"This place doesn't feel like Mocha Daze, does it Fran?"

We were at the Insomnia Cafe, having a quick bite to eat, croissant and coffee, before heading to some flea markets in Pasadena.

The trip to San Francisco was now in the history books for me. The flight back was uneventful except for some turbulence and coincidentally, the same flight steward was on board who slipped me his number, saying "let's grab a bite to eat sometime." Yeah, I knew what he'd like to bite.

"Did you find anything out up there?" she asked.

I told her I hadn't-- that I felt like a big dork for mistrusting Eric and said my espionage days were over-- for good.

I told her, "You know, things are far from perfect for he and I but I'm not going to drag it down any further by accusing him of having an affair. And this Rebecca Granville seems to be good for him, you know, a good friend who obviously knows he's gay and doesn't care. I think it's terrific that Eric has a friend at work that he can trust and be gay with."

"And what's her story? Poor little rich girl fag-hag? That doesn't fly with me," said Fran.

I told her Rebecca didn't really have a story, not that I knew of. That she didn't really work, did some fundraising and volunteer work for her father's clinic... and that was it.

*****

I'd just found an incredible pair of 50's chairs-- original fabric, blonde

wood--for a pretty good price. Fran came up and managed to get them for even less than I had gotten the old man down to.

"Look, the veneer is coming off here, that costs a lot to replace. I'll give you one-fifty for the pair."

The guy finally gave in and we were thrilled. They were worth twice that. On the way back to the car, dragging the chairs, Fran asked, "Hey, Drew... what about Eric going to San Francisco when he said he was going to Las Vegas? I mean, doesn't that just seem odd?"

She was right.

I'd thought about that the whole way back from San Francisco. I just figured the meeting city had changed, or he was wrong in the first place. I was going to find a time to ask Eric about it, nonchalantly.

But Fran didn't buy it, "Eric never makes mistakes like that, Drew. And you said they never even did one work-related thing on the trip. I mean, he didn't want you to go to Las Vegas because he said they were going to be in conferences the whole time-- then it changes to San Francisco and then they don't do any work. He and Rebecca just party the whole time... isn't that strange?"

What was so strange about it, I thought. I'd lost them for several hours, maybe that was when they were working.

No, Eric was definitely there on work. Of that I was sure.

Fran rolled her eyes and growled, "Denial is not a river in Egypt, Drew."