Shelly's Story
— -- Shelly -- the poster girl for female sexual liberation -- finds the Internet to be the ideal place to satisfy all of her needs. "You can get a couch, you can get a bike, you can get a boyfriend, you can get laid," Shelly, 37, says. She sees herself as both a female dynamo -- invoking Mae West's, "I'm more woman than you can handle and more man than you'll ever be" -- and an honest, and even romantic woman simply being upfront about what she wants. She believes "when you meet the right person you'll know," but until then, "I would rather have nothing than settle for something, because I am worth it."
Shelly's definition of Mr. Right -- and her lifestyle -- varies quite a bit from the norm -- she posts ads in search of men, women, and couples. A well-written response and an appealing picture might win one night of no-strings-attached sex. "Why waste time at a bar when you can basically just order it up?" she asks.
Shelly is flooded with responses from men seeking exactly what she's offering, but she doesn't always get what she's looking for. Shelly's imposing personality and self-described "sexy and juicy" looks make even the most confident men timid in her presence. "There are a lot of men who say they desire a woman who speaks her mind, who's sexual, who's outgoing, who does all of these things," Shelly says of the men she meets, "but then they're like, oh, I can't deal with that. If I happen to find it all, great," she says. "But I seriously don't think I would find somebody who encompasses everything that I want." Will Shelly's Internet search turn up someone more man than she is? And if she finds a man worth pursuing, will be able to set aside her wild ways?
ABC's documentary series "Hooking Up" follows 11 women through a year of online dating. The series debuts Thursday, July 14, at 9 p.m. ET.
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