he said

He said all the time, “in a manner of speaking,” and it drove her crazy. It was an affectation, one that seemed somehow endearing when he was in his 20s and trying to make his way through the forest of tall trees in the overcrowded investment industry. Now it just sounded, to her, anyway, like so much bullshit. He’d become successful and she’d loved the climb, but now she was wondering, more and more, why and what for. Sometimes she felt as though she were acting like a spoiled child. Other times she felt as though she were beginning finally to grasp some shred of life’s meaning. In either case, he didn’t figure into her future, she knew that, now. He was stern and boring and not as nearly as smart as she once thought, which caused her to wonder if she’d gotten smarter or if she’d just wised up. Her girlfriends told her she had a pretty good deal going, that she’d be crazy to do anything stupid. So, for the time being, she was staying put, anesthetizing herself with anti-depressants and avoiding sex as much as possible, which wasn’t nearly as difficult as she’d thought, nor as lonely.