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Relationships

Mumsnet has not checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you need help urgently or expert advice, please see our domestic violence webguide and/or relationships webguide. Many Mumsnetters experiencing domestic abuse have found this thread helpful: Listen up, everybody

Female 'Friend'

45 replies

ItsAlmostPerfect · 21/10/2013 23:09

Hi, need some opinions,

I've been seeing my boyfriend about 4 months, we've know each other about 8 months, we met through work. We do manage to spend alot of time together but its hard because we both work shifts. Everything has been pretty much perfect.

However there is a female in his life whose relationship makes me uncomfortable. A female 'friend' we'll call Jamie, the first night I stayed at his, we were in bed but looking at stuff on the internet and he called me 'Jamie' but i let it slide, these things happen and I didn't want to make an issue of it as long as it was only the once. A few days later he was texting and I could see it was to a 'Jamie' and the texts had lots of kisses on, which made me raise an eyebrow but again I left it. Every so often if he opens his message inbox next to me I can see they've text recently, he he'll close it quickly. When he's texting her he moves away or turns his phone so I cant see.

We went out for my birthday recently and I posted a status on facebook which she liked (we're not friends but I'd tagged my BF). He saw and said he was surprised she liked it. So I took the opportunity to ask him who she is and he told me a close friend, that's just got engaged, and she wants to meet me, but I felt he was skipping out on telling me something.

Yesterday I was at his and he sat on the other sofa when he always sits next to me and sent this long text, I could tell it was her. I asked him what he was doing and he said writing, and I was like writing what and he said a story and tried to make a joke of it. He sat next to me and his phone went off again so I asked him who he was texting. He said 'Jamie' I knew I was right, said she was inviting him to her engagement party. I just don't understand why he was so cagey about it. So I spent the rest of the night in a bit of a strop because I don't want to seem like that kind of girlfriend that has issues with him having female friends so i didn't say anything but I feel like I can't ignore it anymore.

I just feel like there's something he's not telling me about this Jamie girl and I don't know why he's always so cagey about her, he doesn't hide his phone when he's texting anyone else. I don't think any of it would bother me if he hadn't called me by her name that first night.

Do I sound like I'm just being a mental girlfriend? Should I carry on ignoring it? Or should I ask him if there's something he's not telling me? And if so how do I approach the subject?

Sorry that was longer than I expected.

OP posts:
BuzzardBirdBloodBath · 22/10/2013 13:33

He is enjoying taunting you like this. He is doing the whole 'secrecy' thing deliberately. If he wanted to be with her he wouldn't be with you.
I went through this for 6 years with my 'x' and can honestly say it made me miserable and I wish now I had dumped him sooner.
She enjoyed it and he enjoyed it. They were both very cruel. I suffered.
You deserve better.

JoinYourPlayfellows · 22/10/2013 13:38

"If he's had a partner in the past who was very unhappy about him having a friendship with a woman, he may assume you're the same and be acting defensively."

That's not innocent!

That's thinking badly of all women and assuming they are unreasonable, jealous harridans because of woman woman you once knew.

4 months in, it doesn't matter a shite WHY he's being such a dick about this.

It just matters that he is.

SusieSusieSheep · 22/10/2013 13:40

Just to add to the chorus, I agree that people are secretive when they have secrets. Best case scenario is that he is hiding something, then it's a question of what.

ItsAlmostPerfect · 22/10/2013 13:41

Jan I've not brought it up with him yet, so I don't think he's aware that there's an issue. He doesn't make me feel insecure or unimportant, just uncomfortable with this one thing.

Join I don't know if he's being less than honest, he's not told me any lies, he just hasn't told me much atall. I'd like to think if (when) I have this conversation with him he'll be honest about it. Other than this he makes me very happy, he's been the most considerate and loving boyfriend that I've had.

OP posts:
Dahlen · 22/10/2013 13:48

That's thinking badly of all women and assuming they are unreasonable, jealous harridans because of woman woman you once knew.

I disagree with that. I am in total agreement that it's an unhealthy dynamic, but it could just as easily be a case of not being ready to trust/have a relationship than any kind of active misogyny. No different from a once abused woman in a new relationship fearing that her new partner is going to hurt her when she is going to bring up a difficult subject.

I wouldn't tolerate it and I wouldn't let it pass, but I think it's not always the case that people are intentionally attempting to mislead or put down. Some people are just damaged or insecure and defensive.

Either way, that short a time into the relationship I could not be arsed to bother getting to the bottom of it if a full and frank discussion didn't put it to bed first time.

