Romance Briefs

Romance Briefs: What Friends are for

She knows me better than I know myself

She had been prodded, more than gently encouraged and finally, threatened by her girlfriend to post a profile and picture on a dating site. She wasn't officially divorced yet, that would require her to move the ball forward and she just didn't have the will...at least, not yet.

"No, no and...well, maybe" said her girlfriend reading over her pre-posted profile.

"Why, what's wrong with it?" she said genuinely surprised, "it's an honest assessment...isn't it?"

Her girlfriend lowered her head so that she could give 'the look' over her reading glasses.

"Too honest?" she said catching 'the look'.

"Honest isn't the word" her friend said dryly, "pitiful is more like it. Here, let me write it."

She didn't resist. She knew her lack of self-esteem had led to marrying the wrong man, even though she did have a beautiful 4 year old girl as a result.

A few minutes later, her girlfriend started for the kitchen. "I'm getting a beer, is that all right?"

"Sure, get me one while you're at it. Are you done yet?..."

"Babe, you have been launched."

"What? What did you write?" she quickly sat down behind the computer in somewhat of a panic, but before she could read what her girlfriend wrote, a reply popped up on the screen.

"I really like your style. What a profile...and I'm sure you're even more attractive than that great shot of you wiping your daughters face with your sleeve...at least I'm assuming that's your daughter."

"What did you do??" she shouted towards the kitchen, "and, where did you get that picture?"

Her friend returned with 2 cans of beer. "Just roll with it...Oh, I see you've got a gentleman caller. That didn't take much time." She handed her a beer and sat down in front of the computer, gently shoving her to one side of the chair. "Let me look at his profile before you do anything."

They read it together as she pulled up a second chair. There was the typical mention of age, weight, height and occupation; then, at the end was the key phrase. "I'm looking for love."

"There", her girlfriend pointed at the words.

"What about it?"

"It's a plea. I wrote in your profile that you were capable of loving, nothing more...and of course that picture of you wiping your girls face with your sleeve. We got what we were looking for."

"What are you trying to do? I don't get it."

"Find you someone who'll appreciate you; something you've failed miserably at, if you don't mind me mincing words. Look at him; he's got lower self-esteem than you."

"How can you tell?"

"Tentative smile; looking for love...pretty obvious."

"This is ridiculous" she half protested.

"I'll tell you what's ridiculous; your choice of men. You are extremely capable of loving...you need to find a guy who not only wants it, he is aching for it."

She knew her girlfriend was right. This kind of moment of realization was not what she had expected, but she felt grateful that her girlfriend knew her well enough to bring her to it...and using a dating site! It was a stroke of shocking brilliance!

"What do I do now?"

"If you like how he looks, write him back...but let me see what you write first, you're not quite ready to go solo."