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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Annie’s Mailbox: Intervene when tipsy friend is near

Kathy Mitchell/Marcy Sugar

Dear Annie: My husband and I regularly go camping with several other couples. There is usually drinking going on throughout the day.

The wife of one of the other couples seems to pay a great deal of attention to my husband. Recently, we were sitting on the sand together, and “Colette” sat down in front of me and, ahem, lost her balance. She put her hand on my husband’s thigh to steady herself and left it there for approximately an hour.

Colette hangs around him a lot and is clingy. When I mentioned her behavior to my husband, he said I was overreacting and that she was just drunk. He claims she is the touchy-feely sort with everyone. But I don’t see her doing it with anyone else.

I think Colette is crossing the line, and it’s causing some problems between my husband and me. Should I be concerned or just let it roll? – Wondering Wife

Dear Wondering: Drinking lowers inhibitions, but it doesn’t mean Colette isn’t aware of her flirting. And your husband probably enjoys it. He should put a stop to it, but since he apparently has no intention of doing so, you could take a more proactive stance.

If Colette trips and falls on your husband’s lap, grasp her hands and pull her up, exclaiming, “My goodness! I hope you’re OK.” Then make sure you sit down next to your husband and place Colette on your other side. If she puts her hand on his thigh, bring her a fresh, nonalcoholic drink and put it in that hand. We’re sure you can think of other “innocent” ways to make sure she keeps her hands to herself.

Annie’s Mailbox is written by Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar, longtime editors of the Ann Landers column. Please e-mail your questions to anniesmailbox@ comcast.net, or write to: Annie’s Mailbox, c/o Creators Syndicate, 5777 W. Century Blvd., Ste. 700, Los Angeles, CA 90045.