“What was his name?”
“Jason,” I replied, but instead of picturing Jason, the handsome firefighter I had met the other day at Seth’s station popped into my head.
“That’s right… wonder what happened to him.”
“He probably went off to college, met some hot girl and married her.”
“Please, he was not the marrying type,” Leah said. “Last I heard about him his parents caught him with drugs in his room, and they sent him off to some camp.”
“No way!”
“True,” Leah replied. “Ashley told me herself.”
“Wow… how did I not know that?”
“Because you kept your head down all through high school… and you were averse to gossip even back then: probably one of your worst qualities to date.”
I smiled. “How are things with you and Byron?”
“Meh,” Leah replied.
“Meh?” I repeated. “Translation please?”
“Things are fine between us. I suppose,” Leah said. “I suppose I’ve just been getting a little bored lately. We’ve been together two years now, and I feel like I’ve missed out by restricting myself to one guy during my prime college years. I should have been out there experimenting.”
I laughed. “Sounds to me like you just need to spice things up…”
“True, he has been getting really comfortable with me lately,” Leah said. “I’m going to have to remind him that just because I agreed to move in with him after we graduate does not mean he gets to take me for granted.”
“I know you like to complain,” I said. “But you have it good.”
“Excuse me; I do not like to complain.”
“Of course you do,” I said. “Ever since you met Byron you’ve been complaining about him. But you stick it out in the end because you love him and he loves you. Admit it, Leah; you’ve got one of the good ones.”
There was a second of silence, and then I heard a little grunt of acknowledgment. I suppressed my laughter and waited.
“Ok, fine… I suppose as boyfriends go, he is pretty great.”
“He’s amazing,” I said. “Do you know what I would give to have a boyfriend as awesome as Byron?”
“Um you could easily have what I have if you just put yourself out there a little more,” Leah said immediately, and I instantly regretted going down this particular road.
“I—”
“Don’t even bother to defend yourself, we both know that you’ve avoided intimacy since you developed breasts.”
“Gee thanks,” I said. “That was kind of you.”
“Friendship requires honestly; I’m just being a good friend here,” Leah said. “Tell me, how many guys have you dated since you started college?”
“Uh… a few.”
“Can I have a number?”
“Like three or four,” I said.
“And how many of those dates turned into relationships?” Leah pressed.