What to do if my best friend is trying to hook up with the girl I like?

Some time ago, a girl friend (friend who is a girl) asked me to accompany her while she went with a male friend of hers to basically introduce him to a girl friend of hers.

Frankly, I don't remember if he even showed up.  But after about 5 minutes of talking, I had decided that my interest in her was more important to me than his potential interest in her.

We're coming up on our 35th anniversary this year.

Just like the parable in the Bible, when you find the "pearl (girl?) of great price" you go buy the field.

Now I was in my 30's, so I'm not sure that there were any rules extant that might have required me to defer to another because they were there "first;" but I'm not sure that I would have been all that deferential to them in any case.

So he wants to make a competition out of this because he also sees value in the prize.

Sometimes you find yourself in a race when you just wanted a brisk walk.

Does the girl have anything to say about the outcome of this?