The Strawberry Letter: How Important Is Conversation When You’re in Love?

Dear Steve and Shirley,

My boyfriend is the sweetest person I’ve ever dated. We met when he picked me up from the airport in his SUV. I had just moved to Alabama, and my company hired him to be my driver until my car was delivered. He showed me around the city and introduced me to some of his female friends, but they weren’t the kind of women I wanted to be associated with. They were big weed smokers and drinkers, and I’m more laid back. I needed someone to hang out with, so the driver was always available to go to dinner, festivals, and movies with me.

He’s a Southerner, so I had to get used to how he talked. After a few weeks of being in a new city, I needed sex, so I invited him to spend the night. When I tell you this guy knows exactly what to do in bed, he showed no mercy, and I was hooked. It was hard to go a day without him, so he started staying at my house every night. We don’t talk much, but we have a lot of great sex, and he’s been gracious with money and doing things around the house.

I was bragging about him to my sister, and she asked if I was talking about “the dude that sounds like he rode the short bus.” She FaceTimes with him a lot and always jokes about how he talks. He’s a fast talker but at times hesitates when he forgets what he’s about to say next. He laughs at himself when he does it, so it’s never been a big deal to me. I’m falling in love with him, so does it matter what other people think? Do his good qualities override how bad he sounds when he talks?