Dear Coleen. I have a close friend who I’ve known for many years and we meet up every so often for lunch and a catch-up. For a long time, we were able to meet at a local pub and we’d always share a bottle of wine together. However, recently our local closed, so I started offering to drive us to another pub, which I was happy to do, and I was also fine with not having an alcoholic drink.
Here’s my dilemma, which I hope doesn’t sound petty. Although my friend knows I won’t have a drink because I’m driving, she still puts a bottle of wine on the tab and drinks the whole thing herself, and then asks to split the bill 50/50 when it’s time to leave.
Honestly, I feel she is taking advantage of me, and it really winds me up! I also think it’s possible she has a drink problem. Part of me wants to make an excuse not to go next time, and part of me thinks I should try to help her face her alcohol problem.
It’s an annoying situation and I don’t know how to best handle it. What would you do?. Coleen says. Well, first off, I wouldn’t jump to the conclusion that she has a drink problem just yet. When she meets up with you occasionally, it might be the only time she has a whole bottle of wine to herself. My point is, tread carefully and approach it from a supportive angle, and don’t mention it as part of the conversation about the bill.
