Could it be a rose ruse, or second office admirer?

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This article was published 20/01/2026 (181 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

DEAR MISS LONELYHEARTS: At work recently, I received a beautiful bouquet of dark-red roses, wrapped in silver and white paper, with no card. I have no idea who sent them to me and I can’t ask around at work. I’m already seeing one man in management that everybody knows and he already told me it wasn’t him when I asked. He wasn’t looking too happy about it.

I guess he realized he had a rival, and no doubt it’s some guy working around him. When co-workers in my office area asked me about the sender, I told them that I honestly had no idea who sent them.

By the end of the day I still had no clue, so I didn’t take them home right away. By the next morning, they were gone.

My office boyfriend isn’t owning up to anything, but he’s acting annoyed.

I think somebody from here gave them to me secretly to intrigue me and annoy the boss. What would be a good next move for me?

— Living a Mystery, Osborne Village

Dear Mystery: The sender may have a second move of their own planned, one that finally identifies him or her to you and no one else. Bouquets of roses cost too much money to be used for a joke by most people. My guess is the mystery player really does want to be identified by you in the end — but by no one else.

Could it be your sweetie in management who sent them? Could he be trying to play out a joke with you by acting annoyed? He probably has the money to afford a gag with pricey roses and his thoughts are often on you.

Dear Miss Lonelyhearts: My live-in girlfriend is doing a mean thing to me, but sees it as a kindness to someone else.

An old boyfriend of hers is recovering from a car accident and she volunteered to drive him around to medical appointments and to rehab because she’s not working right now and he’s on crutches.

The problem is he’s single and still into her. She claims she only loves me, but I hardly see her anymore now that she’s playing nurse for him. So, he needs her that badly and I don’t?

I’m not worried about them losing their heads and having sex because he can’t even move his legs. But they are spending a lot of time together and I’m sure his lips can still kiss, and his hands can touch what definitely isn’t his.

Forgive me for being rude, but these are the pictures that pop into my mind and they are driving me crazy. I guess I’m not nearly as interesting because sex is the same old, same old with healthy me.

This week a clue popped up online. My girlfriend left her computer accessible when she ran off on a quick errand. I had a look. Guess who is writing her the words to a song? I saw the first completed verse. Obviously, the patient’s hands still work.

If I forbid her to look after him, she’s likely to say, “You’re just jealous and selfish. Go ahead and walk because he needs me way more than you do right now.” So what can I do?

— Second Best, St. James

Dear Second Best: It’s interesting your girlfriend knowingly gives the “patient” so much attention that it hurts you.

Those two were lovers once and maybe some of that feeling has come back for her, too.

If you openly battle an injured man for her love — even if it’s just with words — you will be the one who looks bad for confronting an injured man.

This leaves you one choice: bow out and let her patient have her. You’ll soon find out how much the renewed relationship with him is pleasing her.

Once she loses you, nursing her ex may grow old.

This accident may have been a catalyst for a new spark of love between them, or it may just all be mixed up with pity and will fall apart once her ex gets back on his feet.

Please send your questions and comments to lovecoach@hotmail.com or Miss Lonelyhearts c/o the Winnipeg Free Press, 1355 Mountain Ave., Winnipeg, MB, R2X 3B6.

Maureen Scurfield
Advice columnist

Maureen Scurfield writes the Miss Lonelyhearts advice column.

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