Forcing someone's choice through malicious or careless timing

Question

Let's say Alice needs Bob to make a decision between options 1 and 2. Bob would prefer 1. However, Alice asks Bob at such a time he cannot choose 1, so he is forced to pick 2 except in all but the most literal sense. However, it is clear to Bob that Alice could have asked him for the decision at a better time, and he is offended that Alice is being disrespectful of his agency.

Is there a word for describing Alice's behavior?

A more specific example: Alice is working for Bob. She wants to visit her family, so she buys plane tickets. She then asks Bob for permission to take the week off, explaining that she already purchased tickets. Due to a critical project going on at the time, Bob does not want Alice to take the week off, but he is unable to say no since Alice has already bought tickets (and they are non-refundable).

Another example: Bob and Alice are friends, but Bob dislikes horror movies. They agree to see a movie at Charlie's movie theater. However, when they arrive at the theater Bob becomes upset that Alice just happened to pick the one day when the only 2 movies playing are both horror movies.

In either case, the salient meaning is not the nature of the decision itself, but the fact that Alice failed to present the decision in a manner that does not undermine Bob's preference.

Answer 1

For the first situation I might say that Alice forced Bob's hand.

Force someone's hand

Make someone do something: the exchange markets may force the Fed’s hand

Phrases #3

Because she did so in a purposely inconvenient manner, I would say she forced Bob's hand unnecessarily, rudely, or prematurely (if she forced it early).

In the second situation it seems like it's just a bad coincidence, unless there's some indication that Alice knew that Bob didn't like horror movies and tricked him into coming by omission.

In either situation it could be said that Alice backed Bob into a corner. As a native speaker, I might say this is the best option because it doesn't have as much of a negative connotation.

Corner

A difficult or awkward situation: he found himself backed into a corner

Definition #1.3 (or whatever you call it)

I can't find a reference and I'm waffling between including "bent" or not, but you could also say that Alice has Bob over a barrel. Or bent over a barrel. Or she put Bob in a pickle.

Answer 2

The modern, in vogue, expression, surely, is that Alice is manipulative. At least that's how her actions would be described in Britain.

Answer 3

Alice is "a designing woman", and her actions are "calculated".

• designing (adj) - concealing crafty designs for advancing your own interest. - TFD

• "acting in a calculating, deceitful way" - ODO

• "having plans to get something in a way that is not honest or fair."The Merriam-Webster

• "He suspected his new admirer of being a designing woman who only wanted his money."

• calculated (adj) - (said of an action) done with full awareness of the likely consequences. ODO

Answer 4

Her behavior is manipulative, calculating, self-centered, underhand, disingenuous, artful, scheming.

Answer 5

She is crafty

clever at achieving one's aims by indirect or deceitful methods. "a crafty crook faked an injury to escape from prison" synonyms: cunning, wily, guileful, artful, devious, sly, tricky, scheming, calculating, designing, sharp, shrewd, astute, canny; More antonyms: honest of, involving, or relating to indirect or deceitful methods. "a shameless and crafty trick to mislead public opinion"