The Twelve Dates of Christmas

by Jenny Bayliss

Kate was not the kind of woman who needed a man. But equally, she thought she might quite like one.

‘A man is like an optional extra: you should only take one on when it is beneficial to do so. It’s like refraining from the fourth plate at the all-you-can-eat oriental buffet,’ Kate continued. ‘Just because it’s there, doesn’t mean you have to have it.’

‘Dates are not relationships. Dates are the prelude to a relationship. You go on the dates first to see if it’s worth pursuing as a relationship.’