I have been seeing this guy for the past month. He is great in bed, but I worry that he thinks we are in a quasi-relationship and is getting a little too attached. He wants to tell our friends about us, but I have just been avoiding the question. To make matters more complicated, he is the brother of one of my roommates so he drops by all the time unannounced. How do I get him to stop coming over all the time? And how should I respond to his emotional intensity?

Congratulations! You just asked the million-dollar question. If only I knew the answer to that one…

I must admit, you really do need help. Not only are you stuck in the “my booty call is getting too attached” dilemma (which by the way you just proved happens to girls also) but you got to deal with a major complication as well!

His freakin’ sibling is your roommate? I think you just set a new standard for fucked up shit.

I’ll be honest: my instinct is telling me to tell you that you are pretty much screwed. Up to your neck in some kind of unidentified green goo. But that wouldn’t be very nice. So, being the (cough) gentleman that I am, I’ll do my best you give you some pointers.

What you want to establish first is, is he worth it? Because to me, the obvious solution would be to dump him. But if he’s really that great in bed, or if you think that maybe you could fall for him eventually, you should probably consider the alternatives first.

Speaking about alternatives, it’s not like you have that many to chose from. But worry not! After a very painful brain-rattling session, I came up with two (!) possible plans to make that guy understand that you need your space.

My first brilliant idea: Talk to him (any ungrateful reaction vaguely resembling a “thanks captain obvious” will be met with severe punishment.) Wait, there’s more.

So you talk to him, and try to explain in the nicest possible way that he is slowly draining the life energy out of you. Thankfully, you’re not the first person this has happened to, which gives you an abundance of clichés to chose from. Here’s an arbitrary selection:

“I need my space”

“I’m not looking for a relationship right now”

“I feel like I have no privacy with you dropping by unannounced all the time”

“I think I may have pinkeye?”

“What has a tail, a head, is brown and has no legs?” * (Granted, that last one will probably just buy you some time)

Seriously though, once you’ve jumped in, the conversation should flow by itself. The hard part is bringing it up. I guess you could just pout all day until he asks you what’s up. That’s what I would do. Or get really drunk with him, but that can always backfire.

Ok so, brilliant idea number two: Let’s say you really want to avoid the whole “let’s talk” thingy. You could always go for subtlety. Just grow increasingly distant. Don’t reply to texts that often, tell him you’re busy, especially when he drops by to “see his brother.” In theory, he should get that he’s being too involved. In theory. Then again, men are pretty clueless creatures…

In the end, whether you go for the direct or indirect approach, your success will largely be determined by a factor you can’t really control: His reaction. Of course, chances are that he is a mature, reasonable individual who would rather see a little less of you than lose you completely, and he’ll start putting effort into not being so clingy.

OR he’ll just go into a nervous breakdown, cry like a baby and beg you to stay with him, because you see, he loves you. If that’s the case, we are pretty much back to square one: You’re screwed.

Send your questions to mmaier@manhattanmedia.com or via twitter @N_YPress.

* Yes, you curious scoundrels, there is an answer to that riddle: A penny! Good one, no?

I have had a crush on a friend of a friend for a while now, and he recently (about 2 months ago) broke up with his long-term girlfriend. We got a bit tipsy and hooked up a couple of weeks ago, and I think he’s a bit freaked out. I really like him, am really regretting my inebriated mistakes, and I just don’t know what to do! Is there a shot at something still happening there, or have I screwed it all up?

Ahhh the ol’ dip your toe in the water game, eh? Checking to see if maybe the water is warm enough that you can strip your clothes off and swim in bed for an afternoon or two. What is lacking from your question, and is seemingly a telltale sign, is whether or not he has had a crush on you all this time. It’s good that you waited those two months, because if you think he’s freaked out now, I can guarantee you would’ve woken up with a chicken scratch note on your pillow if you had acted any earlier.

So, have you screwed it up? No. There is something salvageable here. From the ashes may rise a relationship, or a continuous hook up. Or whatever you want. But right now, back off. Give him space. The reason this hook up happened to begin with, was because at one point you seemed unattainable to him. You were his friend who he could talk to about relationship bull, grab a beer, hang out, etc. And in turn he found out about your love life, which gave room for the maturation of friendliness to sexiness. But in the leap and bound the two of you took, the mystery is gone.

GET IT BACK!

Be laid back. Don’t let on that you care. Flirt with other dudes. I hate game playing, but in this case it’s the only thing that is going to work. You need to fuck with his head any style you can. If he flirts with a girl, don’t try getting possessive. Don’t make that snide joke that you think is cute, “Hey, which one of us are you going home with tonight? Hahaha, no I’m kidding.” Well it’s not funny. It’s creepy. Just let the shit slide for a while. Either he’ll come to you, or he won’t. If he doesn’t, then in the process of making him jealous, maybe you’ll find yourself a new beau.

I’ll tell you straight up though, the girlfriend thing shouldn’t have anything to do with his reaction. I know it takes a while to get over your ex, but two months should be the max (unless he’s hooking up with her behind your back, in which case you need to drop the whole situation because that’s a Western mess). If the hook up happens again, make sure it happens under sober circumstances. Drunken hook ups are what they are, an act of disrespectful lust (awesome), but if you want more, get it done on sober terms.