Yep. The poor dude(tte) who just can’t get none, no matter how hard they try. They want to be a part of the action in the protagonists’s life, but they’re usually one of the following:

• Too good a friend to risk ‘ruining the friendship’
• In a relationship already and trapped within it
• Living very far away or about to move to a distant location
• A good friend of their interest’s current partner, and thus would be breaking some kind of bro’code (this is for the dudes)

They are usually men, but I’m not on the hunt for this trope in the form of a female. It must be around but I’m yet to read about her. Can you guys give me any suggestions?

Anyway, sad to say, I have this written this trope too. Pete from ‘Sugar Dust‘ is very much enamoured of Karen, but she’s with his best friend and a good friend of hers himself. No matter his feelings, he’s just never going to be a part of the relationship, nor is he ever going to get his hands on Karen. *sniffle* Poor bastard. 😦

The other example of this that sticks out in my mind is the poor chap from ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ who nearly got his lights punched out by Grey. Yes, Ms James did kinda save Grey from being a total dick and have him punch José—José Luis Rodriguez Jr!—when he put the moves on a drunk and slightly out of it Ana, but still . . . this guy is described by Ana as good-looking, smart, funny, nice and conventional. He’s pretty much perfect for her . . . except that she thinks of him as a brother (and he doesn’t have his own helicopter—oops!).

Oh well, José!
Better luck next time, yo.