"You're whole life is shit?!? Is that what you really think?"

I was stunned as I stood there in the rank-smelling bathroom, listening to Eric's tirade. Who was this man? This drunk, ugly, animous man who was hurling epithets and insults?

This wasn't Eric. This wasn't my Eric.

*****

I had never been to St. Thomas. In fact, I had never been to the Caribbean. My beach going had been limited to the California coastline, and my college spring breaks in Key West. St. Thomas was like a wonderland for me. The water was blue even when you were right on top of it. The ocean matched the blues in the sky - and was offset by the brilliant colors on-shore - reds, yellows, oranges, magentas, greens. It was a restrained paradise. It was a lazy heaven.

We swam and snorkled. Eric watched with envy as my skin turned a golden brown - as olive-skinned as he was, all he did was get red with too much sun. He didn't like that - he particularly didn't like all the sunblock I made him put on. But he did, if I would apply it...all over his body. This would inevitably take longer than a few minutes.

He was sweet and attentive. He arranged for orchids in the room. Special dinners in private verandas, and private beaches. He had planned the whole trip with such finesse, I didn't even realize the work that he put into making it perfect.

And it was perfect.

"My life is perfect," Eric whispered, laying beside me on a private beach, after we had made love by the ocean. The pulse of the incoming tide provided a rhythmic orchestra to our lovemaking, and the power of the waves and of our simultaneous orgasms had knocked both of us out.

I had never been in love like this before, I told him then. He didn't answer in words, but his eyes and then his lips and his hands told me all I needed to know.

Our life was perfect.

*****

And now, it was shit.

"Is that what you really think?" I stood waiting for him. But Eric didn't answer. Couldn't answer.

He shot an angry glance at Hugo, and then turned back to me. His face softened, looking like Eric the-man-I-loved; and then his eyes hardened, his jaw stiffened. And he rushed passed me without a word, like a scared rabbit escaping from a trap.

I let him go, understanding that there was nothing I could do to stop him. And then I turned to Hugo.'

"Why did you bring me down here?"

"He needed you, you needed to be here." He was stoic. I wondered what drugs he was on, and where he was buying his clothes.

Most of all, I was hurt and angry. "I didn't really need to be here to hear that, Hugo."

"You needed to see him as he really is," he said.

"I have seen him, Hugo. I see him every day. I'm doing everything I can for him. But I can't be there for him. Not if he thinks nothing of his life. Not if he thinks nothing of me."

"Sending him to some sexual dysfunction clinic isn't going to be the answer, Andrew."

"Well, I'm out of answers Hugo. And frankly, I don't need any suggestions from you as to how to run my life. You were his friend, too. And you left him without so much as a word. You left us all."

"I AM NOT YOUR MOTHER!!!"

I stood there as his shout echoed in the bathroom. I thought to myself that Hugo, Eric - everybody was losing their minds. 'Get me the fuck out of this drama,' I said to myself.

To Hugo, I said, "Look Hugo. You wanted me to see truth? You thought I should see Eric as he truly is? Well, I don't care what your truth is. I don't care if you don't think I'm seeing Eric in your reality. I see Eric is my reality. He's in trouble. And I'm here to help -- if I can. If he lets me. You made your life Hugo - you have to live with your choices. Now, I would appreciate it if you leave it up to the rest of us to make our lives and our own choices without your interference."

I walked out and called Eric's office to continue the preparations for Eric's intervention. And then I had to find Eric. Perfect. Just perfect.