Date ‘Em All!

While there will be times when your diary is as barren as a desert and you find yourself accepting almost any invitation at others there’ll only be one word to describe life: mantastic!

Dating two, three, or four, or more, people at once is not for the faint hearted. Skittering from date to date with an ever-changing cast of hotties will take all your skills to keep things from spiraling out of control. So take a deep breath and read on…

The key to multiple dating is honesty. While you and I both know you’re going to make each lucky man feel as special as a first born baby, you need to let each of them know they are not alone. It’s just the done thing. Some douches will run to the hills calling you a hussy, but the smart ones will breathe a sigh of relief knowing they’re not your only source of entertainment.

As for attempting to split your time evenly between each beau, well – it’s impossible and unnecessary. There are some people you will want to see once a month and others twice a week so don’t feel guilty about having favourites. Everyone has their purpose, you included, and whether that’s a geeking out over Paul Pope or a sweet sweet arse to tap, it’s a valid one.

There are some downers to dating multiple people at once and one is the immense amount of organisation it requires. Although your menfriends know they’re not alone it’s unlikely they’ll want to bump into each other while you’re around.

This is where your super organized side comes in: date boys from different parts of town, colour-code your diary, and vary what you do and where. If on the crazy off chance you do cross paths take a deep breath, smile, and try to think what Joan Holloway would do. And that would not be stand frozen in time, smiling awkwardly.

Speaking of awkwardness, sometimes four need to become one. While I’m sure everyone you’re sticking it to (or not) is a smart, sensitive, mega hunk, some are bound to be hotter and brighter than the others and so at some point you may find yourself wanting to become a one man woman. Whatever you do, do not ditch the others without a backward glance. No matter how little you cared for them they are people with real feelings and they deserve a little courtesy. Oh and FYI? Finding out they’re no longer in the running via Facebook doesn’t count. Be a woman not a coward! The guilt and weeks of weepy 4am phone calls should be deterrent enough.

But hey, it’s all fair game, and once you all know the rules you can all play along happily. So whether you’re getting on, or off, the honky-tonk merry-go-round remember: be honest, plan ahead, and keep it casual. The world is your oyster so go ahead and shuck it!

Kissing photo by Terry Richardson, Photo of Brigitte Bardot & Jane Birkin by unknown.