DEAR ABBY: I live in a city. Many of my friends live in the suburbs within commuting distance. Several of them commute daily, and there are many mass transit options running throughout the night. On a few occasions we have planned an outing in the city and, after the tickets are purchased, etc., one of them ("Carla") has casually stated, "I may need to spend the night at your house since it'll be late when we get back."
Abby, Carla knows the schedule of mass transit and knows what we've planned. How do I respond when she invites herself to spend the night? I have the room, but it's still a hassle having someone stay overnight. -- CITY GIRL WITH COUNTRY FRIENDS
DEAR CITY GIRL: Assuming this is becoming a pattern with Carla, the time to bring this up is before you buy the tickets. The words to use are: "I would prefer that you don't stay over because I'm really not comfortable having overnight guests." And if she continues to suggest she wants to stay with you, stop inviting her to nighttime events.