"I mean, I... I did the sleeping around thing. The amount of women's beds I weaseled my way into could populate a city block. And then it stopped being fun, and I got so depressed, I just. I don't know."

There's a pause as he stares at his hands, clasped in front of him on the table. "I kind of just cosigned myself to being a 'date to marry' kind of guy after I got bored. The other thing is--when I was sleeping around, I wasn't always. Honest? I was a jackass whose only care was getting his rocks off, so I used to find ways to lie to them and pretend I wasn't a complete stranger; a college classmate, some old coworker, it didn't matter. I'd badger them. Find the right thing to say. And then I could check them off a list."

He grimaces. "Ugh. I still get heebie jeebies thinking about how many consent rules I must've broke. I know I'd do things differently now, of course, but I haven't exactly had a reason to try. I've been kind of scared to, honestly. Having a fling, I mean. Up 'till a year ago I was pretty exclusive."