Anyway, he was up for a job to design the new Media Center for a private University and invited me to lunch. However, I was so angry at what had happened that morning that all I did was fume through the Watercress salad in front of me...
"I'll tell you, Billy -- he's gone behind my back for the last time."
I was relaying what Eric had done last night. Once again, Eric, who thinks he always knows what's best for me -- called Mark Fitzgerald without telling me and told him to continue with the lawsuit against Rudy Marinaro.
"Does he know the entire story about why you ended the lawsuit, meaning your decision to cut off ties with Mark?" Billy was famous for cutting to the chase.
He was right. I hadn't filled Eric in on every last detail about my talk with Mark. But he still shouldn't have called Mark without my permission. "I'd never do that to him."
"You're right on that one." Billy agreed and ordered another guava iced tea.
Billy also agreed that I had a right to be pissed off. "Joint decisions a couple should make together."
"But it doesn't end there. When I got home and checked the machine, there were two messages from Mark Fitzgerald asking if it was okay to continue, asking with that sound in his voice-- that sound that means he's clearly thrilled-- if I knew about Eric's call to me. Thank God we never had sex, thank God it stayed with one simple make out session. Or two. And thank God Mark isn't after Eric or I'd be as single as a black widow spider!"
Billy didn't get the reference to black widow spiders till I reminded them that the female of the species murdered her mate directly after they copulate, hence she's always single. But Billy DID get that I was in a bind and that I didn't know what to do about Mark Fitzgerald. He suggested I get Mark and Eric in the same room and really spell things out. He recommended I also get a different attorney, even though we both agreed that'd be kind of stupid as Mark had done all the research and filing of court papers.
"Remember, Andrew," Billy said, "there is no such thing as an easy relationship. They're all hard, they all have ups and down, we all fight and make up. I think you and Eric, in some bizarre way, are meant to be together. That's why you met -- and yes, it's gonna be hard, and yes, you're gonna want to move out and be free from time to time. But look at what's good, Andrew. Look at what you DO have, and look around at all those guys who would kill to have that... it'll put you right back into perspective, trust me."
Nothing like a straight man's point of view when you're really confused.
