Dear Cheryl: I'm a single woman in my mid-30s. Nine months after ending a three-year relationship, I joined an online dating site.

After a few months I met someone I clicked with. He was an educated, professionally successful man, also in his mid-30s. After a few weeks of emails and phone calls, we decided to meet.

It was quite enjoyable. We continued to talk, meet for coffee, etc. but we never went out on a real date. Then he disappeared for a while. He did this a few times, always using some personal crisis as an explanation. Then he disappeared for six months. When he resurfaced, he told me his dog had died.

Sad, right?

Not really, since he had told me that his dog died several months before, too. And he only had one dog. He told me the same story about the same dog that he had told me before. I told him the jig was up, and I haven't heard from him since.

I have a dog who I adore. The thought of losing him brings tears to my eyes, and I can't imagine lying about something like that, no matter what the circumstances. Who lies about their dog dying? — Dog Lover

Dear Dog Lover: The same guy who used to say his homework was late because his grandmother passed away. Not only is he a liar, he's a lazy one. Too lazy to make up a new story. Good riddance. And next time, take your clues early. Anyone who makes a pattern of disappearing and then resurfacing with the excuse of some personal tragedy is pulling a fast one.

Dear Cheryl: I'm 53 and divorced for seven years. I finally met a woman three years ago who was kind, successful, beautiful, intelligent, and wonderful to be around. But she made it clear shortly after we met that she just wanted to be "friends." I've never had a true friendship with a woman, so I asked a woman I know if she had male friends. She said yes but that she wouldn't date them even though most wanted to date her. She said women don't want to date guy friends because if they do and the relationship doesn't work out they'll lose a friend. Do women really think like this? — Harry

Dear Harry: Let's start at the beginning. Most (but not all) single women want to have a romantic relationship. So if you meet a woman and she tells you she wants to be "just friends," what she's really telling you is that she feels no chemistry with you and there's no chance for a relationship. So, it's friendship — take it or leave it.

Now, say you're already friends with a woman and you find yourself attracted to her. You tell her how you feel and you say something like, "Let's go on a real date and see if something happens."

If she thinks she might be attracted to you, she says, "OK!" And the game is on.

But if she tells you she doesn't date friends because she doesn't want to lose a friend if the dating thing doesn't work out, what she's really telling you is she doesn't feel any chemistry toward you.

I'll bet if your acquaintance were attracted to any of her guy friends, she'd date him in a minute. Ask her and let me know.

Got a problem? Send it, along with your questions and rants to cheryllavinrapp@gmail.com. And check out my new ebook, "Dear Cheryl: Advice from Tales from the Front."