Long distance tests couple’s strength

Dear Abby: I’ve been in a long-distance relationship for 2 1/2 years. We are now engaged, but haven’t set a date for our wedding.

We are both in the military, and we have maintained this relationship well. But there was a time before we dated that I was dating someone else. I ended that relationship, but haven’t healed from it because I still have feelings for him.

He lives in my neighborhood, and I enjoy talking to him. I like the attention he gives me, and I’m attracted to him. I blame the geographical distance from my fiance for this. I want someone close, and I would love for it to be the person I am engaged to, but although I try to abstain from this other person, I find myself drawn to him.

Caught Between Two

Dear Caught: What is going on isn’t fair to the man you are engaged to. Do not chalk this up to “when I’m not with the man I love, I love the one I’m with.” Be honest about what you really want and follow through.

Dear Abby: I am a hairstylist with a client who was referred to me by a mutual friend, “Rita,” from high school. Rita is also a client, and we go back 20-plus years. The client, who’s close friends with Rita, is picky and a terrible tipper.

She box colors her hair at home, but comes to me for her haircuts. I offer her 10% off of her haircut for prebooking, so she gets a $35 service for $31.50. She usually tips me $3.50. She keeps asking me to sell her hair products at a wholesale cost.

Cutting her hair is a chore, because she’s never completely happy with the service. If she were anyone else, I’d part ways with her, but because of her close relationship with Rita, she sometimes comes to dinner with us on girls’ nights. Is there a discreet way to end this business/client relationship without screwing up my friendship with my high school pal?

Cutting Her Out

Dear Cutting: Handle this by telling Rita what you have written to me and explaining that the two of them may be friends, but you no longer want the woman as a client. Then sweetly tell the woman the next time she calls that your professional relationship doesn’t seem to be a good fit because she has voiced dissatisfaction with your work. Then offer to refer her to someone else.

Not every client is a good fit and vice versa. It’s a fact of business life.