Friends

"You hate parties?"
"Yes."
"Really hate them?"
"Having them, yes."
"Can I....". My friend paused. "Would you think I was interfering if I offered to help?"
There was a pause while I raised my eyes to the ceiling and thanked whoever was up there for putting this person in my path at this particular moment (I`m referring to something celestial, incidentally; not the guy that lives in the flat above me).
"I would not think you were interfering, no."
"Because I love parties. I love everything about them. I love hosting them, and organising them, and arranging them, and decorating for them, and cooking for them."
"You`re weird."
"So are you."
"Excellent. Want to have my party for me?"
"In your house?"
"Yes. And I will pay for it."
"Yes, please."
"Fantastic."
Then we continued eating dinner: each of us very, very satisfied with the outcome of the conversation.

And that, in a nutshell, is why it is a terribly good idea to make friends as quickly as possible, and as intelligently as possible. I think I did a particularly excellent job in picking this one. And an even better job in being picked by her.