I don’t need a boyfriend. But I do want sex. Those two thoughts are not contradictory.

Why can friends with benefits feel “just right”?

It may involve less entry into everyday life than a romantic relationship, while offering more familiarity than a one-night stand. You know the person. You may know the chemistry. Yet you are not building a conventional relationship.

But an ideal arrangement requires many things to line up: security, cleanliness, compatibility, privacy, distance, time, communication frequency and, above all, shared expectations.

I like him. He likes me. We both want the same kind of relationship, and the timing is right.

Free does not mean cost-free.

There may be no explicit price, but there is still time, scheduling, communication and consideration. Chapter 03 looks at those invisible maintenance costs.