Article posted Monday, November 24, 2014 12:05pm

Dear Mary Pat,

I was at a party with some of my old college friends recently. I hadn’t seen my good friend’s husband in some time and unfortunately, he was a little too friendly. While my friend was talking to a group standing nearby, he was hitting on me. I’m not saying he was offering his room key, but it was obvious enough that I was uncomfortable. I stood up in their wedding nearly 20 years ago. My friend has complained to me that their marriage has issues. Apart from feeling uncomfortable, it also made me really sad. I just tried to divert the conversation onto safer ground and was able to make my exit before it got more awkward. Do you think this is common? Did I handle this okay?

Signed,

The Lady is Not a Tramp

Sturgeon Bay, Wis.

Dear The Lady is Not a Tramp,

I think you handled this well. What you may be asking me between the lines is should you tell your friend about this. Am I right? My answer is “no” since nothing really happened. I’m not discounting or minimizing this in any way. For better or for worse (excuse the pun), marriages do go through rough spots. Your friend’s husband’s actions were not on the up and up, however, you diffused the situation. Since you were at a party, possibly alcohol was a factor. (Or, there is the possibility that he is an idiot.) If your friend and her husband are going through a tough time, hopefully they will figure things out. Also, hopefully this man “hitting on you” falls under the category of innocent flirting. The grass is always greener on the other side. In the meantime, give them a little space and don’t give this another thought. This is their issue, not yours.

Good luck,

Mary Pat