Missing the Point: Seeking sex, he unexpectedly found love

by Sam Fresno

Three years after his painful divorce, loneliness prompts Charlie Stevens to place a personal ad in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, seeking a little female softness and warmth, with no desire for a relationship. He is pleasantly surprised when a number of women, including a librarian and a lesbian, a coed and a cop, a socialite and a stripper, a minister and a model, all answer the ad as a means of meeting their own needs. The result is many pleasant and interesting evenings, which tend to push Charlie toward a decision he is not ready to make. Although his basic goals are being met, Charlie finds himself falling for several of the women, who are coming to his apartment with the understanding that there are no expectations about a relationship, which causes increasing confusion on Charlie's part. He loves and loses several good prospects before finally realizing what he's looking for. His unpleasant experience with marriage induces an ongoing internal struggle before he is ultimately forced to decide. Hopefully, the lessons he has learned along the way will help him to not miss the point in the end.

378 pages, Paperback

First published September 3, 2008