“I wanted Tyler Hobart in the worst way, but he had a girlfriend.”
“Wait. Wasn’t that the guy that took you to the Holiday Formal?” Daniel recalled a few of the details from back when she’d been his babysitter.
“Yes, but that wasn’t until months later.”
“How many months?”
She paused. “A couple. Maybe three…maybe two…I think.”
“See…”
“And then there was your father.” Daniel knew Amanda had had a crush on his father before his mother had died. She’d told him and his sister that much, framing it like it was their big love story, which was the way she sincerely thought of it.
“And out of all those guys who asked you out, or who just sniffed around and tried to impress you, was there anything they could have done to make you change your mind? To make you want to go out with them or want to be with them?”
“Sure. If they’d been…”
Daniel cut her off. “If they’d been different guys. If they’d been funnier, or better looking or this or that or whatever. But they didn’t meet your standards. They weren’t what you wanted so you could just swat them away, like flies.”
“It really wasn’t like that. That’s not fair.”
“Sorry. I’m sure you tried to be nice, at least most of the time. But my point is, because you were so pretty, because you were so popular, you could have these standards that were so high a normal guy could never hope to meet them. That’s all. It’s not your fault. A super hot and popular guy isn’t going to date an average looking girl, either. It’s just the food chain. That’s how it is.”
“Girls aren’t as judgemental as guys are when it comes to looks. And you have no reason to sell yourself short. You’re a good-looking guy, Daniel. You are! And you’re growing into your looks too. For some of the best-looking people it just takes a few more years. I think you take after your father. I can see it. You’re already starting to become a very handsome man.”
“Not that you’re biased.”
“Well I am biased, of course. But no, I really mean it. Even when I take off my ‘mom glasses’ I can see it. By the time you’re 24, 25 you’ll be killing it. I mean like male model handsome. Seriously.”
Amanda really did believe that about Daniel. Daniel wanted to believe she was right, but nothing much in his experience so far would lead him to believe it.
“So, anyway, whether you think I know something or not, this trip is probably your last chance to ask me stuff, like anything you want to know.”
“What, you mean like ‘birds and the bees’ kind of stuff? I think I’m a little bit past that by now.”
“No. I didn’t mean it like that. I know you had a girlfriend. I figure you two probably did stuff. I know kids today learn everything from porn. That was true even when I was in school. I mean the real stuff, like emotions and feelings and things like that. I know you have feelings, Daniel.”
“No I don’t. When my dick gets hard, I want to fuck. That’s pretty much all there is to it.”
“Jesus, Daniel! You don’t have to talk that way!”
He knew she didn’t like his crude male act, which was the front he put on when he didn’t want to talk about something.