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"When I’reat coree with that," he said, raising hisfriends?" I asked

"H me and my current state of blush "Yes, I think we are"

"Interesting Froled and clinked hiswith my own

"Oh, it remains to be seen whether you’re lifted froive me a heads up before Spanx cohed at his confused expression

"Spanx?"

"Ah, yes, well, you know her as Katie" I laughed

He finally had the decency to blush and ser part of what you so kindly refer to as my harem"

"Oh no! I liked her! Did you paddle her too hard?" I teased again, et out of control

He ran his hands through his hair frantically "I have to tell you, this is frankly the strangest conversation I’ve ever had with a woo?"

He smiled quietly "She met someone else and seems really happy So we ended our physical relationship, of course, but she’s still a good friend"

"Well, that’s good" I nodded and was quiet a moment "How does that work, actually?"

"How does ork?"

"Well, you have to admit, your relationships are unconventional at best How do you do it? Keep everyone happy?" I prodded

He laughed "You’re not seriously asking how I satisfy these worinned

"Hell, no I’ve heard how you do that! There doesn’t seeet hurt?"

He thought for ainto this It isn’t like anyone sets out to create this little world, it just happens Katie and I had always gotten along great, especially in that way, so we just fell into that relationship"

"I like Spanx--I h with the haree together, tried dating for real, didn’t work out She’s great though, she’s…wait, are you sure you want to hear all this?"

"Oh, I a to peel this onion since you first knocked that picture offback on the couch and curling my knees underneathauy

"Focus up, Si And spare no details--this shit is better than HBO"

He laughed and put on his storyteller face "Well, okay, I guess it started with Katie We didn’t work out as a couple, but e ran into each other after college a few years ago, coffee turned into lunch, lunch turned into drinks, and drinks turned into…well, bed Neither of us was seeing anyone, so we started getting together whenever I was in town She’s great She’s just…I don’t kno to explain it She’s…soft"

"Soft?"

"Yeah, she’s all rounded edges and warm and sweet She’s just…soft She’s the best"

"And Purina?"

"Nadia Her name is Nadia"

"I have a cat that says otherwise"

"Nadia Ia shoot one winter I usually never do fashion photography, but I got asked to shoot for Vogue--very artsy, very conceptual She had a house outside the city We spent a nad weekend together, and when sheher masters now in international relations It’s crazy to me that at twenty-five she’s on the tail end of her career, inelse She’s very smart She’s traveled the entire world, and she speaks five languages! She went to the Sorbonne Did you know that?"

"Hoould I know that?"

"Easy too on

"And then Lizzie Oh boy, that woman is insane! I rabbed ed irl knows exactly what she wants and isn’t afraid to ask for it"

I rereat detail She really was rather specific about what she wanted, provided you could get past the giggling

"She’s a solicitor--attorney--and one of her main clients lives here in San Francisco Her business is based in London, but e’re both in the same city, we make sure to see each other And that’s it That’s all she wrote"

"That’s it? Three woet jealous? How are they all okay with this? And don’t you want etting exactly what they want, so it’s all good And yes, they all know about each other, and since no one’s in love here, no one has any real expectations beyond friendship--with the best possible benefits I , I adore each of theuy These wo But I’m too busy to date anyone for real, and most wolobe more often than ho We don’t all want the picket fence"

"Every woman I’ve ever dated has said she doesn’t, but then she does And that’s cool--I get it--but with ot to be very difficult forI’m not"