Page 90 of Untouchable Player

“Hey, you said it first. It is pretty obvious though.”

“Bullshit, you didn’t know until I told you.”

“But I’m sleep deprived, your mom and Harrison obviously know something’s going on with you. You’re way too relaxed and smug to not be having sex.”

“Can’t you be relaxed and smug without having sex?”

Katie pauses to think, “not if you want to have sex, no.”

I snort.

“But how was it, really? Was he gentle?”

“Shut up.”

“What? I’m not making fun of you, I really want to know.”

“It was… it didn’t hurt if that’s what you mean, at all.” I feel myself blushing. Katie squeezes my arm and I can hear her suppressing a squeal. “He’s a good person to lose your virginity to.”

“And that’s all he is, right?” she asks.

“Right.”

“Except…”

“What?”

“Oh my god, just admit you like him.”

“Of course I like him, but I told you, we’re…”

“not compatible, yeah, yeah.”

“What? it’s true?”

Katie sighs and steps in front of me. “Tell me, what do you really want from a boyfriend…”

I open my mouth and she puts her hand up to stop me, “and I don’t mean superficial things, like job or clothes or interests, I mean, who he is as a person, what do you want from a real partner? I’ll give you time to think.”

She slips her arm back through mine and we walk around the trees now bare of leaves. The wind rushes through the branches and Katie huddles a little closer.

“I want someone kind, who listens, and is interested in the things I’m interested in.”

“Wait, I said not superficial.”

“That’s not superficial.”

“Why do they have to be interested in the things you’re interested in?”

“Because… because we can talk about things.”

“Why do you really want them to be interested in the things you’re interested in? Won’t you have colleagues who you can talk about that stuff with all day? Why do you need your boyfriend to talk about it with too when you get home at night?”

“Because, I want him to understand me.”

Katie makes that face she makes when she thinks she’s made a breakthrough.

“Are you physiatrist-ing me right now?”

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