DEAR ABBY: A woman friend of mine is angry at me because I have started dating a mutual friend of ours. She says when someone wants to date someone's friend, the polite thing to do is ask how the friend feels about it. Mind you, the man I'm going out with isn't her ex and was as good a friend to me as he was to her. If I had discussed the matter with her, what difference would it have made? She doesn't own him. Does her logic make sense to you? -- FREE AGENT IN TEXAS
DEAR FREE AGENT: No. Your "friend" has no prior claim on the man you're dating. That she would try to insert herself into your romantic life makes no sense, and you would be foolish to allow it.