Dear Queenie,
I’m a woman in my 20s. Recently my best friend told me that a man we have been friends with since high school likes me better than just a friend but is afraid to say anything in case I don’t like him back the same way – which I don’t.
Queenie, how do I let him know we will never be more than just friends without hurting his feelings?—No chance for romance
Dear No chance,
Keep your contacts with this man to a minimum. Make sure you only see him when other friends are with you – group socialising, but no “just you and him” occasions. Do not contact him first in any way – not by phone or text message or e-mail or whatever, and do not respond immediately to any message you receive from him; in fact, sometimes do not respond at all, and when you do, keep it “low key.”
And if you know anyone he might like who might “like him back” romantically, feel free to introduce him to her.
