If only Sam could have stayed just like the Dog, she thought. A comforting friend without the complication of romantic interest.There had to be something she could do to completely discourage him, short of throwing up, or making herself totally unattractive. "I'm thirty-five," she said at last.
In this excerpt, the narrator reflects on Sam's presence in her life, wishing he could stay simple and straightforward like the dog, who provides comfort without any romantic entanglements. She values the companionship but desires to avoid the complexities that romantic feelings could bring.
She considers various ways to push Sam away or make herself unattractive to him, expressing her distress and longing for clarity. Her final statement about being thirty-five hints at her personal struggles and perhaps a sense of aging or feeling vulnerable in her efforts to maintain emotional boundaries.