Window Dressing

When Earl first tried Internet dating, he was surprised and disappointed when he saw the extent to which women were prepared to bend the truth. "Vivacious Red-Head, early 40s" seemed to signify a dead-eyed creature of at least sixty with an ill-advised auburn rinse. "Fun-loving" equated to alcoholic or argumentative whilst "GSOH" seemed to correspond to some sort of mental imbalance.

It didn't cross Earl's mind that he was not completely innocent of deceit. He was a full inch shorter than his claimed 5'6" and his Esperanto would charitably be described as "adequate" rather than "fluent".

Tiring of the deceit, Earl replied to an advert from a woman who described herself as "Widow, 57. Own teeth". It was only after their marriage that he discovered that she was lying about the teeth.