So in Matthew News, I’m taking a job as an editorial assistant for a medical communications company, which is exciting, and I have to move to New York City in the next two weeks, which is terrifying. So you can be sure that all the descriptions of Eva’s fucking massive New York City apartment she doesn’t pay for but money totally doesn’t matter to her anyway piss me off on a personal level now.
Chapter 17
The chapter begins with the end of Eva’s dad’s visit. I think.
For the rest of Saturday and Sunday, my dad and I bounced all over the city. I made sure he did the food thing, taking him to Junior’s for cheesecake, Gray’s Papaya for hot dogs, and John’s for pizza
I like how Sylvia Day can’t even be bothered to write anything more detailed than “the food thing”. What’s she doing with food? The thing. I love this. Maybe when Eva and Gideon inevitably get back together they’ll do the sex thing. What’s next on Eva and Eva’s dad’s fun New York City trip?!
My dad was impressed with the emergency responder presence in the city
Oh. Because he’s a cop! Got it!
We […] braved the subway together.
I’m starting to doubt Sylvia Day has spent much time in New York City.
Eva’s dad also tells her the story of how he met her mother. Can’t think of a pop culture gif to use as a joke for that one.
Her sleek little sports car had gotten a flat tire and she’d ended up at the auto shop where he was working. their story reminded me of the old Billy Joel hit “Uptown Girl,” and I told him so.
There’s nothing wrong with self-awarely (that should be a real word) copying a well-known story as an element of another story; it’s just really lazy writing. Especially less than a page after “the food thing”.
“Do you resent her, Daddy?””I used to. […] I’m never going to forgive her for not giving you my last name when you were born. (Uhhhh what?) But I’m not mad about the money thing anymore. (Okay, Sylvia Day, you’re not allowed to use the word “thing” for the rest of the book.) […] as much as I wish I could give you all the things her husbands can, I’m just glad you’re getting them. I’m not too proud to appreciate that your life is better because of her choices.”
So last week I visited my old AP Lit teacher from high school and sat in on a class (long story), and they read a passage from the book they were reading, highlighting parts that would be of interest to a feminist reader and to a Marxist reader. Basically, this entire quote would be highlighted, because Eva’s biological father is literally saying, “It’s a good thing I’m not with the woman I love, because it’s better that my daughter gets more material goods.” YES, SYLVIA DAY HAS CRAFTED A LOVE STORY FOR THE AGES – WAIT ‘TIL WE GET TO THE END OF THE CHAPTER WHERE EVA RUBS HER BUTT ON GIDEON’S DICK IN AN ELEVATOR.
Anyway, most of the chapter is Eva being sad about breaking up with Gideon and having a spa day with Cary and her mother and I just have no fucks to give.
So we’re just gonna skip ahead towards the end of the chapter where Eva goes out to a private dance club (because I think we’re supposed to hate Eva?) with Cary and her mom and stepdad. There she runs into Gideon’s brother, Christopher (Minor Villain #4) and Gideon’s mom, where she decides, “Hey, this is a good time to confront Gideon’s mom about being a bad parent”.
“Remember when Gideon was a child and he told you he’d been abused or violated?”
Her face paled. “He told you about that?”
“No. But I’ve witnessed the nightmares. […] It was your job to protect and support him.”
Her chin went up. “You don’t know-”
“You’re not to blame for what happened before you knew.” I got in her face, felt satisfaction when she took a step back. “But anything that happened after he told you is entirely your fault.”
“Fuck you,” she spat at me. “You have no idea what you’re talking about. How dare you come up to me like this and say these things to me when you’re clueless!”
Okay, so having actually been in a situation where a girlfriend decides to tell her boyfriend’s mom that she’s a bad parent (it’s not really a “comedy blog” story), this is absolutely not Eva’s business. Especially because, you know, they broke up, so it’s not even on the same bus route as Eva’s business. But even if they were still dating, this would be Gideon’s fight, not Eva’s, because – as Gideon’s mom points out – Eva really doesn’t know what she’s talking about. And this would be a true point even if Eva had a 100% complete understanding of Gideon’s past, but, hell, based on what Sylvia Day has written about Gideon’s past abuse, I thought the implication was supposed to be that his mother was the one abusing him. Remember this moment from when we met Gideon’s mom in Bared To You?
Then I wondered if maybe she’d loved him too much …
And that’s it, because Gideon (whose problem this is, by the way) hasn’t said shit about what his problems are to Eva. It’s a difficult enough issue to side with Eva on (as we’re clearly supposed to, but shouldn’t), but it’s downright absurd when Eva confronts his mom for what looks to the reader like a completely arbitrary decision that she’s to blame.
Oh, and then the chapter ends with Gideon stopping Eva in the elevator and doing what in most normal-person circumstances would be called sexual assault.
“Turn around, Eva.”
A shiver moved through me at the familiar and beloved authoritative tone. Closing my eyes, I turned, then gasped as he immediately pressed against my back, flattening me to the wall of the car. His fingers linked with mine, holding my hands up by my shoulders.
“You’re so beautiful,” he breathed, nuzzling into my hair. “It hurts to look at you.”
[…] His powerful frame was hard and hot, and vibrating with tension. He was aroused, his thick cock a firm pressure I couldn’t stop myself from grinding against.
This is presumably supposed to be sexy, but this seems more… well… like this other workplace grinding scene…
And now you know about the elevator/butt thing.
“‘I’m not too proud to appreciate that your life is better because of her choices.’ Except for the part where your stepbrother raped you for years – that wouldn’t have happened if your mother had stayed with me. But the swanky NY apartment totally makes up for that!”
This book says money is more important that avoiding sexual abuse.
That immediately occurred to me, except Eva’s dad doesn’t know about her sexual abuse, which makes a big difference. Otherwise, yeah, he’d probably not say that.
Ugh. This whole chapter (this whole series rather) is just terrible. Gideon is so creepy. And no New Yorker, unless they have some real fear or a traumatic experience or something, feels like the subway is something they need to brave. It’s literally part of everyday life. That line just reads like Sylvia Day trying to get in the mind of someone with money and not understanding New York. Like, “I’m rich and subways or poor people territory”. Seriously, as if the sexual assault against a sexual abuse survivor being played off as romantic isn’t already terrible enough, we have to deal with all of days ridiculous depictions of money and New York. I don’t know how I’m still following this series, or how you guys are still actually reading it. I commend you.
Exactly! Either Sylvia Day has never been to New York or she’s actually trying to make Eva sound pampered and unlikeable.
Peep Show clip was perfect.
Personally, I will be very disappointed in you if your move to New York City to start your new post-college job does not involve finding an abusive billionaire CEO to dry-hump you in public places. Have these books taught you nothing, Matthew?
I’ll do my best! Otherwise I’m not getting the real New York experience.