I’m incredibly lucky to be able to surround myself with a pack of bright, funny, motivating women. My friends are the kind of geniuses who always know how much to tip, which patterns match, and when I should quit my job. I trust their opinions about absolutely everything, except for my boyfriend Pete, because their opinions are bullshit.
It’s messed up! They say things like, “Maybe you should stop texting him for a while,” and “If he really loved you, he would let you into his apartment.” What happened to the insightful friends I usually trust?
When I have a fight with my mom, they seem to understand everything clearly, and offer great advice that I am happy to use. But when I have a fight with my unofficial life partner Pete, all of their brilliance goes right out the window.
For example, my friends would point out that my boyfriend Pete is not technically “my boyfriend” because he “is seeing other people.” Why should that matter? My friends are usually right, but when it comes to Pete, they’re idiots!
They seem to be able to handle my deep-seated issues so well, but can’t seem to find the value in my one-directional exclusivity with Pete. We just want different things: He wants to sleep with other people and I don’t, so he does and I don’t and sometimes I feel terrible. Why is that so hard to understand??
I don’t mean to be so hard on my friends. I appreciate that my friends love me for me, but I want them to learn to love Pete, even if he hates them.
All I can do is hold out hope that one day, my friends will understand that saying, “You don’t need this bullshit in your life” makes a lot more sense when I’m thinking of ordering a second slice of cheesecake. Because making decisions can be tough, but with a sassy squad by my side, I can take on anything—except Pete. Pete’s off-limits.
