Random Questions to Ask a Girl
For anyone who wants something to say to a girl right now, with no lead-in: a lull on a date, a walk between classes, a text thread that has gone quiet. The 102 random questions here run in the order you would use them, in six groups: quick ones, this or that, favorites with a twist, odd what-ifs, random ones that turn out to say something about her and a few about the two of you. Every one is clean, and each has a short note on why it works out of nowhere and where it usually leads.
Want questions from the whole vault instead? Try the random question generator.
The questions
Each question, and why to ask it
Quick
What is the last song you played, and would you play it out loud in a full room?
Why ask it
Everyone has a last song, so there is nothing to think up, and the second half turns it into a small confession. Proud answers get you a recommendation, and guilty ones get you the story of why that song, today.
What food would you never get tired of, even as dinner every single night?
Why ask it
Most people answer this one fast, because they already eat it more often than they admit. The useful follow-up is where the best version of it is made, which may be a restaurant or may be her grandmother's kitchen.
What useless talent are you secretly proud of?
Why ask it
'Useless' lowers the bar, so she offers the tongue trick or the perfect cartoon voice without worrying about sounding boastful. If it can be shown where you are standing, ask for a demonstration and have one of your own ready.
Are you a morning person, a night owl or just tired at both ends?
Why ask it
The third option is the honest one for most people and usually gets the laugh. Her answer also tells you when to text and when to leave her alone, which is worth more than it sounds.
What is your middle name, and do you like it more or less than your first?
Why ask it
Middle names tend to come from a grandparent or a compromise, and people have firm opinions about theirs. If she has none, ask what she would have picked, and give up your own whatever happens.
What is your karaoke song, even if nobody will ever hear you sing it?
Why ask it
The escape clause matters, because plenty of people have a song and no intention of performing it. Why that one? It tends to be tied to a car, a friend or a year. Do not push her to sing it unless she offers.
What food combination do you love that makes other people pull a face?
Why ask it
Fries dipped in a milkshake, pickles with peanut butter, ketchup on something that never asked for it. Promise to try hers before you judge it, then put your own strange one on the table.
What is the funniest thing a little kid has ever said to you?
Why ask it
Kids hand out insults and compliments with the same straight face, and nearly everyone has been on the receiving end of one. It goes best with someone who has younger cousins or babysits, because she will have several to choose from.
What is your smallest, pettiest pet peeve?
Why ask it
Keeping it small keeps it funny: loud chewing, slow walkers, people who say 'no offense' first. Agree loudly if you share it. If you are guilty of it, confess now, before she notices on her own.
How many alarms does it take to get you out of bed?
Why ask it
One-alarm people and seven-alarm people regard each other with real suspicion, so pick a side and say so. The number usually comes with a story about the morning it all went wrong.
Who is the most famous person you have ever met, or at least stood near?
Why ask it
'Stood near' is there so that a glimpse across an airport counts. These encounters are nearly always awkward, and what she said, or failed to say, is the story.
What is the oldest thing you own that you still use all the time?
Why ask it
A hoodie from middle school, a chipped mug, a backpack that has outlived three zippers. Old objects come with a history attached, so 'where did it come from?' is all the follow-up you need.
What show did you finish most recently, and did the ending earn it?
Why ask it
Asking about the ending gets an opinion instead of a title, and people with opinions about endings can go for a while. Stop her before she spoils anything you plan to watch, and take the recommendation seriously if she gives one.
What do you always end up buying at a gas station or corner store?
Why ask it
Nobody plans a gas station purchase, so the answer is pure habit: the same gum, a specific blue drink, a bag of something sour. File it away. Turning up with it one day costs two dollars and says you listened.
What is the last thing you got far too excited about?
Why ask it
Small things count most here: a parking spot, a package, a show getting another season. What thrills her on an ordinary day is a quick read on what she is like, and it costs nothing to be glad along with her.
What was your first concert, or the first one you begged to go to?
Why ask it
The begging clause is for anyone who has never been to one. First concerts are rarely cool, and a parent is usually standing somewhere near the back of the story, so ask who took her.
What is your zodiac sign, and do you believe a word of it?
Why ask it
Believers will explain themselves through it and skeptics will explain why it is nonsense, and both are happy to talk. Whichever she is, the next question is which trait of her sign fits and which one is flat wrong.
What do you have more of than any one person needs?
