The Unhoneymooners

Olive and Ethan board the boat and visit the bar. Alone on an upper deck, they struggle to make conversation. She notes that he continues to look at her chest, and he response, “Of course I did, it’s like having two other people up here with us, I don’t want to be rude” (140). They are interrupted by the arrival of Sophie and her fiancé. They make awkward conversation about local grocery stores, until Sophie recalls that Olive resembles Ami, who she met when she was dating Ethan. Olive panics at not realizing this complication earlier, wondering, “Ethan and I are two above-average intelligent people, so why are we so stupid together?” (141). Billy implies he would be interested in dating twins for sexual reasons, while Ethan ignores Sophie’s implication that there is something odd about him and his brother dating twin sisters. The couples wind up competing to show their partners affection, Ethan notes their ruse was less awkward with the Hamiltons, and Olive reminds him that this is “because you weren’t invested” (143).

Olive eventually asks Ethan if he is usually less awkward with others than he is with her. He finally engages in some conversation and answers her questions about his taste in alcohol, suggesting they get drinks back home in spite of himself.