Dear Qi: Double Dating Disaster

Dear Qi,

I recently went to church for the first time and had to fend off all the church girls that were hitting on me! So, I picked my two favorite candidates and went on two dates this past weekend. I have a packed schedule so I arranged to meet Date #1 at 1pm and the next at 2pm, both at Starbucks in Sanlitun. The first date went well, but the second date didn’t happen. You see, at 2pm sharp, the two ladies bumped into each other, started arguing, and eventually left in separate directions, leaving me to drink my coffee alone. Did I do something wrong and how do I patch things up? Should I take them both out for dinner? Do you think I should go to church again?

Signed,

Dating Disastrously

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Dear Dating Disastrously,

Tis’ true then, that church is the new club! To make a long answer short: yes, you did do something wrong. Several things, in fact. There’s nothing wrong with a little “comparison shopping”, but poor logistical planning is what landed you in the middle of this church catfight. (FYI, you should be glad that the ladies argued with each other and left you to your coffee… it could easily have been a hot cup of cappuccino in your lap). Cardinal Rule: don’t pluck two roses from the same garden. That is, don’t simultaneously date more than one girl in a small group of friends, the same office space or sorority house, so on, so forth. These are recipes for hair pulling and nail scratching disaster. In your case, that means don’t play around where you pray. If you are going to break the Cardinal Rule, DO NOT schedule your dates in the same place, on the same day, an hour apart! And if you’ve blundered into doing all of the above, for St. Peter’s sake, at least watch the time! The best thing now is to apologize to each girl SEPARATELY and ask for a chance to make it up to her (in the singular, for neither one will let you off easy if she catches you two-timing again with the same girl). As for church, go back if you’re feeling spiritual, but stay out of the pews if all you want is to scope out the talent.

Best,

Qi