Sharon Naylor - Love Bets: 300 Wagers to Spice Up Your Love Life

LOVE BETS

300 WAGERS TO SPICE UP YOUR LOVE LIFE

SHARON NAYLOR

Copyright 2009 by Sharon Naylor.
All rights reserved.
This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher; exceptions are made for brief excerpts used in published reviews.

Published by
Adams Media, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
57 Littlefield Street, Avon, MA 02322. U.S.A.
www.adamsmedia.com

ISBN 10: 1-59869-577-0
ISBN 13: 978-1-59869-577-9
eISBN: 978-1-44051-516-3

Printed in the United States of America.

J I H G F E D C B A

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
is available from the publisher.

This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information with regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional advice. If legal advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought.

From a Declaration of Principles jointly adopted by a Committee of the American Bar Association and a Committee of Publishers and Associations

Interior illustration rudi ornetsmller / istockphoto.com.

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FOR JOE

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

The couple that plays together stays together.

L ook in any how to keep your relationship strong book or article, and youll see plenty of advice on keeping things fun and spicing up your love life. Novelty is a key ingredient in a healthy love life, and so is laughter. Plenty of it. Sharing experiences and interests also rank high on the relationship longevity list, whether youre in a fresh, new relationship, a longtime dating relationship, engaged, newly married, or married forever.

So where do you get all this novelty, laughter, shared experiences, and spiciness? From making romantic wagers! As a couple, youll bet on everything from the outcome of the Super Bowl to who gets voted off American Idol to who gets drunk and sloppy at the company holiday party. Ive collected 300 different wagers for you both to use over time, in any situation from sporting events to vacations to lazy Sundays when you have absolutely nothing going on. And if youre partnered with a sports fan, this wager plan is a great way to share his or her favorite pastime in a whole new way.

Romantic wagers can bring new life to the things you share together as a couple. They can also get you through some of the less pleasant things in life like the annual, required family vacation or a five-hour drive to one of your friends weddings. Or a dinner party at his mothers house. That way, you can walk into his mothers tension-filled obligatory dinner party knowing that you have a bet on whether or not shell mention one of his ex-girlfriends. When she does, instead of fuming, you know that you have a box of Godiva chocolates coming to you. The bet allows you both to laugh off the social gaffe instead of fighting about it. Romantic wagers, then, can add humor to the minefields of your social and family obligations.

If youd like your partner to get involved in the activities you love, but you just havent found a way to entice him or her, perhaps a few romantic wagers will add that element of friendly competition that will engage interest. For that art exhibit youd like to attend, the wager might be: If theres a canvas that displays a female nude, I will pose nude for you as you draw or paint a likeness of meno photographs allowed. That, and the fact that there will be free wine and snacks at the gallery should add a new dimension to your night out.

Of course, romantic wagers are just for fun. They are never to be used to manipulate your partner, make them uncomfortable, humiliate them, or prey on a weakness or insecurity. Theyre also not for financial gain. This isnt gambling were endorsing here, and at no time should a wager be: Youll pay off my Visa bill. Ive collected hundreds of tame, romantic, and racy wager payouts for you to consider, and theres space at the back of this book for you both to record your own ideas. And its a rule of this book that either player can veto any suggested bet or wager. Youre not adversaries, trying to get something out of your partner through a crafty twisting of a fun game; youre introducing Love Bets into your everyday routines, special events, and outings as a way to add a fresh level of enjoyment to your relationship. Through them, youll be reminded of your partners adventurous, daring, or silly side, an impressive skill in cooking or artistry, and yes, a sexy side that you might not have seen or acknowledged much in the recent past.

Romantic wagers wake you both up to the many different facets of your personalities, through play and delicious anticipation, creativity, and the relationship-enhancing bonus benefit of displaying integrity. You made the bet, you keep it.

Youre also showing your partner how much you care by crafting personalized bets and wagers that reflect your knowledge and love of the person youre involved with.

And of course, if youre not in a committed relationship right now, but are in a place in your life where youre going on first, second, or third dates, even blind dates, where conversation can get a little awkward at times, specially selected romantic wagers can break the ice, show your personality, and even better, reveal your dates personality. If he cringes at the idea of making a little wager on something going on around youname the next song the cover band playsthen you know he doesnt share your same playful nature. If youre hitting it off, the romantic wager game can go on for hours... and often becomes one of those things that carries on through your next few dates as a way to play, laugh, challenge each other, and enjoy the date even more.

So now you know what this book can bring into your relationship, and that you can customize the level of romantic or racy wagers you have in mind. But I also encourage you to write in this book and make it a keepsake of the wagers you make with each other. Underneath each bet, write down the date and any details about how you used it, who won, and what you wagered. Doing so makes this book a keepsake of your relationship, something to look back through on an anniversary and relive your playful pastime and saucy suggestions. The written record can up the ante on your love life by challenging you to get even more creative, even sexier or more indulgent with your wagers, repeat your favorite bets, and even pull you out of any months-long ruts where youve both been too busy with work and stress to really connect. Hey, remember this book? Remember when we went to the art gallery? Lets start doing these again.

Then youre back to adventure, novelty, creativity, and surprising each other with your personalized wager deliveries. Youll be laughing together again in no time, and someones going to be washing someone elses car with their shirt off really soon. Which could inspire another wager: How long until the neighbors call the cops? Just kiddingno wager should ever put you in danger or break a law. (Are you listening, those of you who are thinking, Sex in public places!?) Racy is always way better than raunchy, and the last thing I want as a result of this book is photos on the Internet that would prevent you from running for public office someday.

Make this book a keepsake of all the fun, romantic, and racy wagers youve made with one another. Include the date, where you were, what the bet was, and who won. Get ready to play together and stay together for a long, long time to come!