on the kitchen counter next to the bowl of fruit. Paul was the only person in my entire life I had met with a real bowl of fruit that he actually ate. My mom always threw the bowl of fruit out when it inevitably went rotten from neglect.
“Did you eat?” he said. “I ordered Chinese but I’m sure I won’t eat it all.”
“I’m fine,” I answered. “It’s been a hectic day. I can’t imagine stuffing myself.”
“Alright,” he said. He stood across from me, holding a hand towel, folding it and refolding it. “So, what’s up?”
“I just figured we’d talk in the flesh, you know?” I clarified. “I never really heard your whole story.”
“There’s not much to hear,” he said, turning away to pack his leftovers into the fridge. “That’s actually the whole point.”
“Well, I mean, you seem to be taking it well,” I noted. “Right?”
He turned and paced toward the living room. I followed.
“Right?” I asked again.
“I’m afraid I’ll never lose my virginity,” he admitted quietly, staring toward the wall.
“Hey, it will happen,” I said, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. “You’re amazing. You’re so caring. Young girls, they just want some asshole. The bad boy. It doesn’t work. They’ll all figure it out one day and come running to you.”
“Why is that?” Paul asked, turning back toward me.
“What? Why do girls want the bad boy?” I asked.
“Well, I mean, why do you like Curtis?” he said. His front teeth were grabbing his bottom lip.
“Curtis is hardly a bad boy,” I answered. I let out a burst oflaughter. “Curtis isn’t a bad boy at all. He’s a total baby.”
“He doesn’t seem to be very nice,” Paul said. “I mean, from like, what you tell me. I think?”
“No,” I concurred. “He’s not nice but he’s trying.”
“What about the uh…” Paul said, wringing his hands instead of a dish towel. “What about the bedroom stuff?”
“That’s just how guys are,” I explained. “They’re all like that.”
“Why? I don’t think that’s right,” he said.
“Well, you’re a rare breed,” I commented, having a seat.
“So, if he’s not nice to you and you’re having um… marital problems,” he said.
“Not marital. Oh no, not marital,” I objected, cutting him off.
“Well. Uh, whatever. You know what I mean,” he continued awkwardly. “If you’re having these issues, why do you keep going out with him?”
I chewed on my tongue. The mothball smell still lingered.
“I don’t know,” I said absentmindedly. “He’s really attractive and has a great career.”
“That part sounds good,” Paul said, careful not to be condescending. “Where does that leave a guy like me?”
“You’ll find the right girl,” I said decidedly. “It will happen.”
“Maybe when I’m really old,” Paul murmured. “It just kind of hurts to, you know, not have had… that… or know anything about it.”
“Well, maybe you’ll lead a generation of men who actually care about their partners in bed,” I said.
“What does he do wrong?” he asked. “Like, what does Curtis do? I guess I could learn from his mistakes or whatever if I ever get the chance to…”
“It is what Curtis doesn’t do that counts,” I said cheekily. “He never gives me head-“
Paul cut me off this time. “Tara, wow!”
“Okay, okay,” I apologized. “I just don’t find this to be a touchy topic like some people. Besides, I can tell you anything.”
“Right, I’ve just never heard stuff like this before,” Paul said.
“Well, do you even know how to give head?” I asked.
He put his hands on the table as if he were bracing for an earthquake or something.
“Obviously the answer is no,” he said, exasperated.
“You have to watch porn or something?” I asked.
His fingers dug into the table a little more.
“Right?” I repeated.
“Not really,” he stammered. “I mean, no.”
“Really?” I asked.
He swallowed hard and
“Did you eat?” he said. “I ordered Chinese but I’m sure I won’t eat it all.”
“I’m fine,” I answered. “It’s been a hectic day. I can’t imagine stuffing myself.”
“Alright,” he said. He stood across from me, holding a hand towel, folding it and refolding it. “So, what’s up?”
“I just figured we’d talk in the flesh, you know?” I clarified. “I never really heard your whole story.”
“There’s not much to hear,” he said, turning away to pack his leftovers into the fridge. “That’s actually the whole point.”
“Well, I mean, you seem to be taking it well,” I noted. “Right?”
He turned and paced toward the living room. I followed.
“Right?” I asked again.
“I’m afraid I’ll never lose my virginity,” he admitted quietly, staring toward the wall.
“Hey, it will happen,” I said, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. “You’re amazing. You’re so caring. Young girls, they just want some asshole. The bad boy. It doesn’t work. They’ll all figure it out one day and come running to you.”
“Why is that?” Paul asked, turning back toward me.
“What? Why do girls want the bad boy?” I asked.
“Well, I mean, why do you like Curtis?” he said. His front teeth were grabbing his bottom lip.
“Curtis is hardly a bad boy,” I answered. I let out a burst oflaughter. “Curtis isn’t a bad boy at all. He’s a total baby.”
“He doesn’t seem to be very nice,” Paul said. “I mean, from like, what you tell me. I think?”
“No,” I concurred. “He’s not nice but he’s trying.”
“What about the uh…” Paul said, wringing his hands instead of a dish towel. “What about the bedroom stuff?”
“That’s just how guys are,” I explained. “They’re all like that.”
“Why? I don’t think that’s right,” he said.
“Well, you’re a rare breed,” I commented, having a seat.
“So, if he’s not nice to you and you’re having um… marital problems,” he said.
“Not marital. Oh no, not marital,” I objected, cutting him off.
“Well. Uh, whatever. You know what I mean,” he continued awkwardly. “If you’re having these issues, why do you keep going out with him?”
I chewed on my tongue. The mothball smell still lingered.
“I don’t know,” I said absentmindedly. “He’s really attractive and has a great career.”
“That part sounds good,” Paul said, careful not to be condescending. “Where does that leave a guy like me?”
“You’ll find the right girl,” I said decidedly. “It will happen.”
“Maybe when I’m really old,” Paul murmured. “It just kind of hurts to, you know, not have had… that… or know anything about it.”
“Well, maybe you’ll lead a generation of men who actually care about their partners in bed,” I said.
“What does he do wrong?” he asked. “Like, what does Curtis do? I guess I could learn from his mistakes or whatever if I ever get the chance to…”
“It is what Curtis doesn’t do that counts,” I said cheekily. “He never gives me head-“
Paul cut me off this time. “Tara, wow!”
“Okay, okay,” I apologized. “I just don’t find this to be a touchy topic like some people. Besides, I can tell you anything.”
“Right, I’ve just never heard stuff like this before,” Paul said.
“Well, do you even know how to give head?” I asked.
He put his hands on the table as if he were bracing for an earthquake or something.
“Obviously the answer is no,” he said, exasperated.
“You have to watch porn or something?” I asked.
His fingers dug into the table a little more.
“Right?” I repeated.
“Not really,” he stammered. “I mean, no.”
“Really?” I asked.
He swallowed hard and
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