It’s the last chance saloon!
It is funny isn’t it, how ‘some’ mature men, behave like stupid teenagers when it comes to women, and often not in a good, or gentlemanly way.
Take my acquaintance Philip for example, and yes, that is his real name.
I’ve known Phil for a goood few years. We once flirted with the idea of becoming a bit of an item, but for one reason and another I decided I’d rather stay in the friendship zone. 
Our non relationship, had been more than tested many moons ago, as while I was working for him for a few weeks, he was unable to accept that he wasn’t ever going to see me in my undies, so he took a sulk, and actually fired me from my job!
But after we’d retired to our separate corners for a year or so, we kissed and made up, and even though we’ve both moved around a lot over the years, we’ve always kept in touch and I’d given our friendship one more chance.
Fast forward to this year, when we’ve met up a few more times for a drink and a chat, exchanged a few texts and phone calls, and I’d say our friendship had grown a bit
Still no clothes have been removed in the conducting of this friendship, but we have genuinely had some good laughs along the way.
Now Philip has other lady ‘friends’ which I know exist, but he never mentions them. Preferring me to believe that he’s free and single, even if he is not young.
He’s a smart, good looking man, and there’s no doubt that he is attractive for his age. He’s funny, and entertaining and probably a good catch for someone who is not me.
But Philip forgets that by the wonders of social media, I can see pictures of a mature blonde female, draped round his neck at a New Years Eve celebration, and on this particular occasion, the camera certainly didn’t lie!
I can also almost see her knickers as she is pictured rather unwisely ‘dancing’ on the floor with her legs apart. It’s not a good look.
At the beginning of June andpreceding my recent holiday, Philip upped his game slightly and the phone calls were coming in on a daily basis. There was talk of me accompanying him on a cruise later this year. Separate cabins all the way
Philip likes cruises, a lot, but he usually goes alone. Honestly, he told me. So it must be true.
Yes, just lately there had been a nice friendly feel to our nice friendly relationship. But then what do you know, during a last minute visit to him, the day before my holiday, Philip lost a really good friend, and so I guess he’ll carry on cruising, ‘alone’.
I wanted to return a small camera, and so one early evening, unannounced, I pulled into the pub car park where I knew I would find him.
Unbeknown to Phil in the garden of the pub, being all clued up, I spotted his neck draping, knicker lady, chatting to some customers, but I wasn’t wanting to speak to her, so I just wandered into the pub, all smiles and called out a happy Hello!
The look on his face was just priceless. A mixture of horrified, terrified surprise! He jumped up out of his leather look Chesterfield, grabbed my arm, quicker than quick, and marched me back towards the door muttering frantically,
‘Thanks for popping in, have a lovely holiday’ BYE !
He couldn’t get me out of the door quick enough. Whereas previously, he’d offer a glass of wine, maybe some nibbles, and be happy to chat for hours, this time, my feet almost didn’t touch the ground. I was in, and out in less than a minute.
I got back in the car and just shook my head in disbelief that ‘a friend’ could treat his friend, so badly.
The ironic part of all this, for me anyway, was, that he was blissfully unaware of the fact that I knew the reason for his disgracefully rude behaviour.
What the heck did he think I was going to do? If his ‘lady friend’ should, by chance, have walked back into the pub, I would have read the signs, made polite excuses and left. I’m still not sure what he was most scared of, me seeing her, or her seeing me!
It made not a scrap of difference to me. I am of the opinion that if you don’t want to have a relationship with a friend, who is a man, then you have to embrace and accept his choice of female companions
We WERE only friends after all. Not anymore! 
