Robert's Slumped Shoulders (Simile)
"But he was on the heavy side, his beard was a little too long, and his shoulders slumped forward slightly, as though he were protecting something." (3)
When Margot first encounters Robert, she isn't sure if she finds him attractive. One of the first things she notices about him is that his shoulders are always slightly slouched, slumping as if to protect something. As it turns out, he is protecting something—himself. As the story unfolds, Robert is revealed to be quite insecure, and occasionally betrays the fact that he's vulnerable. He tries to mask this vulnerability by making jokes at Margot's expense, like laughing about what he perceives as her film snobbery. All these jokes serve to emphasize that what initially comes across as Robert's stiffness or discomfort is really his attempt to mask his vulnerability and protect himself.
Sparkly Lightness (Metaphor)
"On the walk back to her dorm, she was filled with a sparkly lightness that she recognized as the sign of an incipient crush." (6)
After Margot and Robert's first "date" at the 7-Eleven, Margot finds herself feeling real attraction to Robert for the first time. The feeling of recognizing this attraction is described as a "sparkly lightness" in her body—obviously not a real physical sensation, but a vivid metaphor for conveying that giddy feeling of liking someone in a romantic way. This could be understood as similar to the feeling of having "butterflies in your stomach," for example—the excited sensation, tinged with the slightest unease, of developing romantic feelings.
An Elastic Band Against Her Skin (Simile)
"...she felt a twinge of desire pluck at her belly, as distinct and painful as the snap of an elastic band against her skin." (11)
At the bar after their movie date, Margot feels a momentary flutter of attraction towards Robert. The sensation is described as sharp and unmissable, like the feeling of getting snapped by a rubber band. This is a feeling of longing, but it's also twinged with pain—a recognizable feeling for anyone who's ever felt desire they're not sure will be reciprocated. The way that Roupenian characterizes this sensation telegraphs a sense of urgency: as soon as Margot feels this "twinge of desire" towards Robert, she's eager to leave the bar and get back to his place to get it on. In that sense, the feeling comes across as somewhat animalistic—it's an expression of her desire drive, simultaneously painful and exciting.
Robert Shattering to Pieces (Metaphor)
"She imagined Robert picking up his phone, reading that message, turning to glass, and shattering to pieces." (22)
After Margot and Robert's uncomfortable sexual encounter, Margot is wracked with icky feelings of discomfort. She doesn't answer Robert's incessant texts until her roommate, Tamara, finally seizes her phone and texts Robert that she isn't interested anymore. Margot is horrified, and despite her lack of attraction, feels guilty about what this will mean for Robert's emotions: because she believes Robert sees her as a precious, irreplaceable, alluring object, she's certain he'll be heartbroken by her rejection. Thus, she imagines him shattering like glass, breaking down in sadness when he reads her message.
The Phone Like A Campfire (Simile)
"Curled up on her bed with Tamara that night, the glow of the phone like a campfire illuminating their faces, Margot read the messages as they arrived." (23)
At the end of the story, Margot and Tamara sit on Margot's bed together, anticipating a text from Robert after running into him at the bar. Margot's phone screen is described as emitting a campfire-like glow, which establishes a tone of juvenile innocence: one could imagine the girls like Girl Scouts on a camping trip, absorbedly reading Robert's texts as they roll in. The reference to a campfire makes the scene feel cozy, at some distance from Robert's aggressive texting. In some ways, he's like a ghost, whose presence is felt around the campfire even though he isn't really there.
