While he was trying really hard to be understanding, his patience had pretty much run out.

“She said you’re in construction,” Rina said, moving closer and licking her lips with deliberate interest. This time Jake did take a step back. “I love a man who’s good with his hands.”

Despite how pissed he was getting at Sharon, he would have given anything for her to step in and save him. But she didn’t - the dinner bell did.

Rina pouted as she turned away from him, the room falling silent, and Jake closed his eyes for a moment in stark relief before turning his attention to where Melinda and Mark were standing at the other end of the room with their parents.

Sniffling slightly, Courtney let Sharon direct her out into the hallway. Fortunately, no one else was out there and the noise from the party was muffled as soon as the door closed.

“Alright, sweetie, what’s going on with you and Joseph?” Sharon asked gently, putting her arm around her cousin’s shoulders. Even though Courtney was only about five years younger than her, Sharon felt a lot older as Courtney’s story poured out.

Basically, Joseph was being hot and cold lately, constantly testing Courtney’s devotion to the relationship.

“I don’t know what to do,” Courtney said, working her way up to tears again. “No matter how I try to reassure him, it’s never enough. Then it seems like he doesn’t even want to be with me anymore and I’m so angry with him. I feel like I should put my foot down, but relationships aren’t supposed to be about ultimatums, right? What if he’s the one? My parents adore him, I know he’s an amazing catch, what if I never find another guy as good as him? I can’t just set down rules and say, ‘you have to do this’ even though sometimes I really want to.”

“Honey...” Sharon hugged her. Her poor cousin. Joseph was her first real relationship and she was trying so hard while he was giving her the run around. He totally didn’t deserve her. Plus, it sounded like Courtney was with him to please her parents more than anything else. “You have the right to set rules for how you’ll be treated in a relationship. If he can’t treat you in a manner that makes you feel respected and loved, then he’s not the right guy and he can get the fuck out. Penis is literally everywhere. Everywhere! And it’s dying to get inside you - with whatever rules you set. This loser is playing games and for whatever reason, you’re allowing it. You have the vagina. Act like it.”

The expression on Courtney’s face was full of shock and awe, and more than a little desire. “But... what if he leaves me because I’m bossing him around?”