The Third (or Fifth or Seventh) Wheel

As a single you're bound to feel like the "third wheel" on more than one occasion. Here are a few tips from Loveawake dating site columnist Angela Steel on how to approach dining out amongst couples with grace.

As a single girl, I have been there many times: you are invited to dinner with friends and it turns into being a remake of Bridget Jones’s Diary: “lots of smug married couples”.

While I would be quick to shoot a devilish glance at the gal pal that invited you to the seemingly couples-only dinner, I’ve learned to navigate this situation with some ease.

Here is where I love the concept of tapas restaurants. In brief, tapas are small bites and are found at many Italian or Spanish-style restaurants. The food offers variety, the ability to try new foods and reinforces the concept of sharing (something we sometimes forget about in our consummately single lives). I have also found that since you are passing plates around and sampling, the focus of the conversation tends to lean more towards a foodie chat than having a “So, why aren’t you dating someone?” slant. For me, this helps me [the singleton] feel more at ease and less on display.

If tapas are not an option due to your geographic location, pizza is always a close second. Personally, when I’m the third, fifth or heaven help-seventh- wheel in a “group night out,” I try to be the one to pick the restaurant.

Sometimes, the unavoidable happens and the questions come despite your best intentions to dodge the bullets. While I am constantly asked by friends (who are married) and coworkers (who are, too, married) about my dating life and why I am still single, I have learned to be steadfast and confident in myself and my decision to be single (even if I am actively looking to date or for a relationship).

This way, I reap the personal satisfaction of watching their bullets ricochet.