Double Dilemma

EEK! Over a week has gone by with no advice. Maude and Mod are deeply sorry, although our readers DO need to provide us with more questions (otherwise we'll have to make them up and they are never as probable when that happens). Luckily, the following question is from a real live reader.


Dear M & M,

My friend has been pushing for a double date with her boyfriend and my husband. Trouble is, her boyfriend's a dud and I've always believed she could do better. (I think she knows this, deep down, but doesn't want to accept it.) I don't think my hubby will enjoy the boyfriend's company. How can I get out of this gracefully?

Sincerely,
Double Date Evader

Dear Double Date Evader,

Maude: How can you get out of this gracefully? Sadly, you cannot. You must go and you must take your delicate husband with you. Believe it or not, he will survive four hours of boredom. This is when all good wives summon the, "I spent mother's day with YOUR mother last year and she is not even MY mother. This is the least you can do."
It will be very helpful if this outing includes an actual activity rather than sitting around with margaritas in someone's cramped apartment trying to 'get to know' one another. Try a movie and then a drink or go bowling or ice-skating. After the evening ends make sure you are quite affectionate as a thank you to that sweet spouse of yours and then you may decline the next 4 invitations your friend offers (unless, of course, you find that all of you actually had a good time). And do not forget the silver lining. It is just possible, actually quite possible, that your GF will see that she has a boring BF, while you have a winner. But then you will have to decline all future invites as she will be at risk of flirting with your husband and we simply cannot have that.
Mod: You hit this one on the head. I'd go with bowling: between taking turns to play and working on a pitcher of beer, you should be just fine.