The other women

I am an attractive and well-educated divorced woman. Recently, a man whom I dated several years ago contacted me. We are both 70. Our reunion was great. We have been getting along very well and communicating daily ever since. We live across the country from each other. He invited me to his home, where I was his guest for three weeks. When we were alone, we had a wonderful time. We have great chemistry and enjoy each other’s company, sense of humor and personality. He tells me that he loves me. I love him, too.

My problem is that during my visit, it became apparent that he has numerous female “friends” (most single, some married) who are neighbors. He talked to them many times a day. They called constantly, and he took the calls privately. He even stopped in the middle of our being intimate to take calls from these women. He confides everything to them and refuses to say “no” to them.

On my last night with him, we had a romantic evening for just the two of us planned at home. He told his “harem” (as he calls his female friends) about our plans, and the women immediately told him they were coming over because they wanted to say goodbye to me. Instantly, his mob of postmenopausal women showed up. A married woman whose husband was out of town kissed my boyfriend on the lips several times, and he kissed her back, in front of me. This was very disrespectful, and it makes me wonder what they do when they are alone with each other, which they sometimes are. None of the women said “goodbye “to me, which was their excuse for monopolizing our evening. Actually, I’m pretty sure it was just a power play on the women’s part, to keep my boyfriend and me from having a romantic last evening together.

After they left, I calmly complained to my boyfriend about how he and the married woman had kissed. He said that it was a “Southern thing” and that he was tired of our “discussions.” He said the married woman is a “wonderful Southern girl” and said I’d better get along with her because I’ll be seeing a lot of her. He berated me because I wanted to spend my last night alone with him and not drinking with the neighbor women.

I love my boyfriend and don’t want to lose him, but his female friends are his first priority, and it makes me feel as though my feelings and opinions mean nothing to him. This is the only thing we disagree on. How should I handle this situation? — Cock of the Walk’s

Chick

I don’t see this proud peacock putting down his plumes any time soon. He seems to love strutting his stuff, lavished with female attention 24/7. More troubling than the flirtatious behavior is the way he reacted when you expressed your concern and frustration. Such dismissiveness shows a fundamental lack of respect for your feelings. If he’s not willing to hear you out and do what he can to make you more comfortable with his heavily female flock, then it’s time for you to fly the coop.

ACROSS

1 Drone sound 5 Spicy dip 10 French flag

couleur 14 Parade celebrity 15 Cotton swabs 16 Pair on a

Disneyland hat 17 Verdi highlight 18 It’s prohibited on

many highways 19 Vast landmass 20 Musical

Christmas staple 22 Culinary

student’s assent 24 Native American

symbol 26 Bit of cheer? 27 22% of the U.S.

Senate 30 WWII female 32 Program breaks 36 Enthusiastic 37 “Good Lord!” 39 Miscellany 40 [Uh-oh!] 41 Big name in

threshers 42 In __ of:

replacing 43 City ENE of Reno 44 One of pop

music’s Papas 45 Permits 46 Takes a load off 48 Mil. officers 49 High-IQ group 50 Perilous hisser 52 In check 54 Succeeding like nobody’s business 58 Like most kosher

frankfurters 62 Water sport 63 Only inanimate

zodiac sign 65 Iams alternative 66 “Quite so” 67 Historical period 68 Slimming

procedure, briefly 69 Shopping club 70 Swearing-in

rituals 71 For fear that

DOWN

1 “Careless Whisper” pop group 2 “__ comes

trouble!” 3 Eye part 4 Sunday dinner

side dish 5 Weightlifting

maneuver 6 Driving 7 “Elementary”

co-star Lucy 8 Nimble 9 Ed with seven

Emmys 10 Summer Olympics event since 1996 11 Word with back

or whip 12 Historic canal 13 “Aim High ... Fly-Fight-Win” military org. 21 Non-neutral

atom 23 Took a load off 25 Purplish hue 27 Ante, e.g. 28 Small egg 29 Takes full

advantage of 31 Gravy thickener 33 From far away (perhaps very far) 34 See 51-Down 35 “The March King” 37 Unexpected 38 Susan of “L.A.

Law” 47 Ottawa-to-NYC

dir. 49 Prefix with ware 51 With 34-Down, really retro eating programs 53 Vague discomfort,

with “the” 54 Makes a choice 55 Romance writer

Roberts 56 Grad 57 Longtime “Live!”

host 59 Author Wiesel 60 Omar of

“Shooter” 61 Body part whose parts are aptly found at the bottom of this puzzle’s four longest answers 64 Plant sci.

I don’t see this proud peacock putting down his plumes any time soon. He seems to love strutting his stuff, lavished with female attention 24/7.