At some point, you may want to introduce your lover to your friends. The more you like your lover, the more the temptation to share the good news with your friends and family. There is also the yenta factor, a.k.a. the busybody factor that involves everyday talking on-and-on about, or asking about things going on in other peoples’ lives.

If you have a lover, that subject beats out the mundane things in life and this means your lover's friends already know a lot about you and yours about them. Yes, you probably told your friends and family everything you know about your lover during your many conversations.

Assuming you really like this person, you are probably not ashamed to have them meet your friends. To the contrary, you can’t wait!

Unless you or your lover is antisocial, you would be expected to put on a good show for all to see. This is much like the first date in that you are usually trying to impress the friends of your lover to gain further acceptance. If you just act like yourself, which is what they fell for in the first place, you should do just fine.

When it comes to meetings there are several options that may arise. You could be the guy meeting your girl’s girl friend. In this situation, it is nice if you would pick up the check for any meal that you have. It is the gentlemanly thing to do. If you are the girl in this situation, it makes you feel proud that you are going out with the type of guy who can afford three Starbuck’s coffees without taking out a mortgage.

If you are going to meet your girl’s guy-friend, you can still pick up the tab on this first meeting; it shows that you’re a sport. If there is a whole group of girls, I would still pick up the tab, but if your girl has you meet a bunch of people, both guys and gals, you can split the check with the guys or the whole group depending on what they usually do. If they offer to treat you and it is a mixed crowd, you can be humble and let them treat you. When in Rome....

You girls have it a whole lot easier. If your guy introduces you to anyone, you just have to be your nice-self and let him or them all pick up the tabs.

That covers the "who pays" etiquette of meeting friends. For much more detail on what to do and how to behave, see the next post on The Introductions.