Dear Cranky

Sometimes I feel like a double agent.

The secret world of men is a hard nut to crack (so to speak) for most women. While I pay my dues to the society and uphold the code for the most part every now and again I am confronted by a girl friend who needs to be let in on a little inside information. I do this out of compassion for those women who just can't grasp what goes on in the minds of the men they love and hate, sometimes silmultaneously.

Why does he act like an ass in front of my friends?
Why won't he tell me he loves me?
Why?
Why?

These are the easy ones. This one came to my attention a little while ago.

"Dear Cranky,

A little while ago I made a terrible mistake and slept with my b.f.s best friend. It was wrong, I know, but I couldn't tell him because I didn't want to lose him. He found out anyway and dumped my sorry ass. That I understand. What I don't get is that he's still friends with the guy I screwed around with. What am I missing? If he can forgive his friend, why not me?"

signed,
Still Love Unfair Twit"

Well, S.L.U.....uh

O.k. It goes like this. You have unwittingly uncovered one of the most confusing aspects of male behavior. It's true that if you sleep with your man's best friend you will get dumped and they will stay friends. Men understand another man's inability to make rational decisions under the threat of impending sex. I don't know all the facts in this case but I'm willing to bet that you thought it would remain a secret. What you didn't count on was the code between men that makes it clear that if you sleep with your friends girl you have to tell him and probably take a punch in the stomach for it. While the word cuckold doesn't really get a lot of use anymore, everyman knows the shame of it and will drop everything, even his pride, to help out a fallen brother. It ain't fair but that's how it goes. My advice is to stop sleeping with your boyfriend's friends.