The Complications of Sex & Money

by Cathi Hanauer and Daniel Jones

Question #1:
I recently went on a date with an amazing woman—but at the end of the night, I discovered that she’s a terrible kisser. Is this a sign that we shouldn’t get more physical, or can I “teach” her to improve her technique?
-Sean, 29

Her Take: You won’t really know whether she can learn to kiss until you take a shot at teaching her. (Also, of course, there’s no one “right” way to kiss.)

And if she’s that amazing otherwise, it’s probably worth the effort—it might even be sexy to try. If she can relax and you can tactfully communicate what you like, things could improve dramatically.

On the other hand, one of my ex-boyfriends kissed by essentially vacuuming my entire face into his throat. While I got him to adjust the slobber meter slightly—by saying, gently and in the heat of the moment, “Kiss like this,” then demonstrating—his kisses never melted me (though they definitely almost drowned me).

Moving on to someone who could kiss was like waking up to sparkling sun after two years of rain. Considering that … perhaps, yes, you’re better suited as friends.