RIGHT... ...as a young dude I wish I had figured it out. You can get FAR more ass being honest then you can with lying.
Your situation is one of the reasons that I'm hesistant to date women that still are hanging around their exes. It makes you feel like the third person out and you know that you will never have that type of connect that they have right off the back. To me, it's not fair to your new potential bf or whomever that he has to compete with an ex for you attention. A lot times, the exes are some women's sounding board for the potential new guy in his life. Now if that ex still has feeling for the woman, then what do you think he will do when he's asked about giving heradvice about a new guy? He's going to try and make ever little mistake or misstep he makes into something big and unforgivable. From my perspective, if she's still unsure pf an ex, then she's surely not ready to date or be involed in another relationship.
When my ex and I broke up it was due to circumstances other than us basically. We wanted to be adult and stay friends. I thought about the lunch invite and declined out of respect to my new guy. Then we happened to run into each other, all 3 of us, it was uncomfortable, but we did handle it like adults. I am NOT seeing my ex and communication is only via the phone on occassion due to the fact I want to give this new relationship a fair shake
I don't understand a woman's desire to be "friends" and "friends" I think MANY (not all) mean the ability to say "hi" and "bye" without wanting to kill each other. I hang out with my "friends" chill with my "friends" when I ain't doing shit my "friends" stop over I think people use the term "friends" too loosely and most just mean "lets agree to want to choke the shit out of each other"
BoSox Lady, (If I may ask), Why? To what end? Is Mr Nice Guy ok with that? Sounds like you and/or Mr Old BF is keeping an option open. I don't really blame you, and I damn sure don't blame your ex, but I am surprised that the new BF is alright wid it. He should take my advice from an earlier post, and nail it down (literally and figuratilvely).
Some people say they are ok with alot of things when they aren't, maybe he's just watching to see what it all means and how "just talking" developes.