Why ask it
Mugs, candles, tote bags, pens that came home from somewhere: almost everyone is running a collection they never meant to start. Get the count, then the one she would keep if the rest had to go.
This or that
Dogs or cats, and which one do your friends say you act like?
Why ask it
The first half is the oldest small talk there is, and the second half is the reason to ask it anyway. Plenty of dog lovers get told they are cats at heart, friendly on their own schedule, and that tells you more than the pet does.
Coffee, tea or neither, and how early do you need it?
Why ask it
Simple enough to ask in a hallway, and the answer hands you something practical: what to bring her, or what to suggest doing. 'Neither' people usually have a replacement they are just as loyal to.
Chocolate or fruity candy, and is the other one even candy?
Why ask it
People are far more loyal about this than about anything important. Let her insult the other side for a bit, then get the exact one she would pick out of a whole bowl.
Big city, small town or the middle of nowhere: where would you be happiest living?
Why ask it
Plenty of people love visiting a city and would not last a month living in one, so make her choose a place to stay. Her pick is often either what she grew up with or its exact opposite, and which of the two it is makes a good next question.
Summer or winter, and what would you miss most about the other one?
Why ask it
The trade-off makes her say something nice about the season she rejected, which is more interesting than the pick. You tend to hear about a particular lake, a particular coat or the one snow day she still remembers.
Sunrise or sunset, and when did you last really watch the one you picked?
Why ask it
Sunset is the common pick, mostly because it does not need an alarm. The honest part is the last time, since few people can remember one they stopped everything for. If she names a spot, that spot is worth a question of its own.
Pool, lake or ocean: which one do you actually get into?
Why ask it
'Actually' separates swimmers from people who sit near the water with a towel and a snack. Ocean answers come with waves, lake answers with a dock she jumped off as a kid, and sooner or later somebody mentions what might be touching their feet.
Movie at home or at the theater, and do you talk during it?
Why ask it
Choosing between the couch with a pause button and the big screen with popcorn is the easy part. The talking half matters more, since a whisperer and a shusher ought to find out about each other before they share an armrest.
A big birthday party or one good dinner with your four favorite people?
Why ask it
It is a gentle way of finding out how social she is without making it sound like a test. Someone who picks the dinner starts naming the four at once, and someone who picks the party will tell you about the best one she ever had.
Front seat of the roller coaster or holding everyone's bags at the bottom?
Why ask it
Both jobs are honorable and she will know hers instantly. Riders have a favorite ride, and bag holders have a story about the one time they were talked into it, so there is a follow-up either way.
Do you eat the best bite first or save it for last?
Why ask it
You can ask it over any plate and then watch whether she told the truth. Anyone who saves the best bite has probably had one stolen by a brother or sister, and that grudge is worth hearing about.
Read the book first or watch the movie first?
Why ask it
Works on readers and non-readers alike, because 'neither, I wait for someone to explain it' is also an answer. Find out which adaptation got it right and which one she is still annoyed about.
Do you answer a text in ten seconds or ten hours?
Why ask it
Useful to know before you read anything into a slow reply. People in the ten-hour camp nearly always explain that they answered in their head, and you can tease that gently without turning it into a complaint.
On vacation, are you the one holding the schedule or the one asking what we are doing today?
Why ask it
Planners and wanderers each think the other is doing vacations wrong. Go after the trip that proved her right, or the one that went sideways, and trade it for one of yours.
Flying or being invisible, and what is the first thing you do with it?
Why ask it
The classic superpower pair, and the first errand is the real question. Flying mostly gets spent on skipping traffic and invisibility on eavesdropping, so if she picks the second, ask whose conversation she would walk in on.
A day in the year your grandparents were your age, or a day a hundred years from now?
Why ask it
Going back is about seeing something with her own eyes, and going forward is about learning how things turn out. Either way, what would she bring home? The souvenir is often funnier than the trip.
Would you want to talk to animals or speak every human language?
Why ask it
Two good gifts, so the choice comes down to what she wants more: to hear what her dog thinks of her, or to order dinner in any country. Whichever she takes, the thing to learn is where she would use it first.
Ghosts or aliens: which are you more ready to believe in?
Why ask it
Neither is a fair answer, but most people lean one way, and the lean comes from somewhere: a creaky house, a strange light over a highway, an aunt who swears by her story. Get the story and keep your own doubts gentle.
