Chapter 10: A Lesson

The way Roman says that I should think of this as an 'opportunity' makes me all tingly.

I give a nervous laugh. "An opportunity to humiliate myself?"

"I was thinking more along the lines of an opportunity to... expand your horizons a little."

There's a suggestiveness in his tone, and it makes panic rise in me anew.

"Tell me," he says, "do you think you're attractive?"

That question doesn't make this any easier. "I - I mean, I don't think I'm hideous."

"That's not what I asked."

"I... I'm pretty enough," I say. "I mean, I'm not going to be winning any beauty contests anytime soon, but I'm not afraid I'm going to die alone or anything." Not yet, anyway. "One day I'll meet a nice guy who thinks I'm beautiful no matter what and we'll settle down and have perfectly average little babies."

Roman looks thoughtful. "Is that really what you believe? That you're just 'average'?"

"Don't say it like that." I fiddle with the edge of the tablecloth. "Objectively speaking, it's the truth. An