Come again?

The following instructions accompanied military warheads.

"These wareheads must be stored with the top at the bottom and the bottom at the top. In order that there may be no doubt as to which is the top and which is the bottom, for storage purposes the bottom of each head has been labeled with the word TOP."

I had a conversation last weekend with le plus jeune ange. Topic: boys. Duration: 1.5 hours. Conclusion: boys are human warheads and should be thus similarly labeled.

She met a boy a few months back that she really likes and who appeared to really like her. She wasn't looking for a long-term relationship and neither was he (they are currently on an island - she until the start of summer; he lives there permanently). She wasn't necessarily looking for a meaningless relationship either, and, while he did regularly see a girl on the mainland, he did not appear the type to take advantage of a sweet young thing for a night of meaningless sex. They are, after all, in an intimate setting where everyone there knows everyone else's business.

They flirted some and eventually had an "encounter." He appeared to enjoy the encounter; she definitely did and looked forward to other opportunities to spend time in similar fashion.

So what's the problem? Well, since then, he's made no effort to be alone with her, although he joins the group she's in quite frequently, and often invites her (along with others) to accompany him places.

Usually, though, she is relegated to the back of the truck; another generally gets to ride shotgun in the front. The last time he invited her to join him (and his friends), he spent the entire time riding a bike (motor) with a friend while the girls watched. Sounds like a fun time, eh?

She still makes effort to let him know she's interested - small comments, dressing a certain way, etc. And, while he appears to appreciate all that, he makes no move.

Now, it's only been what, a month? So perhaps he is just slow. Or shy. Either way, she feels like crap. She doesn't know if she did something wrong during their encounter (she is relatively inexperienced, despite her age); she wonders if she is too fat, if she smells, if she is a terrible kisser.

To le plus jeune ange - you are one of the most beautiful women I know, smart and sexy and well worth the effort. Don't sell yourself short. My advice to you - quit trying to make sense of the label; the guidance system of such warheads is sometimes not stored at the bottom or the top, but halfway in between.