An extra thousand dollars or an extra week off?
Why ask it
Small enough to feel real, unlike a lottery question. Her pick hints at which she is shorter on right now, and what she would do with the money or the week is a second conversation waiting behind the first.
Favorites
What movie have you seen more times than any other?
Why ask it
The count is the fun part, so get a number even if it is a guess. Most-watched is rarely the same as best, and it is usually tied to a sibling, a sleepover or a stretch of sick days.
What is your favorite ice cream flavor, and what do you get when they are out of it?
Why ask it
The backup is the twist: it shows whether she plays safe with vanilla or gambles on something new. You also leave knowing two orders, which is one more than most people ever ask for.
Which holiday is your favorite, and which part of it could you happily skip?
Why ask it
Everyone loves a holiday and resents one piece of it: the cleanup, the long car ride, the same uncle telling the same joke. Keep it light, and if the day sounds complicated for her family, move on to the food.
What is your favorite smell that has nothing to do with food?
Why ask it
Ruling out food gets you past cookies and bacon to rain on hot pavement, sunscreen or the inside of a hardware store. Smells belong to places, so the natural next question is where she is standing when she smells it.
What was your favorite cartoon when you were little, and how much of the theme song is still in there?
Why ask it
Cartoons date a childhood to the year, so you learn roughly what her afternoons looked like. If she hums even two bars, join in if you know it. If you do not, have her explain the plot, which never sounds sane out loud.
What is your favorite cereal, and at what hour do you really eat it?
Why ask it
Cereal is at least as much a midnight food as a breakfast one, and asking about the hour gives her room to admit it. Loyalty runs deep here, so expect a ranking you did not ask for.
What was your favorite class in school, and which one would you have dropped on the first day?
Why ask it
The favorite is usually down to one good teacher and the reject to one bad year, so both arrive with a person attached. If she is still in school, ask it about this semester's schedule.
What is your favorite animal that would make a terrible pet?
Why ask it
The catch pushes her past dogs and cats to otters, giraffes and the occasional octopus. Walk through one day of owning it, starting with where it sleeps.
What is your favorite color, and what was it when you were seven?
Why ask it
The plainest question on the page, and the seven-year-old is what makes it worth asking. Favorite colors change with ages and phases, and the old one usually comes with a bedroom wall or a pair of shoes she will describe.
What is your favorite board game or card game, and what are you like when you are losing?
Why ask it
The game tells you little and the losing tells you plenty. Expect either a calm claim that nobody who knows her would back up or a proud confession about a flipped board, and suggest a round sometime so you can see for yourself.
What is your favorite place to eat that has no business being as good as it is?
Why ask it
This gets you the taco truck, the counter inside a grocery store, the diner with one great thing on the menu. It is also a ready-made suggestion if you ever need somewhere to go together.
What is your favorite day of the week, and which one would you delete if you could?
Why ask it
Friday and Saturday are the expected answers, so a vote for Thursday or Sunday morning deserves a follow-up. The day she would delete tells you what her week is built around.
Who is your favorite fictional character, and would the two of you get along in real life?
Why ask it
People admire characters they could not stand to share a kitchen with, and she will usually admit it. A good second question is who from the same story she would really be friends with.
What is your favorite movie snack, and do you share it or guard it?
Why ask it
Share or guard is a small character test she will see coming and enjoy anyway. If she shares, she will want credit for it. If she guards, expect rules, usually involving a line down the middle of the bag.
What is your favorite place you have ever been, and what did you eat there?
Why ask it
Food makes a travel memory specific, so you get a street and a meal, not a list of sights. It works just as well when the place is a town two hours away or a relative's kitchen.
What if
If you won a million dollars tomorrow, what is the first slightly ridiculous thing you would buy?
Why ask it
Everyone has heard the lottery question, so skipping the sensible answers keeps it fresh. A hot tub, a pony and front-row seats for all her friends are typical, and each one tells you what she thinks fun looks like.
If you could invite anyone to dinner, alive, long gone or invented, who gets the seat and what do you ask them first?
Why ask it
Naming a hero is easy and talking to one is not, which is why the first question matters more than the guest. Once she has it, guess what the answer would be and see whether she agrees.
You are stuck on an island for a month and can bring three things. What are they?
