Boy Meets Girl: Snaring a good'un

Sep 3 2008 Playing the dating game with Ed Saunt and Vicki Eltis

Ed and Vicki consider how their friends help or hinder them in the search for love.

Ed writes: When I discussed my love life with our relationship counsellor a few weeks back, we agreed the way I was most likely to snare a good’un was through my mates.

Particularly since finishing university and trying my luck in the big wide world, the chances of finding a top-notch girl amongst the throngs on a night out seem to have diminished.

The sort of muck you find frequenting Clapham on a Saturday night generally doesn’t cut the mustard so one always must keep a lookout for classic friend-of-a-friend.

However, with my mates it can be a little tricky. A lot of my friends are single and, the girlfriends of those who are not, are often sensible enough to have more male friends than female, causing a paucity of girls in our groups on a night out.

So I benefit from fewer giveaways – girls with whom no ice-breaking is required due to mutual acquaintances.

The ultimate consequence of this is that when I do come across someone who seems to fit the bill, I have to make that extra effort and put myself out there to make sure she doesn’t slip through my fingers.

Such a situation reared its head this weekend when I came across a girl in a bar who I quickly convinced myself was the love of my life.

Keen to bide my time to make a move, we shared a little eye contact before she suddenly disappeared.

Devastated, I left the bar with my mates, only to see her walking down the street in opposite direction.

Not having the luxury of knowing I could see her again or asking go-betweens what she thought of me, I had to act.

I chased her down the street, tapped her on the shoulder and said, somewhat childishly: "Sorry to chase after you but I think you’re really pretty."

She smiled and replied: "I’m really sorry but I’ve got a boyfriend. You’re really cute though."

I was crestfallen. Damn random girls. If only she’d been a friend-of-a-friend, I would have known the score and avoided a big embarrassment and a tiring sprint.

Vicki writes: My family and I were invited to Becky and Mark’s wedding.

Becky is my friend Lucy’s sister and we have known the family for years. But everyone I knew who was going was coupled up so I thought I was going to stick out like a gooseberry.

There was my mum, my brother, my sister, two friends and then Lucy and all her family. But at least I knew who I could dance with Lucy’s granddad Albert of course!  I knew he would be straight up on the dance floor, because despite being 90 years old there is still plenty of life in him yet.

So as the sit-down meal was eaten and tables cleared away Albert and I headed to the dance floor so we could ‘dance the night away.’

I think we were one of the first up. A photographer who was snapping away got some great photos of us too. Thank you Albert, you helped me get into the swing of things.

Later after having a break and milling with other guests I spotted an old friend, ‘G,’ a friend of Lucy’s brother. So I went over to say hi.

He was a gentleman (just like Albert). We spent ages talking about what we’d been up to and discovered we both went to the same university so there was plenty to talk about. He was also looking very handsome.

I was quite gutsy when I said to him "I’m glad you’re here I was wondering what I’d do when the slow songs come on. Now you can have a slow dance with me!"

Of course there was also Albert. ‘G’ laughed but promised he would dance with me for one song, only.

After a couple of drinks he danced with me to a couple of tracks and I have to admit we did share a kiss.

He took my number and I’m hoping he’ll stay in touch.

Just goes to show though I shouldn’t have worried.