At least I got him to take the STD screen. I half expected him to balk, and I’m glad he didn’t even complain. See, you’re not all bad, I could have said to him.

But there is something off about him. I don’t know why I think that. The bigger mystery is why I’m going to Thailand with him if I feel that way. Is it because I like the sex that much?

Must be.

I figure sex can only take us so far, so when he gets bored of me and wants to go back to dating models or I come to my senses, we’ll move on to our normal lives. Until then, I’ll just enjoy the chemistry and rush I get in his company.

The following day, I manage to get a same-day appointment at the student health center to look into birth control shots. Luckily, I’m still in the 7-day window from my period so the shot can take effect immediately.

The next few days, I don’t see or hear much from Darren except an update that my passport and travel visa are ready and to check in about the STD results, which are clean. I credit him with knowing that I need to focus on my schoolwork and internship. Which is more than I can say for Amy, who wants to talk about Thailand every possible minute. She’s shown me over a dozen outfits, returned nearly as many, and gone shopping at least three times. I end up bringing my laptop to the library just so I can have some peace and quiet.

“Do you think I should go with the matching tropical bottom for this bikini or the solid black?” Amy asks, holding up the options, after I get back from the library late Thursday night.

“They both work well,” I say. “How was work today?”

“Oh, I quit. They weren’t happy with me taking a week or more off since I had missed a few days already. I think I’m going to go with the solid black. Or maybe I should bring both. Yeah, I’ll bring both. You going over to The Lotus tonight?”

I shake my head. “My paper for health policy is due tomorrow.”

“I should probably skip it, too, though JD said he’d be there. I don’t want him to think I don’t have a life outside of him.”

I’m tempted to say she doesn’t seem to think about anything else, but I keep my mouth shut. Instead, I say, “So things are going well between you two?”

“OMG, it’s amazing. He’s definitely the one. I think he feels it, too, otherwise why would he invite me to his sister’s wedding? I mean, I’m going to be meeting his family. I can’t wait for my family to meet him. They’re going to be so impressed. I check off all the boxes with JD: he’s Asian, he went to a good school, he’s a successful businessman. He’s sexy as hell. The sexy part is my box, of course.”