Don’t work for him.

You’re already in a messy romantic relationship. That might be fine for now (it’s life experience, you seem to be decoding it, and you can walk away whenever you want). But a job? That’s something else. The power dynamic is off, and you haven’t been able to figure out boundaries. You don’t want to attach this relationship to your resume. Also, you need to be able to limit your interactions with him if you need to. What if you decided it was over, but you had to show up for work the next day? That would not be good.

Tell him you prefer to separate romantic connections from your work life. Then ask for a status update – because you need to know why he desires your company. If he wants to spend time with you and hook up occasionally, you can make decisions accordingly. If he wants to date and see where it goes, that might be OK – you’ll have to decide. Maybe he isn’t sure about his intentions, but he could be honest about that, at the very least.

You’ve already taken time off from him, and I suspect you’ll need to do that again in the future. Be prepared to walk away whenever it feels right.

Don’t let the “famous artist” thing affect your choices. You want to be treated well, and if that’s not happening, you can go. There will be other, less confusing professional opportunities. Look out for them.

– Meredith

Readers? Where are the boundaries here? Would it be possible to end the romantic relationship and shift the focus to work? Has anyone had a similar experience?