Get a clue

Dear Diane: I am a happily married, 43-year-old working woman. I have a job in middle management for a large company.

A co-worker of mine, “Herbert,” is also a manager, married and in his 50s. For the past four or five years, Herbert and I have been “lunch buddies.”

Practically every day we take our lunch break at the same time, sit and chat about our families, work, office gossip – the usual things you’d expect two people with so much in common would talk about.

A few weeks ago, Herbert confessed that his marriage was on the rocks and had been for about a year. I had suspected as much, but never thought it my business to pry if he wasn’t ready to talk about it.

After telling me that he was planning to divorce his wife, Herbert asked me if I’d be interested in having an affair. I told him no way. I was in love with my husband and only thought of Herbert as a friend, not a potential lover.

Herbert then laughed, as if to pretend he was only joking and wasn’t serious about the proposition. He also laughingly commented that he would be interested in joining me and my husband in bed. Then he said something in French that made me feel uncomfortable.

Since then, I have not been to lunch with Herbert; but he often walks by my desk and whispers, “Ooh la la!”

What I am going to do?

— Shocked in Shelbyville

Dear Shocked:

You’re a manager. You know exactly what to do. Tell Herb to knock it off tout de suite or you’ll have him bounced from the company for sexual harassment. You know the procedure. Start documenting everything right away.