Love and Sex Advice to Live By

"The very first time my man-friend came over to chill at my house, I purposely wore my super-granny housedress because I wanted to see whether he was attracted to me without the bells and whistles. He still told me I looked beautiful. That proved that he wasn't just out for sex and that he liked me no matter what I was wearing."

— Andrea Boston, 26, Baltimore

"If I tell a guy she's my favorite author and he asks, 'Who's he?' he'll never hear from me again."

— Andrea Boston, 26, Baltimore

"I hate relationship games, but in my experience, you have to play it cool early on. If you show too much enthusiasm, he'll run away. If you make him sweat a little, he'll do the opposite."

—Andrea Boston, 26, Baltimore

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"I've run into a lot of superficial guys who are obsessed with so-called 'good hair', so I quit straightening mine before first dates. Any potential partner needs to know who I am and what my thick, naturally curly hair looks like unprocessed. If you're not down with my 'fro, you're not down with me."

— Andrea Boston, 26, Baltimore

"I just don't like the feeling of being 'courted.' I want to feel like we're getting to know each other, not that he's trying to impress me."

—Aja Worthy-Davis, 25, Brooklyn

"I go low-cut when I hang out with someone I'm excited about. Wearing a slightly revealing top is my way of saying, 'This is, in fact, a romantic date.'"

—Aja Worthy-Davis, 25, Brooklyn

"In college I went out with a guy who made a snarky remark about Jewish people on our first date. Because I was young and idealistic, I explained that my grandmother is Jewish and that I didn't appreciate the comment. Today I would just get up and walk out."

—Aja Worthy-Davis, 25, Brooklyn

"We don't have to stare into each other's eyes silently for 20 minutes, but if you can't look at me for more than a second, you're probably hiding something."

—Laura Smith, 26, New York City

"If a guy shows up at my house uninvited, I'll tell him, point-blank, that it's unacceptable, and I'll ask him to leave. Stopping by unexpectedly doesn't make him a sweetheart. It makes him a stalker."

—Laura Smith, 26, New York City

"If he looks good on paper but I'm not immediately attracted to him, I'll still give him a try. And if he isn't perfect on paper — but I still feel the spark, I won't just throw him away."

—Laura Smith, 26, New York City