Abigail Van Buren

to be romantic and sweet.

I love that he’s romantic, but I’m afraid of his romantic ideas because I know they are too good to be true. Then again, I’m afraid of him not being romantic and losing himself. How do I learn to accept his love as love and not as a threat? How do I not come off rude when I feel he’s not being realistic? Please help me, because I don’t want to lose him. – ROMANCE DILEMMA

DEAR DILEMMA: Because you’re a realist, allow me to point something out. There’s a saying, “A fish and a zebra may fall in love, but they can’t live together.” You may not want to lose your boyfriend, but the odds of this romance becoming something permanent aren’t great because you think so differently. For the time being, when he’s waxing poetic about his dreams for the future, keep your lips firmly sealed instead of shooting him down.

DEAR ABBY: I work in an expensive store that closes at 9 p.m. Clients often walk in here two minutes before we shut the door and spend 20 to 30 minutes inside before leaving. We employees still have to clean after they leave and, after eight hours of working, we just want to get home to our families.

Shouldn’t shoppers be considerate and refrain from coming in if they know they will be here past closing, or does it not matter? – JUST WANTS TO GO HOME IN DELAWARE

DEAR JUST: It would be nice if shoppers were more considerate, but part of being in high-end sales is customer service, even though not all of the patrons are as thoughtful as you would like them to be.

I’m sure your employer feels these individuals should be catered to, and part of your job is to make them feel welcome regardless of the time. It may not seem fair, but business is business.