As I straightened out Eric's home office, I had a heated discussion with myself.

'Okay, I've gotten myself in the smallest little bind here. Eric knows something about what happened with me and Mark at the book store. He wouldn't even make eye contact with me after midnight at the New Year's Eve party... He has to know something. So....So, what should I do?'

'Tell him. Pay no attention to Greg -- tell him, tell him the truth and tell him it'll never happen again, tell him how much I love him and that I just made out with Mark for an hour in his convertible -- to make sure the man I really loved was Eric...'

'Yeah -- he'll believe that. NOT!'

Ring-ring...ring-ring...ring-ring...

I picked up the office phone without even thinking.

"Hello?ä

ãHalloo?ä asked a very confused woman. Shit! Eric's Mom.

ãOh, Hello, Mrs. Espinoza....uh, no, Eric's not home. This is uh, Andrew. Andrew. Andrew McKinley, Eric's --- uh, roommate....Yes, nice to talk to you....I'm not sure...no, we didn't go to college, we met at a bar actually....

Geez, this woman's nosy. I tried to find a way to end the conversation, but she was like a cop, firing questions like a machine gun. I heard the lock, and knew it was Eric.

ãERIC!ä I called out. ãTelephone!ä He ran into the office with a panicked look on his face.

"Oh, he's home now, Mrs. Espinoza....hang on a second, he's just comin' in...It's your Mom." I said, stating the obvious.

He got on the phone mouthing silently, ãWhy the hell did you pick up this line??!ä

I stemmed the lightning strike of anger inside me, and shrugged, ãI forgot. Sorry.ä

ãHi, Mom....yeah, we're, I mean, I'm looking forward to seeing you too."

Eric glances in my direction with that last comment. God, look at him, he's a different person when he's speaking to his family. He's like a stranger.

I have to tell him about Mark and the book store. I have to.

He'll understand. He'll understand. He has to understand that it was just one time, just a moment when I was stupid, when I lost my mind, lost control. I mean, I can cope with him being weak about his parents. He can certainly cope with one little indiscretion. I'll tell him as soon as he gets off the phone.