JILL HAD IT ALL planned out. And in her mind, it was going well.

She had come home early and prepared one of Steve's favorite meals, coq au vin. In truth, other than half a dozen kinds of eggs, it was the only thing she knew how to cook - or at least that she was confident about.

Maybe tonight they could talk about how to proceed. She had the name of a therapist that a friend had given her and Steve had promised he would actually go this time.

She had vegetables simmering in the pan and was about to add wine when Steve came home. But when he walked up the stairs, he seemed to look right through her. "Look at us," he said. "You'd think we were an ad for domestic bliss¹."

"Trying," Jill said. She was wearing pressed jeans and a pink V-necked T-shirt, and she had her hair down the way he liked it.

"Just one thing wrong." Steve tossed his newspaper down. "I'm going out."

Jill felt her stomach sink. "Why? Look at me, Steve. I've gone to a lot of trouble."

"Frank needs to bounce a proposal off me." Steve reached across to a fruit basket and took a peach. There was a part of him that seemed almost to be gloating, amused that he'd ruined the evening.

"Can't you see Frank at the office tomorrow? I told you, there was something I needed to talk about. You said okay. I've got all this food."

He took a bite out of the peach and laughed. "You break one night before eight and get it in your head to play Alice on The Brady Bunch, and I'm the one blowing the script?"

"It's not a script, Steve."

"You wanna talk" - he sucked out another bite of the peach - "go ahead. In case you've forgotten, it's still my check that pays for those Manolo Blahniks. The market the way it is these days, the only thing scarcer than the Ice Queen with an urge to have sex is a promising² deal. Given the odds³, I'll throw in with the deal."

"That was really cruel." Jill glared at him. She was deter-mined to hold herself together. "I was trying to do something nice."

"It is nice." Steve shrugged⁴, took another bite. "And if you hurry, you might still catch one of your girlfriends to share this special moment with you."

She saw herself reflected in the window, suddenly feeling ridiculous. "You're an incredible

点击收听单词发音  

1 bliss
n.狂喜，福佑，天赐的福
参考例句：
It's sheer bliss to be able to spend the day in bed.整天都可以躺在床上真是幸福。 He's in bliss that he's won the Nobel Prize.他非常高兴，因为获得了诺贝尔奖金。

2 promising
adj.有希望的，有前途的
参考例句：
The results of the experiments are very promising.实验的结果充满了希望。 We're trying to bring along one or two promising young swimmers.我们正设法培养出一两名有前途的年轻游泳选手。

3 odds
n.让步，机率，可能性，比率；胜败优劣之别
参考例句：
The odds are 5 to 1 that she will win.她获胜的机会是五比一。 Do you know the odds of winning the lottery once?你知道赢得一次彩票的几率多大吗？

4 shrugged
vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式）
参考例句：
Sam shrugged and said nothing. 萨姆耸耸肩膀，什么也没说。 She shrugged, feigning nonchalance. 她耸耸肩，装出一副无所谓的样子。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 bastard
n.坏蛋，混蛋；私生子
参考例句：
He was never concerned about being born a bastard.他从不介意自己是私生子。 There was supposed to be no way to get at the bastard.据说没有办法买通那个混蛋。

6 whined
v.哀号( whine的过去式和过去分词 )；哀诉，诉怨
参考例句：
The dog whined at the door, asking to be let out. 狗在门前嚎叫着要出去。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》 He whined and pouted when he did not get what he wanted. 他要是没得到想要的东西就会发牢骚、撅嘴。 来自辞典例句

7 spatula
n.抹刀
参考例句：
He scraped the mixture out of the bowl with a plastic spatula.他用塑料铲把盆里的混合料刮了出来。 She levelled the surface of the cake mixtured with a metal spatula.她用金属铲抹平了蛋糕配料。

8 slab
n.平板，厚的切片；v.切成厚板，以平板盖上
参考例句：
This heavy slab of oak now stood between the bomb and Hitler.这时笨重的橡木厚板就横在炸弹和希特勒之间了。 The monument consists of two vertical pillars supporting a horizontal slab.这座纪念碑由两根垂直的柱体构成，它们共同支撑着一块平板。

9 limestone
n.石灰石
参考例句：
Limestone is often used in building construction.石灰岩常用于建筑。 Cement is made from limestone.水泥是由石灰石制成的。

10 belittle
v.轻视，小看，贬低
参考例句：
Do not belittle what he has achieved.不能小看他取得的成绩。 When you belittle others,you are actually the one who appears small.当你轻视他人时， 真正渺小的其实是你自己。

11 venom
n.毒液，恶毒，痛恨
参考例句：
The snake injects the venom immediately after biting its prey.毒蛇咬住猎物之后马上注入毒液。 In fact,some components of the venom may benefit human health.事实上，毒液的某些成分可能有益于人类健康。

12 hovering
鸟( hover的现在分词 )； 靠近（某事物）； （人）徘徊； 犹豫
参考例句：
The helicopter was hovering about 100 metres above the pad. 直升机在离发射台一百米的上空盘旋。 I'm hovering between the concert and the play tonight. 我犹豫不决今晚是听音乐会还是看戏。

13 miserable
adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的
参考例句：
It was miserable of you to make fun of him.你取笑他，这是可耻的。 Her past life was miserable.她过去的生活很苦。

14 flinch
v.畏缩，退缩
参考例句：
She won't flinch from speaking her mind.她不会讳言自己的想法。 We will never flinch from difficulties.我们面对困难决不退缩。

15 seethed
（液体）沸腾( seethe的过去式和过去分词 )； 激动，大怒； 强压怒火； 生闷气(~with sth|~ at sth)
参考例句：
She seethed silently in the corner. 她在角落里默默地生闷气。 He seethed with rage as the train left without him. 他误了火车，怒火中烧。

16 smirk
n.得意地笑；v.傻笑；假笑着说
参考例句：
He made no attempt to conceal his smirk.他毫不掩饰自鸣得意的笑容。 She had a selfsatisfied smirk on her face.她脸上带着自鸣得意的微笑。

17 leftovers
n.剩余物，残留物，剩菜
参考例句：
He can do miracles with a few kitchen leftovers.他能用厨房里几样剩饭做出一顿美餐。 She made supper from leftovers she had thrown together.她用吃剩的食物拼凑成一顿晚饭。

18 frantically
ad.发狂地, 发疯地
参考例句：
He dashed frantically across the road. 他疯狂地跑过马路。 She bid frantically for the old chair. 她发狂地喊出高价要买那把古老的椅子。