Why ask it
A staple because it sorts people in seconds: survivalists pack a knife, optimists pack a hammock and somebody always tries to bring a boat. Rule on whether the boat is allowed, then defend your own three.
If you had to spend a whole year in one place you have only seen in pictures, where would it be?
Why ask it
A year is long enough that a pretty beach will not do, so she has to imagine a rainy weekday there too. What she pictures herself doing from day to day says more than the name of the place.
In a scary movie, are you the one who checks the basement, the one who says 'we should split up' or the one who left town an hour ago?
Why ask it
Leaving town is the sensible pick, and the basement is the honest one for anybody who cannot ignore a noise. Go on to cast the rest of the film from her friends, and let her decide what role you get.
If you were locked inside any store overnight, which one do you hope it is?
Why ask it
It is an old sleepover daydream, so she has probably thought about it already. A bookstore, a candy aisle and a furniture department make for three very different nights, so have her walk you through hers hour by hour.
If you could trade places with anyone famous for one week, who is it and what do you do with their Tuesday?
Why ask it
Asking about an ordinary Tuesday keeps it from being a question about fame. You hear whether she would go for the stage, the kitchen staff or just the swimming pool.
If you got one extra hour every day that nobody else had, what would you use it for?
Why ask it
Sleep is the first answer nearly every time. Accept it, then offer her a second hour, because that one goes to the thing she wishes she had room for.
If you could un-invent one thing, what would disappear?
Why ask it
Answers range from the petty, like leaf blowers and group projects, to the surprisingly serious. Follow her lead on which kind of conversation it becomes, and put forward your own nominee.
If you could be any age for a whole year, which age do you choose?
Why ask it
Some people pick an age they are waiting for and some pick one they miss, and the reason is the real answer. If she picks an age she has already been, you get to hear what was so good about that year.
If you could put one made-up holiday on the calendar, what are we celebrating?
Why ask it
A made-up holiday is a wish list in disguise: what people eat, whether there is a day off, who has to show up. Pin down the date and one tradition, then promise to observe it.
If you found a door in your home that had never been there before, would you open it?
Why ask it
It sounds like the start of a scary story, so her answer shows how curious or cautious she is in about four words. Whatever she says, the follow-up is what she hopes is behind it.
If you could get the true answer to any one mystery, what would you want solved?
Why ask it
Some go big, like what is at the bottom of the ocean, and some want to know who took their sweatshirt in ninth grade. Both are good answers, and the small ones nearly always come with a suspect.
If you got to set one law for the whole world, but it only lasted until midnight, what is it?
Why ask it
The midnight limit keeps it playful: everyone naps at two, no phones at dinner, compliments are mandatory. The rule she picks points at something that bugs her or something she wishes there were more of.
If you could shrink to the size of a mouse or grow as tall as a building for one afternoon, which would you try?
Why ask it
Neither option is useful, which is what makes it easy to answer. Shrinking usually means an afternoon exploring under the furniture, and growing means wading across the nearest lake, so request the full itinerary.
If one object had to go into a capsule to explain humans to aliens, what would you send?
Why ask it
She has to decide what sums people up, and the answers are funnier than the premise: a TV remote, a birthday cake, a group chat printed out. Argue for a different object and see who gives in.
If you could have one thing back from your childhood bedroom, what would you want?
Why ask it
A stuffed animal, a poster, a lamp shaped like something: people remember that room in detail. If you had the same thing, say so. If you did not, make her describe it until you can picture it.
If you had to compete in the Olympics next year, which event gives you the best chance of not finishing last?
Why ask it
'Not finishing last' turns bragging into comedy. Curling and race walking get chosen a lot by people who have tried neither, so inquire about the training plan.
If you could be instantly great at one thing with no practice at all, what would you pick?
Why ask it
It is a wish with the hard part removed, so she names what she really wants to be good at: drawing, a backflip, parallel parking. Has she ever tried learning it the slow way? That story is usually a good one.
About her
What was the first job you were sure you would have when you grew up?
Why ask it
Vet, astronaut, cashier because of the beeping scanner. Small-kid ambitions are sweet and a bit absurd, and the gap between that job and what she wants now is an easy next question.
What tiny thing can turn a bad day around for you?
Why ask it
It reads as random and gives you something you can use: a certain song, fries, ten minutes outside, a dog on the sidewalk. Remember it. Of everything she tells you from this list, it is the answer you are most likely to need.
