A few years ago a fortune teller told me I would be forced to choose between two men. She didn't say when or who, but she has been right ever since.

When a few callers come around the same time, I feel the need to say "yes."

Sounds pretty good, right? I know I'd rather be singing "It's Raining Men" than "All By Myself," but playing the field isn't always the joy ride it appears to be.

Not only can it be quite tiring, it can be even more confusing. And it never lasts long enough.

LIFE FILES Discuss: Celebrate Unusual Holidays? E-mail: Get Advice Archive: Past LifeFiles

I can't deny inviting more than one guy of interest to the same party. Putting them on the same playing field helped put things in perspective for me, and it meant I never had to pour my own drink. Luckily my house has enough rooms to keep the competitors at a safe distance.

Perhaps that sounds cruel but when you are not sure who you want, playing the maneater never hurts -- especially not the ego.

Sometimes it's just about maintaining a fulfilling love life. When I was dating Jack, I was also dating Jim. It seems that what one couldn't offer, the other could. Jack liked dancing, Jim hated it. But Jim was always up for hanging out in big groups, when Jack wouldn't even consider it.

Neither knew about the other, but neither was asking me for a commitment. Like my mother -- who has been recommending dating around for years -- says, "He doesn't have to know everything." It's not about lying, it's about not revealing it all.

Unless he asks outright, I feel no need to tell someone I'm seeing others. And then he doesn't need specifics, which will not likely help anyone.

While honesty is best, I never forget that if I'm dating others, he is probably too -- at least at the beginning. And I say beginning because inevitably playing the field either ends in a relationship or nothing at all.

More often than not, one person eventually wants to commit, whether it be he or me. Unless the men I'm dating are total duds -- who I and no one should be dating in the first place -- one ultimately shines above the rest.

It is at this point that if you aren't honest, people get hurt, as I have too often learned.

I assumed Alex was up for as much casual fun as I was, especially since we were both dating others. But once he made it clear that he wanted only me, I had to make a decision. I tried to keep both relationships going, but in the end I only hurt Alex, who had more potential than I first thought.

However, just because there is one who will likely hold my attention longest, that doesn't mean I give in right away. It takes time to feel the situation out before you commit -- 6 months to be exact, at least according to my friend Val.

Even when I feel drawn more toward one person, initially I try to maintain dates on the side. It never hurts to have a pinch hitter while I'm feeling out my options. But once you commit to each other, it's time to be exclusive.

In the end, I realize that more-than-one fun is only as good as I make it. It's not always easy, it's not always pretty. But it's not a bad way to spend Saturday nights until someone convinces me to date only him.

Laura Lewis is an adventurous 20-something who knows how to make the most of being single. Her column appears every other Thursday.