The quest for the perfect summer lover

Summer is finally here. This means of course sun, sand, water and fun. 'Tis the season to look fabulous and, for those of you who are bored or heart-broken, it's time to look for a "summer lover": nothing serious, just to chase the blues away.

When going hunting for a summer lover, one must keep a few things in mind: never fall in love with the guy, because statistics say it loud and clear - only 5% of summer romances last. Play it cool, look gorgeous and have a blast.

But, first of all, you must know how to spot the right specimen, the most likely to make a great summer lover.

There are two categories of would-be summer flings. First comes the happily-married man, in his forties, with a couple of children and a flourishing business. He loves his wife, but he has reached the mid-life crisis and now he's looking for some "fresh meat." He will never even think about divorce, not only because he loves his family, but also because a divorce would mean he must split his fortune in two. However, as you aren't looking for marriage, he will do. On the positive side, he has lots of money, he is not cheap and he will take you very nice places. It's like a business - you both know what you want and in the end you can part with no hard feelings. On the negative side, don't do it if you have scruples related to his marital status - you don't wanna have nightmares starring his wife and children.

We'll disregard the sleezy, dirty old men, and we'll move directly to the youngsters. They just graduated from high school or they are college students, working at the seaside to earn their keep. The advantages: they are young, they look good and smell good. They don't have any money to buy you expensive clothes or to take you to ritzy restaurants, but at least they are very sweet, puppy-like. However, one must avoid the spoiled brats, racing with their obscenely expensive cars (a Porsche or a Corvette are a must), taking everything for granted, and treating the not-so-rich with tonnes of contempt. Don't even think about Cinderella - they are not prince-charming material.

In order to go by the old saying and catch more flies with honey, try to adopt a killer look, the "bitch of the beach" type: an itsy-bitsy all-revealing tiny bikini, a glossy magazine (not a book because it makes you look like the "don't-touch-me-don't-even-talk-to-me" type). Sip your ice tea with an obvious look of satisfaction on your face and then, when you finish it, look around helplessly and pouting. Learn how to make an impression - go bathe when most people are on the beach, but don't go too far, giving them the chance to admire your perfect tan and not only.

Your motto: have fun!