Would you rent a date?

Being the only unmarried person in the office sucks sometimes. If you aren’t dealing with smug married people, you are avoiding the talk about your love life. Why are people so curious about single life anyway?

I can’t help but feel like some sort of weird museum exhibit being watched and marveled at: “Here is a single black female in her 40s. Despite her spinster age, she manages to get through her workday without collapsing in a ball of tears at her single status.” I am exaggerating of course, but you get what I’m saying, right?

I digress.

My friend Deirdre has a work function coming up and she really want someone to escort her. Sadly, she has few prospects – none of which she would trust around her boss yet. She joked about needing a rental center for dates.

We laughed but I sort of wondered if people would rent a date! I am inclined to bribe a guy friend with free food and game tickets because I am cheap and fear strangers. I like the idea of having a date on retainer though! Is this something that a booty call, friends with benefits arrangement could do too? What do you think? Are you ever in need of a date for escort purposes only? Minus the sex, of course. That would be illegal.