His eyes were blue and his hair was brown. He had the physique of a gymnast and the brain of a doctor. On our drinks date I thought to myself, "Could this be the mysterious Mr. Right I've been searching for?"

Halfway through my third drink, I found out he wasn't. Someone else had beaten me to the punch three years earlier. With the air of someone saying he'd bought a new pair of shoes, he casually told me that he was in an open relationship. He even used hand gestures to drive the point home. Clearly I was not the first person he had explained this to over drinks before. 

Bummed at missing out on having a future with him before we'd even had a past, I decided to find out how his particular scenario works. An open relationship, or 'honest cheating', is where one or both parties have sexual encounters outside of their relationship. Some leave kissing out, while others opt for the anonymous sauna or beat approach.

I had to ask my date why. His answer was the most interesting part of my education. Apparently, it's better to be honest and not do it behind your partner's back. You can't get all your sexual needs from one person. Relationships are for two people, but having sex with others at the same time equals a happy and lasting union.

Or so I was told. But can you really leave emotions out when sleeping with someone else?

This all depends on your own judgement and circumstance. Whether or not an open relationship is good is debatable, but obviously it's not for everyone.

If you are considering going down this path, talk it over at length with your partner. The problem may be something that can be fixed without seeking fun elsewhere. Perhaps you could try some new bedroom moves, or maybe a holiday could add a bit of spice. Open relationships come about because you're in a routine and want to break it - keeping the cake and having the baker.

So think before you open the door to more people in your relationship, because what really annoys me is that now when I go on dates, apart from getting their name and occupation, I now have to check if they're single.

By KLINTON PORTER