"Hey, Donna!"
"Oh, hey, Chad!" (Cartoon hearts bubble up)
"Hey, Donna, I was wondering…?"
"Yeah, Chad?" (Heart, heart, bubble, bubble)
"…if maybe sometime you would…"
"Uh huh?" (Tiny hearts appear in her eyes)
"… give me Janet's number?"
Poof! Hearts burst, green slime oozes out.

You can feel Donna's pain, can't you? What is up with that? Don't guys know that — unless it was their idea in the first place — women hate to be the middle man? Well, guess not. So how do you deal when guys hit on your friends? It's not easy, but it's your game face that'll keep you in the game.

Beware the curse of the "buddy"
Okay: Jeaneane Garofalo in The Truth About Cats and Dogs. Any questions? If you've ever been in the shadow of an Uma, you've known the sting of being the cute and accessible sidekick. She's the one guys want to go out with; you're the one they want to… talk to.

But wait. You've got a role in setting your tone, you know. No, you don't have to change your entire wardrobe or your height. But if they "buddy" you, you don't have to "buddy" back.

And remember, they're approaching you because you're approachable. Time and again, guys ogle the Umas, but approach the Jeaneanes. Just wait. Or make the first move before they make the wrong one. After all, who wound up with the guy in Dogs? (Not to mention the best sex scene?)

Flirt first or fold
Sure, watching guys brush past you to brush up against your friend is not a huge confidence booster. But you have two better options than feeling lousy.

One: Brush back first. You might trigger thoughts he hadn't noticed before. After all, guys can be thick, but their skin gets pretty thin… when touched.

Two: Let him go. You could flirt first, but if you feel like you're gonna have to wave your arms around — or trip him — just to get him to notice you, take a deep breath and forget it. That's time you could be spending being flirted with by a guy with better taste.

Allow for the unexpected
Some guys never outgrow the old "use you to get to her to get to you" trick. It's a variant of the "talk about exes or crushes with your crush" flirtation technique; it gets them to think of you as a dateable entity. So always keep your mind open, your patience intact — and above all, your confidence up. The very guy you might be writing off as he writes down "Janet's" number might actually be thinking "Oh, Donna!"

Time to reach out for your Romeo with a quick search, ladies! Don't wait around: Search for local singles today!