DR. WALLACE: I'm 19 and the guy I'm dating is 21 and we both work in the same office. We started saying hi about two weeks after he was hired. Two weeks later we were dating and have been seeing each other socially for three months. He is handsome, very intelligent and has a great sense of humor. We have lots of fun when we're together, and he has been a perfect gentleman.

Then last week a female employee told me she had to tell me something that she thought I should know. She said that another employee had told her that this guy had been arrested a year ago for physical abuse of the girl he was dating.

When I confronted him about what I thought to be just a rumor, he admitted it. He said they were at a party and this girl was flirting with another guy when he lost his cool and punched her in the face. Someone else at the party called the police and he was arrested. He said that that's the only time he ever became angry and punched a girl and he promised me that it would never happen again.

I'm still in shock at what he told me and I'm not so sure I could trust him not to be physically abusive to me. Please give me your advice about this situation. — Confused, Phoenix, Ariz.

CONFUSED: Stop debating. Eliminate this guy from your life immediately. He didn't simply argue with his date when she upset him. He punched her in the face — in public. His behavior reveals an ugly temper. It can't simply be glossed over with the words, "It won't happen again." It will. This guy needs counseling, big time.

WE SPENT FOUR DAYS FALLING IN LOVE

DR. WALLACE: I spent five glorious days while attending my aunt's wedding in Palm Springs with my family. I say glorious because it was there that I met a super guy who was also at the wedding with his parents. We spent four full days falling in love and we both cried when it came time to leave that desert oasis.

The problem is that Andrew is from Cleveland, Ohio, about 2,500 miles away, and I miss him more than I can even tell you. He is such a sweet guy that I worry that some girl there is going to nab him before I ever get a chance to see him again.

Do you think I should contact him and tell him how I feel or should I just cry myself to sleep every night, thinking about him? — Tiff, Riverside, Calif.

TIFF: You've got a very big case of the "absence makes the heart grow fonder" blues. I know you constantly relive those exciting days in Palm Springs, but you're in California and Andrew is in Ohio and it might be quite some time before you see him again, if ever.

Stay in contact with Andrew; love sometimes overcomes all odds, but don't sit around waiting for "cupid's arrow." Enjoy an active social life in Riverside just in case the "arrow" misses your heart!

I'LL KEEP THE RABBIT IN THE GARAGE

DR. WALLACE: I would like to have a pet. My friend has a pet wild rabbit. His brother caught it about two months ago and it seems very tame. They keep it in a cage and it seems to like it there. They feed it carrots and lettuce.

Now his father is saying he has to give the rabbit away or return it to the wild. I want to take the rabbit for my pet, but I want to be prepared when I present the proposal to my parents. What can I tell them so they will think it is a good idea to have a pet wild rabbit? Your help will be appreciated. I can keep it in our garage. — Zach, Angola, Ind.

ZACH: Pets are wonderful creatures and most families are enriched by their presence in the home, but wild animals belong in their natural habitats, not in a cage in the garage. Allow the rabbit to return to the wild, and then encourage your parents to accompany you to your local animal shelter and select a lovable homeless dog or cat who will give joy and happiness to you and your family!

Dr. Robert Wallace welcomes questions from readers. Although he is unable to reply to all of them individually, he will answer as many as possible in this column. Email him at [email protected]. To find out more about Dr. Robert Wallace and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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