I was scared crapless at the thought of getting a snake. I went on the "bad" I had heard and wasnt up for it, but being that i love my boyfriend i let him get his BP and said whatever.. when we drove to MD to pick it up (from Rich Baker - Chesapeake Bay Ball Pythons - HE IS WONDERFUL) and was around them i was still freaked out... when we got home i sucked it up and held him.. we ended up naming him Striker.. ahahaha... but after about a month i was like "f it... i want another" so we got our bumble bee from colin weaver (east coast reptile breeders) and now almost a year later we have more than a handful and i handle every single one of them. Ask her to compromise and give you the benefit of the doubt... now i go into the pet stores (even though i wouldnt buy one from one around here) and i look at them every time.. sometimes i go just to see them... I have found that I love our bumblebees (we got another from Matt Shifflett - American Made Exotics) and they are my favorite. They are the sweetest... I have even gotten my mom and best friend to hold our bee female... and my mom was intrigued... scared like i was but now she is fascinated.. tell her if you get a BP she can get an animal of her choice
good luck!