The whole world seemed to be sleeping, apart from Barbara. She found herself in bed in a strange place—a research station in the rain forest, a bird sanctuary—abandoning herself to moony fantasies: a research biologist with impeccable credentials had been fingered for team leader, and she had been deputed to look after him while Clarissa was away. He had charm, good looks, and an amusing insouciance; she had a thing about men who wore glasses, men of culture, men with passions unruled. She had had plenty of flirtations—now she had fallen in love. Color bloomed in her cheeks. He leaned forward to take her hand. She looked down, terrified that he would read fear on her face—
A sudden sound in the doorway startled her. A shiver shook her slim frame. She lodged this idea in the back of her mind for future reference.
Source: New Oxford American Dictionary
• Get groceries.
• Do the dishes.
• Call the doctor.
• Take down the Christmas tree.
• Make like you’re happy.
• Pick yourself up and dust yourself off.
• Forget all this romantic stuff.
• Stop your theatrics.
• Put some padding in the résumé.
• Improve your golf swing.
• Get down off your high horse.
• Return this dog to its rightful owner.
• Start afresh.
• Grow a beard.
• Take up mountain climbing.
• Learn more about pesticide-free gardening.
• Put a little money aside, travel to far-distant lands, an uncontaminated island paradise, and start a business. Raise cattle. Raise corn and soybeans. Living on rice and fish, establish goodwill in the neighborhood, make friends, sit and listen to the radio, and be at ease.
Sources: New Oxford American Dictionary, Macquarie Dictionary, The American Heritage Dictionary