven person. Yeah. But this is interesting enough, because there is a little bit of plot that kind of drives it. So I, I would be down to read this.

Margie:

And she's got lots of other books in the series. So I am excited to read them because I write them up. I want to read the one about Mali. That was the one that I originally tried to get, but it was already checked out. Okay, so um, yeah, I'm excited cuz she's got a lot of books. So I'm like, yeah, yes. Oh, and if you do see this book at like, Half Price Books, buy it. yourself. Treat yourself. Treat yourself to be the first book that we've actually recommended buying. Ah, no, no, except for those books that you have. dontoh Shawntel. He's another cinnamon roll. He is another speaker. I

Rachel:

don't know if we were doing the whole thing at that point. That's true. So yeah, go buy those also. Yeah, they're amazing. Yeah, there's the heart and Thrones series. Also read that was just, it's actually kind of funny because you do like my character driven. And this is very much your speed. And those were a little bit more story driven. Yeah, very much in mind. Yeah, that's true. Both really good. Yeah. Yeah. Should go back and like rewrite everything with our new rating system.

Margie:

Alright, well, it was like a lot of work. Are we missing anything?

Rachel:

I think that's it. All right. Um, thank you guys so much for tuning in. Yes. Um, oh, I was gonna I was gonna say the beginning. I'm saving it till now. So this is coming out. I'm not this coming Tuesday. But um, so this is just a little teaser for both Margie and our listeners. I have maybe something special in the works. This is a prize for Margie for her birthday. And he might benefit from it too. So yeah. My birthday is in September. So I'm putting the the the worm in everyone's ear. Now. Keep your eyes out. Keep your eyes peeled.

Margie:

nervous and excited.

Rachel:

Oh baby. You should

Margie:

be consensual

Rachel:

Don't worry baby. You like it

Margie:

Okay, thank you guys,

Rachel:

so much for listening. Please go out and get this book because it's wonderful. And I think you'd really enjoy it. Yes. Um, if you guys want to reach out to us we would love to reach out on Facebook textual tension to Twitter, T tension pod Instagram textual tension pod, website, textual tension pod.com

Margie:

email, textual touching pot@gmail.com

Rachel:

Hell yeah. Reach out. Give us recommendations. Yeah. I have a couple of recommendations that well, we tuned in two weeks from now and I'll tell you my story. My no good very bad time picking a book. Oh, yeah.

Margie:

We still had those recommendations to someone gave us gave us an author recommendation that we have to read. Yeah, so

Rachel:

I have a couple days later, but um, so hit us up with recommendations. We are always looking for those because I'm not gonna lie. I usually just go to the library and stare at the shelves until something jumps out at me. So what isn't the right direction? That would be cool. We would love that if you leave us a rating and review we will send you a sticker you want to give us your personal address or in your deets if you will. Um,

Margie:

call us B bus if you want to reach us Hell yeah. All right. Thanks for tuning in guys.