Re sexual attraction, what I mean is I'm aware my friend doesn't look like the back end of a bus. If we were single, maybe I might look at him that way. But there are plenty of men whose good looks I can appreciate without wanting to bed them. There is zero sexual chemistry between my friend and I. He's more like a brother. Although I like him more than my brother!
DH will probably be jealous. But hopefully get over it. After 20+ years together I'm kind of beginning to think maybe that would be his problem, not mine. We were practically children when we got together and so for a long time our relationship was very insular and exclusive. I lost touch with boy friends I had grown up with so as not to make DH feel uncomfortable, and would never have gone out on my own before the issue of needing babysitters gave a handy excuse to do so.
He doesn't make a fuss if I go out with my girlfriends but I'm fairly sure he doesn't like it especially.
I don't think we've had a particularly healthy relationship in the past and now I'm in my 40s I feel like I need to assert my independence.
It's reassuring to know that others have close male friends.