Dear Prudence,
How do I tell my lovely boss she stinks? She’s a smoker and while, of course, she doesn’t smoke inside the building, she does outside during work hours. Sometimes she comes in to talk to me right after she’s had a cigarette and smells just awful. And the awful smell lingers.
I guess smokers don’t realize how they smell right after they’ve had a cigarette. She’s a great boss and a wonderful person. Is there a way I can politely ask her not to come see me until it’s been at least 10 minutes after she’s had a cigarette?
—Hates Cigarette Smoke