Page 72 of When Ben Loved Tim

“Because he’s a boy. They hate that sort of thing.”

“I don’t.”

“Yes, but you’re notreallya boy.”

“Gosh, thanks,” I say without a hint of irony.

Krista peers at me curiously. “But you understand how guys think. Don’t you?”

“I have some experience, yeah.”

She nibbles the nail of a delicate finger. Then she walks over and sits on the edge of the bed, angling her body toward me. “Can I ask you a question?”

“I have a feeling you’re going to anyway.”

“It’s about boys.”

“That’s literally my favorite subject,” I say gleefully, grabbing my bottle of water and joining her on the bed.

“Okay. How soon do they expect a girl to…” She trails off.

I hazard a guess, “Have sex?”

“Yes,” she says, seeming relieved. “How long will a boy wait?”

“As long as you make him. It’s completely up to you.”

“It’s just…” Her blue eyes are vulnerable when considering me. “Can you keep a secret?”

“Yes,” I say without promising that I will.

“Lately he seems… I don’t know. Off.”

“Really?”

She nods. “He’s still nice to me. But I can tell something is wrong.”

“What makes you think that?” I ask as casually as possible.

“He used to kiss me a lot more. Now he only does that when I ask him to. And when we go on a date, he seems bored. So I was thinking of showing him my boobs.”

I’m taking a sip when she says this and water nearly shoots out my nose. “Sorry!” I gasp. “Swallowed wrong.” I clear my throat. “I don’t think you should.”

Krista shakes her head. “How come?”

“Because that’s not a good way to make someone like you. Trust me, I’ve been there. Personally, I’d only show my boobs to a guy who likes me for who I am.” I briefly consider my past. “Unless I was really excited to show him my boobs and didn’t care if he liked me or not.”

She crinkles her petite little nose in disapproval. “You’re even weirder than I thought you would be.”

“You get what I’m saying though, right? Having sex with a guy won’t make him like you if he doesn’t already. He might enjoy the sex, but that’s not what you want. Or at least, not the only thing you want.”

“But what if I lose him to a girl who is willing to put out?”

I shrug. “Good riddance. When you imagine your dream guy, is he the sort of person who pushes you to have sex before you’re ready? Or is he willing to wait until the time is right for both of you?”

She still seems uncertain. I almost feel sorry for her. Especially when I glance around the room again, because there isn’t a single painting on the wall. I bet she doesn’t know about Tim’s artistic side.

“Most guys expect you to dosomething,” Krista says.