Our Reader to Reader Question of the Week:

Dear Readers,
, they freak out other women. I didn’t know such females existed until a couple of years ago. Out of a clear blue sky, a woman I had known for years suddenly con-fessed that she was in love with me-and had been for a long time. I didn’t know how to act. I was shocked and dumbfounded, totally un-prepared for such a confrontation. Apparently, I was too naive to get the signals she had been sending out. What’s more, the whole thing seemed revolting. Needless to say, I terminated our friendship then and there. I don’t want a recurrence of this unpleasant episode, yet how do I avoid it? I am 35 and have never been married. I was shy as a teenager and didn’t date much. I never learned how to attract men and probably never will. I am busy with my work and reasonably happy. While I would like a man, I won’t die if one doesn’t come along. How can I avoid future advances of this kind? Once in a lifetime is enough, thank you.