This wasn’t the first time Ben had taken a girl’s virginity, but it was by no means a regular occurence. During the act, he continually found himself looking for clues about what she wanted or didn’t want. Clues that she wasn’t giving — because, he had to remind himself, she probably didn’t know what she wanted. Eventually, he’d just had to focus on his own climax, which left him feeling a little out-of-sorts at the end. They’d just done something together, but… what was it? How had it gone? Had she even enjoyed it? He had no idea, and being so utterly in the dark on the matter was disorienting for someone who prided himself on trying to be as conscientious a lover as possible.

So her thank-you, awkward as it was, came as something of a relief. “Yeah?” he asked tentatively, reaching over to stroke a piece of her hair that had come loose back into place. “You liked it, then? I mean, it was okay?”