Hello All ... let the accumulated wisdom and insults flow ...

I have a "colorful friend" (friend with benefits) that I've been seeing for 2 years. We've never talked about being exclusive.

Lately I've been going with her to weddings and some events I've been invited to, for work or fun. Got invited to a colleague's wedding recently, and asked if she wanted to go with me. She said she couldn't go because she'd been contracted to cook a private party dinner that night (she works part-time as a private chef). I said no problem.So I invited a different female friend to the wedding.

Anyway, yesterday, me and chef girl are at dinner talking about how her private party catering went -- she sent me pictures on the night (via SMS) and it looked great. Then it turned to the wedding. She asked if I went alone. I kind of froze and said, no, I invited someone else. She asked for details and I said something like "it's really not worth discussing." (probably should have agreed/amplified). [I could have lied and said I went alone, but I wanted to own up and be a man].

Basically I said to her the following: I wasn't going to go to the wedding alone -- and since she had denied my request to go with me, what did she thnk would happen? (We've never talked about being exclusive -- in fact I'm pretty sure she's not).

She got all irritated/pissy and said, "Next time I have a work engagement that conflicts with something you want to do, I'll tell you how much I'm going to make -- and you can decide if you want to pay me that so I don't have to work."

My response was something like "Well, do what you need to do."

All in all I don't think I handled it great. Looking for suggestions besides "next her," as I like having her around.