XKris: You're not supposed to be practical about love, is my point. I swear it's like we're from different worlds sometimes.
Lena: Imagine.
Kris: Besides, look what practical got you. Holden.
Lena: Holden doesn't prove anything. I made a mistake, that's all.
Kris: A priggish, overbearing mistake who acted like he was doing you some kind of favor --
Lena: Well, he was. I'm poor. You can pretend it don't matter, if you want, but enough times playing like there's some question who picks up the check and you'll know. Holden was gracious. That was enough.
Kris: And he graciously made it clear what coin he wanted paying back in, I'm sure --
Lena: Oh, for God's sake, Kris. If I hadn't wanted to sleep with the man I wouldn't have let him buy me so much as a drink. That was never the problem.
Kris: Then what was?
Lena: ... He got -- pushy. He didn't like you. Or this other friend of mine he met when he visited me at work. Or my work. Then I didn't appreciate him taking care of me like he expected, and... I probably should have quit then, but I hate scenes. They take so much energy. But once he cracked my alpha code he figured out I was just ignoring all his prohibitions, and, well, that made things a lot clearer, at least. It was easier once I didn't have to feel bad about it.
Kris: Bah. I still say he was bad in bed.
Lena: As you like.
Kris: And it's not like you told me any of this. The first I knew about it was when you sat beside me in that godawful Communities class, and instead of glowering he avoided us both like the plague. And you'd done whatever it was to your face...
Lena: Walked into a door.
Kris: Right. That was a really bad time to get clumsy, you know. I had this whole list of rebound candidates for you.
Lena: About us living in different worlds....