DEAR NATALIE: A male friend of mine befriended a woman who is married. In the time they've spent as friends, they seem to have racked up a pretty tight relationship, constantly going on dinner dates and spending time alone with no other friends around. When he's not with her, he spends his time texting her or talking about her nonstop. He gives gifts and sends flirtatious notes, too. The woman plans to divorce her husband, and my friend is dead set on a relationship happening in the near future. Others have said their cozy relationship smells of extra-marital affairs, but my friend says otherwise, and I struggle to believe him. My friend knows I don't condone cheating and knows our friendship would be over if that happened in his case. I've suggested he needs to cool off for a bit, but he fails to take my advice and continues sneaking around to hang out with her, going as far to say I'm not being supportive, and threatening to end to our friendship. I'm at my wits' end here. His lack of regard for me and shady character in this situation makes me question the type of person he is. He's not who I thought I became friends with. I fully support men and women being friends, but also know there's a fine line between friendship and flirting. Do you think that I should end our friendship? --AT WITS’ END

DEAR AT WITS’ END: Whatever is going on between them, it is better if you stay out of it. I understand that you are frustrated with your friend and the way he is behaving. I also understand that you don’t condone this behavior, but trying to give him an “ultimatum” of sorts really isn’t going to do much besides create a bigger wedge between the two of you. I would recommend letting this play out however it may and try to avoid passing judgment. We have no idea what her marriage is like. Maybe her husband is abusive and she has found solace in your friend. Maybe she has been miserable for years and is too afraid to let go. I’m not trying to make excuses about why someone would have an affair, but I think it is always easier to look from the outside in and project our thoughts and feelings on to a situation that we know nothing about. He clearly knows where you stand, so for now, let it go and let the chips fall where they may.

DEAR NATALIE: My father-in-law behaved so badly at Thanksgiving that I am cringing at the thought of spending Christmas Eve at my home. He would not stop talking about (you guessed it!) politics at the dinner table. It was to the point that my mother, who is a living saint, actually told him to shut up. It turned into this big thing and now I don’t know what to do for the holidays. My husband told me I just need to suck it up and deal with it, but I am so tired of having to be the one that ignores other people’s bad behavior. Why should I suffer because his dad is such a mean person? --YOU’RE A MEAN ONE

DEAR YOU’RE A MEAN ONE: Your husband is probably telling you to “suck it up” because that is how he has most likely dealt with his father throughout his life. You ignore the bad behavior, you cringe on the inside, you deal with the fact that this is your dad and it that isn’t going to change. What is really frustrating about this situation, however, is that your father-in-law is allowed to make everyone else feel uncomfortable, and yet no one is allowed to call him out for it. He’s a bully. Bullies push people around and only respond to strength. I give your mom credit for standing up to him, even though she probably could have handled it a bit more tactfully. I would just play it cool on Christmas Eve, but if he says something rude or insensitive, you have every right as the host of the party to tell him that you don’t appreciate unkind words being said on such a festive night. If he can’t control himself, he can leave.

Natalie's Networking Tip of the Week: See someone by themselves at an event? Maybe they are a little shy and need a friendly face to help them get out there. Introduce yourself and extend a hand. You may just make a new friend.

Please send your questions to Natalie Bencivenga to her email, nbencivenga@post-gazette.com; or through postal mail to Natalie Bencivenga, 358 North Shore Dr., Pittsburgh, PA 15212. Follow her on Twitter at @NBSeen and on Instagram @NatalieBenci

(This column was originally published by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.)

DEAR NATALIE: I have a friend who feels that I have wronged her in some way. Because of this, she feels that it is perfectly acceptable to do rude things to me or give me the silent treatment, etc., until it dawns on me that I must have angered or hurt her, at which point I ask her what is wrong.

Because I'm not a mind reader, I submit that this type of behavior is counterproductive and can result in more misunderstandings. Instead, I believe that when a person is angered or hurt by a friend or significant other, the responsibility for initiating a discussion really rests on the person who is angered and/or hurt. At that point, I think the person doing the confronting should give me an opportunity to own up to what I've done, apologize and make amends, if possible. What are your suggestions? -- NOT A MIND READER

DEAR NOT A MIND READER: Sounds as if you have a very passive-aggressive friend. It's challenging to be close with people who do not express themselves when they are hurt in the moment and instead take their frustrations out on you later. However, it is not OK to give a friend the silent treatment or be unkind in other ways.

Your friend is in the wrong here, regardless of why she is upset. Instead of dealing with her feelings, she is choosing to make a problem even bigger. But, sometimes people are afraid to own their feelings, therefore, she can't just tell you what upset her. Anger is merely a mask for fear. And when we are afraid, we become irrational.

Perhaps the best thing (and what I have tried to do in my own relationships with friends who are not open with their emotions) is to explain to her that while you are not a mind reader, you never meant to hurt or upset her. You love her, and while all of us are human and make mistakes from time to time, the worst mistake would be in not communicating how we feel. Don't make the conversation about her. If you say, "I feel ." instead of "You make me feel .," you will get a better result because she won't immediately become defensive. This works well with lovers, too. Be specific and state how you feel, and give her the opportunity to respond in kind.

Please send your relationship and lifestyle questions to nbencivenga@post-gazette.com or tweet them to @NBSeen. You can also send postal letters to Natalie Bencivenga, 358 North Shore Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15212

(This column was originally published by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.)

DEAR NATALIE: Where I work, there is a seriously heavy smoker who, well, smells very bad. In addition to the fact that I have asthma and am very sensitive, it's a really disgusting odor. Of course, smoking is not permitted on work premises, but every break or lunch finds her hastening outdoors and returning smelling even worse. We share a work area, so avoiding her is impossible. She is not the only smoker at work but is the only one who carries the odor like a second skin. What to do? -- NONSMOKING SECTION

DEAR NONSMOKING SECTION: We have all been around that person who just reeks of cigarettes. Being around a heavy smoker, especially when you have a health condition, isn't fun and can even be dangerous for your health. It could cause your asthma to flare up, creating a major issue. Because of that, it goes beyond "a bad smell" and becomes a real health concern. For this reason, go to your supervisor privately and explain the situation. Say that your asthma has been kicking up because of the smoke smell, and you would like to move to another area. Get a medical note from your doctor if you have to in order to showcase the severity of the situation. While it won't improve your relationship with this woman -- but how could you have one with her anyway? -- at least it could give you some fresh air to breathe. In the meantime, try taking breaks when she comes back from smoking outside, so at least you aren't around her when the smell is worse than usual. 

Natalie's Networking Tip of the Week: Humility wins. I was in a situation recently where a person felt it necessary to give everyone unsolicited career advice upon his first introduction, and let's just say it went over badly. Everyone talked about how rude he was after he left the group. Yikes! 

Please send your relationship and lifestyle questions to nbencivenga@post-gazette.com or tweet them to @NBSeen. You can also send postal letters to Natalie Bencivenga, 358 North Shore Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15212

(This column was originally published by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.)