Maintain cool during encounter with an ex

Kelli Flournoy knew that one day she'd bump into her ex-boyfriend in the Atlanta suburbs where they grew up, dated and eventually split. She even rehearsed all the possible scenarios in her head. "Would I play it cool?" the 26-year-fashion stylist wondered.

Because the breakup hadn't been the most pleasant, Flournoy was leaning more toward icy than sweet. Then last month it happened, at a nightclub in Atlanta, four years after they had parted ways.

There was chit-chat and a showering of compliments, but when her ex started rubbing her shoulder and telling her how beautiful she looked, "I just walked off thinking to myself, 'Eat your heart out!' "

Bumping into the ex is rarely a joyous event. Maintaining one's composure is paramount.

"It's almost always going to be an awkward moment," said Sandra Ann Miller, a Los Angeles-based author whose book, "A Girlfriend's Guide to Getting Over Him," hit shelves this winter. "Of course, it's great if you're having a great hair day. It's not so great if you're wearing a pony tail and track pants."

How things ended might indicate how the meeting will go. "It's mostly awkward if the relationship ended poorly," said Miller who offers these tips on navigating the awkward bump-in:
# If you see each other in passing, a simple smile or wave is always classy.
# If you're right next to each other, a courteous hello "is the nice thing to do. But rolling your eyes and huffing out of the room is never a good tactic."
# Once you've said hello or made your friendly gesture, don't look back. Ever.
# Avoid those places where you know he or she will likely be, even if it was "your place" to begin with.