Teenager raked in £12,000 by being paid to go on dates with men after struggling to pay her rent
DATING is hard work, it can be so time consuming - especially when it turns out that you actually don't even fancy each other.
Enter the 'professional dater' such as Sophia Chartreuse, who made a living through paid dates.
Now 23, Sophia was wined and dined to the tune of thousands.
After moving to New York when she was just 19, Sophia joined WhatsYourPrice.com to help her pay the rent.
In one year on the paid dating site the photographer had banked over £12,000 ($15,000).
For each first date she made roughly £80 ($100) and once was even paid £240 ($300) to be taken out.
The Portland, Oregon, native even claimed it was a fun way for singles looking for Valentines dates to find someone.
Sophia said: "My friend told me about it and I had to try it out.
"I was curious, impulsive and had champagne taste but a beer budget.
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"Also I was in New York and felt like I couldn't afford to really experience New York.
"I remember being really awkward about it at first.
"I was 19 and trying to make an impression on people double my age, it really tested my social skills.
"I'm fairly introverted and generally not that good with people, and doing this really forced me out of my shell which was cool.
"I think in the beginning most of the dates were day-time coffee dates, like really short ones - probably because I was so awkward. But they got a lot better and more adventurous.
"I went on a ton of dates."
Sophia explained how people on the site offer women cash to take them on the first date.
She said: "Well the site is set up so people send you offers.
"Usually somewhere between £40 ($50) and £160 ($200) with the average being £80 ($100).
"The highest offer I received that actually panned out was £240 ($300).
"It was this business guy visiting New York and just not wanting to go out alone I guess."
Sophia said the money allowed her to save money for a deposit, as well as finance her fast-paced lifestyle in the city.
Although Sophia is single, she claims she still keeps in contact with some of the people she met on the site.
She added: "Even though it was kind of superficial, it got me through and kept me entertained.
"I still talk to a handful of the people I met on there, it's kind of crazy.
"I went into it with a fake name and everything and ended up with some not so fake friends."
It's just as well Sophia Chartreuse didn't listen to the controversial dating expert who, last year, claimed that 'if you wanted a man to pay the bill on your date you should have sex whenever he wants'.