After months of telling my friend about the prospective men I could introduce her to - she flew over to Milan this weekend to take in the sights and what we hoped would be the dates of Milan.

I had lined up two possiblities - the first a very successful dentist and the second, a friend of a friend, who happens to have a castle. Friday night was dentist night - so off we trotted only to arrive at our destination to find dentist arm-in-arm with another woman - who not only was very beautiful and sophisticated but we are led to believe has her own jet too. Needless to say the dentist was removed very quickly from our prospective date list.

Slightly alarmed at the levels of competition - I assured my friend that Saturday night's date would be much more successful. Comforted by this, we consoled ourselves with the free-flowing wine celebrating the couple's new-found amore and a free dental appointment.

Saturday morning arrived and with it, a text that certainly wasn't in the language of love.

CAN I BRING MY GIRLFRIEND?

Confused I wondered if cupid's arrow had hit the whole of Milan last week without me being aware? Only last week no-one had a girlfriend and yet a week later suddenly everyone appears to be in love, and jetting across oceans to be with each other?? In desperation for my friend's sanity and fearing yet again for my Italian (had these men really said they were single??) I texted him back saying I had six chairs, hoping he would ditch the girl and turn-up regardless. His reply however confirmed what my poor friend suspected the evening before - the dating game had shifted, and to another and scarily superhuman level.

SORRY, I REALLY LIKE HER AND DON'T WANT TO LEAVE HER ON A SATURDAY NIGHT. SHE IS AN EX-MODEL, RUSSIAN AND NOW PLAYS AT THE SCALA.

All the possible words the jilted woman never wants to hear...

Ex-model = Very, very beautiful

Russian = Very very, very beautiful and in control

Plays at the Scala = Not only beautiful but ridiculously talented as well

Needless to say, my friend has now flown back to London and is considering studying Mandarin/for an MBA in the hope someone will buy her a drink.

Discover more about how falling straight into a man's arms at

http://www.swide.com/luxury-magazine/en/History/

Behind-The-Seams/Absolutely-flawed/2008/06/19/

The match-maker at behindtheseamsgirl@gmail.com