Well, and I don't mean to sound like I have the guts of Zaynab and barbie, but Fine 4s can't you just do like Zaynab said in her post--I'm not sure if it's this thread or the other one (I'm tag team thanking both) that men do. Actually, IIRC some of your posts I think you do. You don't have to sleep with or have serious romantic dinners with dudes, but don't cut off your male friends and if they wanna have lunch, have lunch. If you go to a work event and somebody comes up to you trying to "network" and you know it's because of the dress you have on and not because he's interested in your work then take his card and network and don't lie or make out with the man but just...know him. If your SO says, "I know somebody tried to ask you out today," just smirk confidently and change the subject. Like, you really are keeping your options open, and you he knows it and you know it, but you aren't necessarily dating multiple men. You just have a full Rolodex.
What Barbie and Zaynab are saying makes perfect sense to me and I've seen it play out well for women who use their approach, while other women of a similar age get the "bitter" label only because they've given too much of themselves. I'm exclusive with my SO right now (he's talked about elopement and I've said that I would need an engagement and a ceremony because I'm Queen Drama so we'll see how that works out) so I can't claim to just be acing their method. I know that if it's at my own risk that I take myself "off the market"; I'm lazy and I really just like spending time with him so I'm willing to take that risk but I'm not going to sit here and say that I don't understand why they would advise women to date around. It makes perfect sense. I will say, that in the spirit of what they're saying I work out and keep myself up (ain't no comfortable love weight going on over here; he asked me to share some ice cream with him last night and said "it's okay if you get fat." I said "I'm not keeping myself up just for you :") and there are plenty of guys (not guys that I want. I wants my man. But guys that will do just fine and that keep me feeling myself ) that ask "are you still with the boyfriend? Just checking " To my amusement, even his colleagues, as I mentioned a couple of posts back, have started to let him know he has competition.
So I said all that longwinded stuff to say, everyone's not going to be a G like Zaynab and barbie, but you can still keep your options open. Keep those cards. Have business lunches. Look cute. Don't let that man talk you into getting all comfortable with the love weight. And then if you and him don't work out, at least you won't be like "oh, crap! What now? "
No. Everyone is not gonna be G. You can't wake up like this, I was born this way. Barbie too. I also married my ex's best friend--so I've been a bawse for awhile *shrugs*