The Spectacular Now Chapter 37 Summary

  • Downstairs in the hotel atrium, Sutter bumps into an ex-girlfriend, Shawnie Brown.
  • The two of them have this thing they do whenever they see each other – they start talking like Italian mobsters.
  • After a few minutes of talking like the Sopranos, Sutter tells her the party's lame, and challenges her to a game of ping-pong.
  • He gets her a 7UP to mix with some of his whiskey, and she proceeds to trounce him at ping-pong – three times.
  • Next up, a weight-lifting competition in the hotel fitness room … but the room only has treadmills and bikes. Bike race!
  • Sutter ends up falling off the bike and hitting his head hard. He needs to find the hot tub to help him heal. Of course.
  • Sure enough, they find one, and they both get in, fully dressed.
  • They start talking about old times, when they were still dating, and pretty soon, they're kissing.
  • But not for long.
  • Shawnie starts laughing first, and then Sutter joins in. They've got the Italian mobster routine – they can't make out.
  • Sutter asks her why they broke up, and she tells him it was because things never deepened between them. It always just seemed like they were two buddies fooling around.
  • Shawnie tells him he'll find the right person one day, and then they decide to head back to the party.