4 Telltale Signs That You’re His Sidepiece

You’ve always been told to have a backup plan. That’s why you applied to a second-choice college, copied all of your important docs onto a flash drive, saved some coin in case of an emergency, and have kept a few guys on retainer in case your current relationship crashes and burns. Wait, wha??

Romantic “Plan B” options are actually shockingly common. A recent study published in the journal Computers in Human Behavior found that the average woman has about four “back burners”—men she regularly communicates with in case she finds herself back on the market. As for the average taken guy? He has eight (not a typo) potential women-in-waiting. We thought that number was a tad high, so we headed out to Washington Square Park in New York City to ask guys and girls if they kept backburners. Here’s what they had to say:

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So how can you tell if you are some guy’s side piece? The telltale signs below, as our experts informed us, look awfully similar to the red flags of an emotionally unavailable dude. Because, well, he kinda is! (And you don’t have time for that.)

1. He’s dating you, and other women, but says he “can’t commit right now.”

2. He’s single, but he texts you to “hang out” on Friday and Saturday nights. And only after 9 p.m.

3. He’s a longtime bud who vanished after he got a GF. Now that they’ve broken up, he’s resurfaced with a drink invite.

4. He’s in a serious relationship but sends you flirty Snapchats and dick pics. Uncool, bro.

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For more on the different kinds of guys most women keep on stand-by, pick up the September issue of Women’s Health, on newsstands now.