ItsAlmostPerfect · 22/10/2013 13:49

I don't even think he's aware that I think he's being
secretive, I just think he thinks I haven't noticed anything. So in his head the first time I know anything of her is the fb thing and the texts about the engagement invite.

OP posts:
123bucklemyshoe · 22/10/2013 14:18

Tell him how you feel.. so you show him how to be open. In a way being on here and telling us and not telling him is parallel to what he is doing. What's the worst that can happen?
(Just don't do it in a way that is you can't have any women in you life apart from me...Wink

Pobblewhohasnotoes · 22/10/2013 15:13

In also wondering if there's history between them.

Thing is, if she is just a friend there's no need for the secrecy is there?

He's being cagey for a reason. Maybe they slept together once and he is worried about you finding out, or maybe he has feelings for her. Whatever it is, you need to find out. If people are just friends, they don't text on the quiet and make their OH's feel insecure.

Kaluki · 22/10/2013 16:01

Yes he did finish with her then met me 6 months later. I was uneasy about her from the start but about 6 months into our relationship I said enough is enough and he told her to back off. He was just too kind and naive to see what she was up to.
That's why I say trust your gut instinct

123bucklemyshoe · 22/10/2013 19:02

We are all coloured by our own experiences as you can see from the variety of posts in here & interpret behaviour accordingly. One person's secrecy is another's privacy. There may or may not have been something between them in the past (& she has just got engaged to someone else) - she may be his long lost twin sister....you won't know until you talk to him & he won't know how you feel....& as you said he is considerate & loving.....

ItsAlmostPerfect · 23/10/2013 01:25

Thank you all for your advice, I'll work on how to bring it up when I see him next and I'll let you know what happens. Smile

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GhettoPrincess001 · 23/10/2013 09:34

It's concerning that he's cagey when texting 'Jaimey'. I can't help but wonder if he's miffed that she's got engaged i.e. not to him. Going to her engagement party (with him ? Certainly not without him though !) will be telling.

Other than that, he might just have some growing up to do. Basically what will he be cagey about next time ? Money etc ?

Flora5 · 23/10/2013 18:09

Send her a FB request and see who reacts most. Surely your friends are his and vice versa?

ItsAlmostPerfect · 24/10/2013 20:24

So just an update if anyone wants to know.

we talked... Mainly because he's working on the night of her engagement party so we can't go, but asked if I wanted to go meet her the week before. So I asked him outright who she was too him, and he said just a close friend. I told him about calling me her name and he said he wished I'd told him at the time, he doesn't remember doing it or know why. There's never been anything between them, she's just a close friend, he let me see his message history and it says about her hoping I can come to the engagement party. He reassured me and said he didn't even realise about hiding his phone. He also told me to tell him if anything like that bothers me again, I should just ask him. Smile

Still don't know how you'd call same one by a close friends name, an ex maybe but a close friend? Oh well

OP posts:
RadagastTheBrown · 24/10/2013 22:01

Fingers crossed for you both. One last bit of advice from an old man is to trust your gut instinct - if it feels right to you then it generally is but if it doesn't then you know what to do.....

GhettoPrincess001 · 25/10/2013 00:24

Thanks for the update IAP. Sounds like you have better communication with him now. I hope you feel confident asking in future, not guilty for coming across as a nag. Hypothetical question: if you got engaged to each other, would you be comfortable with her coming to the party ? (If there was one, obviously). His keenness for her to come to such an event could be quite telling. Unless by that point in time you're 'over it' with her.

Or 'house warming' if you moved in with each other or any other, 'big deal' occasion that was to do with you both as a couple ?

ItsAlmostPerfect · 25/10/2013 07:13

Ghetto Yes I'd be fine now with her coming to anything like that, now that we've talked about it. She's his only proper female friend and he's very keen for me to be friends with her as well. I feel much more comfortable about their friendship, especially as he showed me his messages and it looks like she's keen to meet me too.

OP posts:
123bucklemyshoe · 25/10/2013 10:36

Well that sounds great & I have to fess up I once called an old bf by another friends name.....& there was nothing going on...

Meerka · 25/10/2013 13:41

Ive done it too ahem ... more than once ..... Or I have to stop and think for a few moments before getting his name. Husband knows he can trust me though, thank god, and he just laughs lots now and asks me if I'd like to try any more before getting the right one. Get sisters' names mixed up too. And I still call a married friend by her single surname 10 years on without realising ....

Silly thing is, 4 year old son does the same. Calls the wrong men (and sometimes me!) Papa.

ItsAlmostPerfect · 25/10/2013 23:09

Yea my mum quiet often goes through all the wrong siblings names before getting to the right one.

It happens, it by its self wasn't a major issue... just in combination with everthing else, but its all sorted.

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