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" Dear E. Jean: My best friend/business partner and I are thick as thieves. We get in trouble together, we talk about everything\u2014sex, men, life, you name it. There have been times when I&amp;#039;ve given her money and vice versa, but never more than $300. Here&amp;#039;s the problem: Some time ago, we made a bet\u2014$1,000 was at stake. I won. But I&amp;#039;m not sure how to ask her for the money. It&amp;#039;s a big chunk! I&amp;#039;m in desperate need of the $1,000! How do I approach her?\u2014Nervous Wreck Nervous, my nasturtium: Of course you&amp;#039;re &amp;quot;desperate&amp;quot; for the $1,000, God knows we all are. But forget it. And if you love her, tell her to forget it, too. These days, when the stock market is behaving like the baby in Family Guy, we must keep our friendships in good repair, not tear them to shreds over minor coin. P.S. Next time you want a &amp;quot;flutter,&amp;quot; as P. G. Wodehouse calls it, keep the sport under $25. You&amp;#039;ll enjoy the same thrill of trouncing your opponent (which is what wagering is all about), and you&amp;#039;ll still get the chance to show what a good loser you can be with frisky remarks like, &amp;quot;Yes, you won, but only because my thighs are thinner.&amp;quot; Business, you know, may bring money, but friendship hardly ever does.\u2014Jane Austen "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.elle.com/life-love/ask-e-jean/q-and-a/a9689/ask-e-jean-betting-owing-money-to-friends/>