When the contract is ready, send it to the other party. The other party will examine the contract to ensure that the terms suit them. In some cases the other party will sign and return the contract right away. More often, he or she will respond with a counteroffer. If there is a counteroffer, be sure to read any changes carefully and decide whether they are acceptable before you sign.  If you want to speed things along, you can include a date by which the contract should be either accepted with signature or rejected. Without such a stipulated date, the other party is obligated to respond "within a reasonable amount of time," but this is highly subjective. You can revoke an offer that has not yet been accepted.  For example, if you present someone with an offer, and he is considering it but has not accepted the offer, you can tell him that you have changed your mind. However, once the offer has been accepted, you've entered into a binding agreement. It's common for parties to pass a contract back and forth making changes until both parties are satisfied with the terms.  The parties are welcome to change the contract in any way they want, so long as the other party sees the changes and has the opportunity to respond. Make sure that you are completely satisfied with the terms before signing the contract. It is very important to read through the whole contract just before signing it to ascertain that there are no changes  added without your knowledge. After signing, you are legally obligated to perform under the terms of the contract. After signing the contract, you are legally bound by its terms. If one party does not do what is specified in the contract, the other party has legal remedies and can sue. The courts can either try to enforce the contract or award monetary damages. Any ADR options listed in the contract are also available to dissatisfied parties. The legal system will usually support contract terms, however, and can be used against a violator.

Summary: Make an offer, and consider any counteroffers. Negotiate until an agreement is reached. Understand your liability.


Being indifferent is all appearing as if you don't care one way or another. To keep up that impression, it's important not to give away your feelings on your face. If your words are, "Oh, that's slightly interesting," you won't look indifferent with raised eyebrows, eyes aghast, and mouth hanging open. It's not about reacting negatively or positively or even not reacting. You're still present; you're still an alive human being. It's just about hearing or seeing something and taking it in calmly and definitely not taking it personally. Sort of like every reaction you have when your little sister's friend starts talking about her potato chip addiction. Mild curiosity at best. So you've got the facial expressions down -- now it's time to make sure your body matches what your face is saying. Turns out most of body language is just that -- the body. Even if your words and your face scream "I couldn't care less" but your body makes it clear you're uncomfortable, you're no longer indifferent. You should have a relaxed, open position at all times. Like you're watching a decent movie. You're still engaged, but you're comfortable and stress-free. And if you're trying to convince your crush you're indifferent, hanging on them is not the way to mask your body language! Too much of indifference can easily be mistaken for aloofness, being cold, or being just plain negative. That's not what indifference is about! You're still open, welcoming, and receptive -- it's just that you don't care whether people come to you to be welcomed or not. You'll do your thing regardless -- in fact, if no one were in the room, you'd be behaving the same way. Because you're an observer, you have no reason to close yourself off. Even if your significant other is yelling at you, keep your arms uncrossed and your legs unfolded. This is just a display of their need to control and you'll address it when you can get a word in edgewise calmly. You're still hearing what they have to say, you're just hearing all the levels to it and putting it through an objective analysis. Some of us want to be indifferent to achieve some sort of self-satisfaction. We want to get back at an ex, prove to our boss/parents/siblings just how much we don't care, etc. If this is your case, don't enjoy it too much! That will give it away that your indifference is a facade , a show. You're no longer indifferent; you've become a phony.

Summary: Keep your facial expressions to a minimum. Don't let your body give you away. Stay open and receptive. Don't enjoy it too much.


Part of a no-strings-attached relationship means that you are free to see other people. Don't forget this important perk. If you're only hooking up with one person, it may turn into a real relationship. If that's not what you want, then keep a look out whenever you're out at a bar or a party. Don't just wait to get a text from your hook up buddy, but look around and see if there are any other options for you. You can hang out with your friend with benefits, but you need to make it clear that it's not a date. For one thing, you should spend more time in bed together than out of it. You can go out for a drink -- but not for dinner. Try to make your place as inhospitable as possible so your hook up buddy doesn't want to linger in the morning.  If your friend does stay the night, don't fry up some pancakes in the morning, or give her a kiss goodbye. Be nice, but not loving. Don't do things a real couple would do, like go on a mini-vacation, go grocery shopping, or go on double-dates with your friends. Don't go clothes shopping together, and don't bring your "friend" as a date to a wedding or a party. Don't get gifts for the person you're hooking up with, or call him or her just to chat. Keep your distance. Don't see the person more than two or three times a week. The joy of a friends with benefits relationship is that you can still have enough time to pursue your own goals, whether it's grad school, your love for painting, or just all of the fun times you have hanging out with your friends. You can keep hooking up with your friend while having plenty of time to do all of the things you love during the day. There are three main reasons that a friends with benefits relationship ends: one person gets too attached, one person finds someone else he really wants to date, or both people just get bored and want to move on. The fourth reason is that there is a natural time-based end to the relationship, such as the end of a summer, the end of a long trip, or that one or both people is graduating.  Once you have a feeling that it may be over, then it's over. If you set the ground rules early on, then it shouldn't be too painful to have a conversation about ending the non-relationship. And in the rare event that you and your hook up partner have fallen for each other, just sit back and enjoy the ride.
Summary: Don't forget to see other people. Keep it casual. Keep doing your own thing. Know when to say goodbye.