Amazon 7 #1 June 10, 2004 Interesting article I found... Some guys need all the help they can getGIRL MAGNET By BETH SOBOL It's happy hour, and Midtown bar El Rio Grande is packed. I feel a tap on my shoulder and turn around. "You must be Beth," he says, grinning. "I'm Chris." I smile, relieved - Chris Matthews is tall, blond and (phew) definitely attractive. And for the next two hours, it will be my job to introduce him to every available girl he wants to meet. I'm not his date - I'm his "Wingwoman." It's all thanks to Shane Forbes. The single, 29-year-old entrepreneur realized it wasn't his male friends introducing him to eligible women - it was his female ones. "I'd go out with my female friends and, all of a sudden, I'm meeting new girls I never would have met if I was out with another guy," Forbes said. "When guys are out together, they usually just stand there. But throw a girl in the mix, and they're cooler and much more approachable." Sure, most men probably have a friend they could enlist, but Forbes was willing to bet they'd pay to have someone dedicated solely to the task. Putting his theory to the test, he launched Wingwomen.com this past December. For $50 an hour, a single man can book his own wingwoman for the night. Attractive and outgoing, a wingwoman acts not as a date, but as a social lubricant - helping men mingle with and meet other women. While the price might sound steep, New York bachelors seem ready and willing to pay. Since launching, Forbes has cultivated a loyal clientele of about 60 single men - and counting. He recruits his Wingwomen through ads in newspapers and on Web sites like Craigslist - and so far, most applicants are professional women or students looking to make a little extra money while enjoying a night out. He asks them to send in a recent photo and a description of why they'd make a good Wingwoman, and if Forbes likes what he sees, he contacts them for an interview. While good looks are a requirement, Forbes stresses that a vibrant and talkative personality is vital. In fact, he'll run practice sessions with would-be Wingwomen to make sure their charisma is honed to a tee. And then he'll match them up with one of his clients - paying the Wingwomen $30 an hour for their work. "About half the bookings are one-on-one situations," says Forbes. "The other half are groups of guys who just want a few fun girls to go out with for the night." Men aren't obligated to pay for their Wingwoman's drinks, but Forbes says he's never had a situation where they haven't. Hourly rates? Free drinks? I raise an eyebrow. What keeps a paying customer from thinking Wingwoman isn't a fancy term for hooker? "My mother had the same question." Forbes laughs. "Wingwomen cannot go to your apartment. No hotel rooms, taxis or limos. No phone numbers are exchanged. I've never had a problem with a client misunderstanding the situation." Still skeptical, I accept Forbes' challenge to become a Wingwoman for the night. A Ben Affleck (news) lookalike, Chris certainly doesn't strike me as the type of guy who has trouble picking up women. "I usually don't," he admits, "but I work in a small office and it doesn't give me the opportunity to meet new people." On the recommendation of a friend, he decided to book a Wingwoman. "I don't have any expectations," he tells me. "Let's just have fun and see what happens." We start off slowly, getting to know each other over a round of margaritas. But then I remember why we're here - and that I have a job to do. I approach a young group of women standing at the bar. After introducing myself, I bring Chris over. They're friendly, but wary. Finally, one pulls me aside. "Why on earth," she asks, "are you introducing your boyfriend to a group of girls?" I explain that he's not my boyfriend. While most Wingwomen simply say the client is a "friend of a friend," I decide to go a step further and tell them he's a family friend who I've known for years and love like a brother. And that nothing would make me happier than finding him a nice girl. With that, the floodgates open. The same girls who were suspicious at first are now smiling warmly at him. They're asking him where he works, where he lives and what he's doing later. Eventually Chris turns back to me, beaming. "Let's do shots!" "Thanks," I demure. "But I don't need a shot." "A Wingwoman," he informs me, "does shots." Then I noticed Chris eyeing two pretty blondes standing on the patio. I go over and compliment one on her outfit. With the connection made, I call Chris over and introduce him, using my good family friend line. Within minutes, the four of us are chatting away. I am amazed at how natural it all seems. One of the women has a boyfriend. The other, however, definitely has her sights set on Chris. I glance at my watch. It's 9:30 - half an hour past the two hours Chris booked. "I had a blast," he tells me. "I will never leave my Wingwoman behind again." As I dash into a cab, my cell phone rings. It's Forbes calling to follow-up, as he does with every booking. I tell him I left Chris flanked by the two blondes. "Nothing wrong with that," he laughs. It's not customary for Wingwomen and clients to stay in touch, but I'm not an official Wingwoman and, more importantly, I'm dying of curiosity. So I call Chris a few days later to dish. Turns out, he just had his first date with the blonde we met at the bar. "We had a good time, we're getting to know each other," he tells me. "You did great! I would definitely use a Wingwoman again." Forbes says most men come out of their Wingwomen evenings with at least one new phone number. No permanent love connections have been made yet, but that hasn't stopped many of his clients from returning. Apparently they, like Forbes, think that when it comes to finding romance, it's best not to fly solo. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
genoyamamoto 0 #2 June 10, 2004 Ok. I've got to get me one of those. Gotta go... plaything needs to spank me Feel the hate... Photos here Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
genoyamamoto 0 #4 June 10, 2004 cd /pub more beer Gotta go... plaything needs to spank me Feel the hate... Photos here Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
aprilcat 0 #5 June 10, 2004 With the connection made, I call Chris over and introduce him, using my good family friend line. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Isn't this AKA 'ditch the bitch'? I didn't know this was a PAID position for 'talking up' your good friends. I got some numbers to crunch-it seems like "Binks' owes me some big $$$~~LOL~~April Camelot II, the Electric Boogaloo! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Amazon 7 #6 June 10, 2004 QuoteIsn't this AKA 'ditch the bitch'? I didn't know this was a PAID position for 'talking up' your good friends. I got some numbers to crunch-it seems like "Binks' owes me some big $$$~~LOL~~April Who woulda thunk it.. hell I have been doing this for years... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wlie 0 #7 June 10, 2004 QuoteI smile, relieved - Chris Matthews is tall, blond and (phew) definitely attractive. BUT!!!! He's got DanDruffMy other ride is the relative wind. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ACMESkydiver 0 #8 June 10, 2004 I used ta do that all the time...~Jaye Do not believe that possibly you can escape the reward of your action. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
