Member-only story
She Sucked Him Dry
A vulnerable man and a narcissistic woman
I used to have a friend. He and I went out on a couple of dates and realized we were not attracted to each other in a romantic way but we enjoyed each other as friends. He had healthy relationships with other women — his sister, other female friends, friends of his former wife.
His wife, who he loved dearly, had died. He was a widower.
It was obvious during our get-togethers that he wasn’t over his wife. She had died suddenly and his grief was raw even after almost a year without her.
I told him he needed to wait longer before dating. Emotionally, he was too vulnerable.
But it’s not my job to police my friends’ love lives.
If I see something, I might offer advice once. That’s it. Because adults have to take responsibility for their own choices.
My friend and I still got together on a regular basis, often with other friends. We had many similar interests. A group of us would meet for game nights, or we’d go out for a meal. We sometimes met for coffee to talk about people we were dating. It was a solid friendship.
Then, he started dating a narcissist.
The signs were obvious. She had to be the center of his world.
