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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Friend and older man

9 replies

emmajones12345 · 16/01/2014 11:40

I appreciate that I am being unreasonable but it’s something that has been playing on my mind.

My post concerns a friend whom I met when we lived in Cambridge when I was at University and she lived there also (we met through work). After graduating, I stayed in Cambs for a couple of years and we saw each other quite frequently. She was always a bit of a disaster with relationships – very demanding, had (what I thought were) unreasonable expectations and was very highly strung although this trait never seemed to filter into her friendships. She is very nice company and I enjoy spending time with her. A few years ago I moved to London and we naturally saw less of one another but caught up regularly.

Nearly 3 years ago she met a man online. She was 30 and he was 65. The relationship moved along quite quickly and she moved to Bristol to live with him. I must confess to being a bit surprised if I’m honest. Anyway, I went to stay with her about 6 months later. I made an excuse about not taking my boyfriend with me (I was 26 at the time, as was my boyfriend, and whether it is immature or whatever, I felt a bit weird about making him spend time with a man I didn’t know who was almost as old as his Grandfather). The weekend was fine, he spent a lot of time with us. He’s quite, erm, sexual in the way he talks, uses the word ‘sexy’ a lot and just seems to fancy himself as some kind of irresistible raconteur. For one reason or another, I found it all a bit creepy and didn’t enjoy his company so much and had no real desire since to spend much time as a foursome. Anyway, all this meant was that we haven’t seen each other much (to be fair it isn’t that I have ignored requests from her, time has just passed by quickly). We have agreed that we must meet soon and I agree. I just would rather see her separately and don’t see why everything she does has to revolve around him (she recently told me she was unhappy with him in a call in the summer, but has since said that the situation is better). I would love time on my own with her but feel so unreasonable suggesting that we meet up for a ‘girls only’ weekend. AIBU? I wish I didn’t feel like this. I want her to be happy.

OP posts:
poopadoop · 16/01/2014 11:42

If you want her to be happy, then accept her relationship. You're being really ageist.

Joysmum · 16/01/2014 11:44

Nowt wrong with getting time with just you and your mate. I have time was just me and my friends, no partners. You just need to be careful how you deal with it and see that it's only natural for her to want her mates to get to know her partner.

MaidOfStars · 16/01/2014 11:50

You don't like your friend's partner. Happens to a lot of us. It's unclear what his age has to do with it (other than, what? it's gross?) so a bit ageist on your part.

Invite her for a girly weekend somewhere.

QuintessentialShadows · 16/01/2014 11:54

Just invite her for a girly weekend.
I would hear alarm-bells if she made excuses or would not come without him (in which case I would get your dp on board, and he and her dp could go bowling while you go for a manicure or something equally girly they would not want to take part in)

Nancy66 · 16/01/2014 11:54

It's fine not to like a friend's partner and it's also fine to not want to spend time with them. She is your friend, not him.

emmajones12345 · 16/01/2014 12:48

Thanks for the replies everyone. Yes, I suppose it is a bit ageist of me, but his personality was really grating. I don't wish to hear a bloke older than my Dad talking about a girl having a "sexy arse". Blueugghh. And it doesn't help when she tells me she is unhappy over the phone. I will suggest a weekend just the two of us as I suppose it would be rude to just invite her to stay at mine in London?

OP posts:
justmyview · 16/01/2014 12:52

I think it's unwise to include detail in your post. Remember this is a public forum

FrysChocolateCream · 16/01/2014 12:52

Personally I feel it is perfectly ok and not rude at all to want to spend time with just your friend. Ask her to visit and say as you haven't seen each other for ages, it would be nice if it was just her so that you can have propery quality time together. I am sure you can word it without calling her partner an arse. Grin

MaidOfStars · 16/01/2014 13:02

I don't wish to hear a bloke older than my Dad talking about a girl having a "sexy arse".

Why? Do you imagine that people stop thinking about sex when they reach your Dad's age? Wink

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