Beach in her birthday suit is no joking matter

Q: I promised my boyfriend whatever he wanted for his birthday, and he wants us to go to the nude beach. We are in pretty good shape, and I wear bikinis, but I don’t like this idea at all. If I saw someone I knew, I’d be humiliated. I was hoping it was a joke, but he’s serious. Any solutions?

Mia: The thing about nudist places is that they’re usually full of fat, unattractive people. So he’ll probably be really disappointed, or extra turned on by how hot you are. Either way, you win!

Steve: If you don’t feel comfortable, don’t do it. A relationship is about compromise. Maybe you can wear a skimpier bikini, but he must respect your feelings.

Q: My boyfriend and I have been together for two years. We talked about marriage a lot during our first year together but now not as much. We agree there are some kinks that need to be worked out. We both have been making an effort, and things are improving. He purchased a home and asked me to move in. I have resisted because I don’t want him to delay asking me to marry him. People have told me that statistics show couples who live together rarely wind up getting married, and if they do, it happens years later. Suggestions, please!

Steve: Sounds like you got some bad statistics. I did a quick bit of research and found a study in the 1990s that showed 60 percent of all couples who cohabitate marry within two years. I like your current situation of spending lots of time at his house while maintaining your own place. I am not sure what these “kinks” are in your relationship, but kinks get bigger after marriage. If you can’t resolve those, moving out makes more sense than moving in.

Mia: Basing your relationship decisions on statistics is a bad idea anyway. Only you two can decide what is best for you as a couple. If you want to move forward together, moving in may be the most natural step. But perhaps you should set some boundaries, like living together for six months or a year to see if it helps work out your problems. If it does, you may move on to marriage; if it doesn’t, you might have to just move on.