What is one thing on your bucket list that would surprise your own friends?
Why ask it
Asking for the surprise gets you the unexpected one, like racing a go-kart or seeing a certain animal in the wild. Find out how close she has come to doing it, and resist telling her how it should be done.
What is your guilty pleasure, the show, song or snack you would rather not explain?
Why ask it
Giving three categories lets her choose a safe one. Do not make her defend it. Admit yours straight away, since the point is to be embarrassed together.
What is the best advice you were given that you actually took?
Why ask it
'Actually took' filters out the poster slogans. The answer usually arrives with the person who said it, a coach or a grandmother or an older sister, and that person is the better subject.
What is your most irrational fear, the one you know is silly and have anyway?
Why ask it
'Irrational' keeps it to moths, escalators and the deep end of the pool. If she names something heavier, drop the joking tone and do not push for more.
You wake up and the whole day has been canceled. What do you do with it?
Why ask it
A free day shows what she would choose with nobody to answer to, and that is as close to 'what are you like' as a random question gets. Notice whether the day has people in it or is gloriously empty.
What is something you made with your own hands that you are still proud of?
Why ask it
A birdhouse, a scrapbook, a cake that leaned but held. Describing a thing she made puts most people in a good mood, which makes this handy when the talk has gone flat. See if there is a picture.
What were you completely obsessed with for one year of your life?
Why ask it
Horses, a boy band, one video game, making bracelets. Old obsessions are safe to laugh at and she will still know an alarming amount about hers, so request the single best fact.
Who is the first person you tell when something good happens?
Why ask it
You learn who matters most to her without asking anything heavy. Let her talk about that person, and notice that she has also told you how she likes to celebrate.
What opinion of yours is completely harmless and still starts arguments?
Why ask it
Think 'cake is overrated' or 'the beach has too much sand'. Argue back for a round because she expects it, then give her one of yours to attack.
What do you do when you cannot fall asleep?
Why ask it
People have routines they have never said out loud: rearranging pillows, replaying old conversations, designing a house they will never build. It is a quiet question, better for the end of the night or a late text than a loud room.
What did you think was overrated until you finally tried it?
Why ask it
She gets to admit being wrong about something that does not matter, like sushi, hiking or a show everyone kept recommending. Somebody talked her into it, and whether they have been unbearable since is worth knowing.
What chore do you secretly not mind doing?
Why ask it
Everyone complains about chores in general, and almost everyone has one they find oddly calming, like folding towels or washing a pan by hand. It is a small, true detail about how she lives, and it settles who does what if the two of you ever cook something.
When your friends need something, what do they come to you for?
Why ask it
Rides, advice, homework help, the snacks in her bag. It is how she is seen by people who know her, told without any bragging, and you can follow it with whether she likes the job.
What dream have you had more than once?
Why ask it
Plenty of people have a repeat: the test nobody told them about, the teeth falling out, the house with an extra room. Leave the interpreting alone and compare notes, since yours is probably just as strange.
What is one thing you think everybody should try at least once?
Why ask it
She gets to recommend instead of explain herself, which people enjoy. Whatever it is, a food, a hike, a terrible old movie, saying you would try it is the best possible reply, provided you mean it.
About us
What was your first impression of me, in three words?
Why ask it
Three words keeps it short enough to be honest and kind at once. Take whatever comes with good humor, do not fish for a fourth, and give her three back.
What do you think I am secretly terrible at?
Why ask it
Inviting her to tease you tells her she can, and the guess shows how she has read you so far. Confirm or deny honestly. Being bad at parallel parking has never cost anyone a second conversation.
Guess my order at a diner. How close can you get?
Why ask it
A guessing game needs no warm-up and puts the attention on you for a change, which gives her a rest from answering. Tell her how near she was, then guess hers and expect to be wrong.
If we had one free afternoon and twenty dollars between us, what are we doing?
Why ask it
The budget keeps it silly and takes the pressure off, since nobody can plan anything grand for twenty dollars. If her idea sounds good, say so and suggest doing it for real, but only if she seemed to mean it.
Which of us is more likely to say hello to a stranger's dog before the stranger?
Why ask it
It puts the two of you on the same sidewalk without saying so. Whoever she names, you hear how she is with strangers and with dogs, and the next dog you pass together settles it.
