Dear Prudence,
Through my job, I have recently acquired a few new clients in pretty “fun” industries: One is a professional sports team and one is a film production company. My job has always involved a lot of client upkeep, including evening and weekend events, and with these particular clients, that often means attending games or receptions involving celebrities. These are not fun parties for me. They are not totally unpleasant, but above all else, they are work obligations. I spend most of them stressed out and running around like a chicken with my head cut off, because my job is to make sure the event is running smoothly. The problem is that my husband doesn’t see it that way. He gets resentful when I ask if he can watch the kids so I can work, in a way he never did when my clients were, say, accounting firms or City Hall. He constantly asks to come along and be my “date,” and keeps implying that what I’m doing is not real work like his job, but just fun parties. I don’t need a wingman. I just need to do my job and come home. Dealing with this mix of jealousy and judgment is getting really old. Do you have any advice?
—It’s a Job