Dear Abby: I am a 46-year-old man who has been divorced for six months. I recently moved down to South Florida for a new job. I am trying out the dating scene, but it has been difficult because I was married for 10 years.

Abby, it’s hard to find decent, intelligent women down here. All the women I have dated so far have had breast implants. These not only look strange, but also feel uncomfortable during intimate moments. These women get a lot of looks from other men who gawk at their chests when we’re together.

Would it be wrong of me to ask a woman, say within the first few dates, if her breasts are real? I don’t care if they’re big or small, I just want them real.

—Needs a Real Woman in Florida

Dear Needs a Real Woman: I do not recommend asking women you have just met if their breasts are “real.” It could lead to a punch in the nose. I am recommending you visit some dating sites and, in the area where you are asked to list “interests,” you state “intelligent women who have not had plastic surgery.” I’m sure you’ll find many. Of course, whether you have what THEY’RE looking for remains to be seen.

P. S. One final thought: If a boob job (forgive the vernacular) has been successful, it’s difficult if not impossible to detect. I have this on good authority.

Dear Abby: I am a 13-year-old girl with my own set of problems. I had a horrible childhood, but I love to read.

I read a series of novels that I grew very fond of, but in the last book the protagonist died. I cried. Can you tell me why I’m so attached?

—Teen Reader

Dear Reader: Books can be wonderfully entertaining and informative, and they can also be an escape from reality. It’s possible that you spent so much time in the “world” the author created that the protagonist became like a good friend. You became so emotionally invested that you felt a sense of loss when the character was no more. It means the author did a good job.