Which of us would last longer without a phone?
Why ask it
A friendly contest with no way of checking, so both of you can be completely confident. Find out what she would miss first, then propose a very short trial, like the length of a meal.
If we swapped playlists for a day, which song of yours would I be least ready for?
Why ask it
She gets to warn you about her own taste, which is more fun than being asked to defend it. Have her send that song, listen to it properly and report back.
What movie would you make me watch first?
Why ask it
The movie she picks is the one she most wants someone else to love, so treat it as a recommendation with feelings attached. If you have seen it, say what you thought. If not, you have an easy plan.
Which of us is the better cook, and how would we prove it?
Why ask it
The proof is the point, since it nudges toward a cook-off or at least a debate about whose grilled cheese wins. Lose the argument on purpose if you have to. The claim matters less than the rematch.
What are the two of us most likely to argue about: the music, the thermostat or where to eat?
Why ask it
Three choices make it a pick and not an accusation, and her answer shows what she has already noticed about your taste. Take the charge with good humor and settle it on the spot if you can.
When did I last make you laugh, and was it on purpose?
Why ask it
Only for someone you have already had a few conversations with. It reminds her of a good moment and lets her tease you about whether you meant to be funny.
What should we try that neither of us has ever done?
Why ask it
It works because it is equal: nobody is the expert and nobody is being taught. Small answers are best, like a food neither of you has had or a game neither can play, and they are easy to follow through on.
What is the most random thing the two of us have ever talked about?
Why ask it
For a thread or a friendship with some history. She will name a conversation you had forgotten, and picking it back up is often easier than starting something new.
What question have you been wanting to ask me?
Why ask it
Hands her the next turn, which is polite after you have asked a string of your own. Answer whatever comes as honestly as you would want her to, and if she has nothing, say the offer stays open.
How to ask a random question so it does not feel random
Practical guidance for the conversation itself
Asking out of nowhere
Keep the lead-in to two words
'Random question' is all the warning anyone needs, and often you can skip even that. Do not apologize for the question or explain where you found it. A question asked plainly sounds like curiosity, and one that comes with a long wind-up sounds like a script.
Have your own answer ready
Before you ask, know what you would say. If she hesitates, go first and keep it to a sentence. If she answers straight away, give yours afterward without being asked, so it is a trade and not an interview.
One question, then follow her answer
The second thing you say should come from what she said, not from the next line of this page. Each note suggests where an answer tends to lead. Three unrelated questions in a row feel like a quiz, and one question with two follow-ups feels like a conversation.
Let her pass
A random question is an offer, and she is allowed to turn it down. If she says 'I don't know' or changes the subject, let it go and do not ask it again later. Nothing here is important enough to press.
Remember what she said
The answers are small on purpose: a gas station snack, a karaoke song, the thing that fixes a bad day. Their value shows up a week later, when you mention one. That is what turns a random question into proof that you were paying attention.
Which group for which moment
A lull on a date
Reach for This or that or Favorites. They can be answered while looking at a menu, and several can be settled with what is on the table. Ask one, give your own answer and let the ordinary conversation start again from there.
A walk between classes
You have about ninety seconds, so use Quick. The question should fit in one breath and so should the answer. If the bell cuts her off, you have a reason to pick it up next time: 'you never told me the karaoke song'.
A text thread that has gone quiet
Send one question from Quick or What if in place of 'hey' or 'wyd'. Choose one she can answer in a line, send it by itself and give it time. If there is some history between you, the last few in About us are written for exactly that kind of thread.
When it is already going well
About her and About us are for after a few easy ones have landed. Go in that order. The questions about the two of you assume she is enjoying the conversation, so wait until she is asking things back before you try one.
When a random question falls flat
She gives you one word back
Give your own answer with a little more detail and see whether she picks it up. If she does not, stop there. A second random question fired straight after a flat one makes the silence louder.
She wants to know why you are asking
Tell the truth: you ran out of ordinary things to say and wanted to hear her talk. Most people find that more likable than any question on a list.
A light question lands on something heavy
A song, a holiday or a small fear can turn out to carry weight for her. Drop the playful tone, listen and do not rush to the next one. You do not need to fix anything or offer advice. Being easy to tell things to is enough.
She starts asking them back
This is what you were hoping for. Answer properly and at some length, since she picked the question for a reason. Once both of you are asking, put this page away.