Rebecca and I had lunch at a local Italian restaurant to talk about Eric. I'd gotten the day off from JD. He knew something was up.

He said, "Andrew, you can always talk to me if you need to. And don't ever worry about taking a personal day when you have to."

I smiled, hung up, and grabbed my gym bag to meet Rebecca.

*****

"What I don't understand is this, Andrew..." she said. "Why would Eric think of having an affair with me? I mean, has he ever talked to you about being bisexual?"

Of course he hadn't, and I told her so. She met me outside my gym at the local Starbucks.

"It's so weird... do you think he's having some sort of pre-mid-life crisis? Or maybe some identity crisis?"

I didn't know. I confessed to her about the problems we'd had with Mark Fitzgerald, how we'd both had sex with Mark and that it had almost torn us apart. I talked about the counseling retreat and our inability's to fix our "sex problems." I thought, in our own way...we were on the road back to a normal relationship.

"Then why, Andrew? Why would he do this?"

Neither of us could figure it out. But I did have an idea...

"Rebecca, there's a clinic in San Diego for sexual compulsives. I had a friend from my old catering job go there -- he said it was wonderful. I don't know for sure if Eric is sexually compulsive, but maybe it's a place to start. They have therapists, they have group therapy sessions -- but you have to check yourself in and you have to have a sponsor, too."

"There's no way Eric would do that. He's so proud, and he's in denial, don't you think?"

I agreed -- he definitely had no idea how messed up he was. I could just imagine what Eric would do if either of us talked to him about this. Jesus, he'd freak out if he even knew I was talking to her.

"I don't know what else to do, Rebecca. I feel so awful about involving you in all of this -- I mean, you're getting such a raw deal. I'm embarrassed for Eric, I can't believe he would lead you on like this... I'm sorry."

She grabbed my hand across the table...

"Andrew -- I think we can safely assume Eric -- whether he wants to admit it or not -- is gay. And you're obviously a good person... and I think deep down, Eric is a good person too. I don't know what he's done in the past, but I think his future is a mess if he doesn't take care of this. The only solution I can think of -- to get him to a clinic -- is..." she trailed off.

"What, Rebecca? Tell me!" I said.

She paused... "What about an intervention, Andrew? I know they're kind of "textbook" but they do work. Are you close with his parents?