"Hey, man... wanna grab a bite?" John Daniel asked.

"Sure," I said and grabbed my Levi jacket. We took his car, a smooth, blue Jaguar convertible and zipped over to Robertson. I loved it when John Daniel paid.

We sat in the sun. It was just the right temperature and John Daniel asked if he could order for me when the waiter arrived. I agreed, and he had a field day.

"We'll start with the Seafood Ceviche, and some warm corn tortillas instead of bread. Then Andrew McKinley here will have the Crab Cakes and I'll have your Cobb Salad, Gorgonzola instead Bleu, and roasted chicken instead of turkey and no Avocado. Two glasses of your dryest Chardonnay and something sparkling... and can I see the dessert menu now, because I think I want the Raspberry souffle."

The waiter got it all and minced away, knowing he was in for a huge tip.

"So! Andrew McKinley, my favorite employee... how the hell are you?"

"Pretty good," I said. "Home life is status quo at the moment, and I gotta say, I love this job."

The wine arrived shortly and John Daniel toasted.

He said, "Here's to you handling the Beverly Hills matrons the way you do. I could never manage that. You're a God, Andrew. A downright God."

We clinked.... hmmm.... I was getting vibes like crazy... what was this lunch really about?

"You know I'm married, Andrew. And I have two little girls. Well... my wife and I are thinking of separating." He paused and I could see him fighting a wave of emotion. "It's the best thing for all of us. I'm going to be leaning on you a lot more at work over the coming months since my home life will be in transition...I'm gonna really depend on you."

I felt bad for him. I knew what kind of pain he was in. "John Daniel, I'm here when you need me. Whenever you need to talk or hang out, just give me a call."

"You mean that?"

I told him I did. And noticed his green eyes. Very, very green... I stopped him before he could say what we both knew was coming.

"I'm pretty sure Eric and I are going to be able to work out our problems, John Daniel. I really want it to work with Eric and me. You should know that."

He smiled. He got it. We finished our lunch casually... as friends.

*****

Back at the office, a letter waited for me on my desk. I recognized the handwriting this time. It was from Mark Fitzgerald:

Dear Andrew:Miss me?  Just kidding.  I just want you to know how sorry I am for everything that happened.  I'm in a clinic back east for the next few months.  I have so much to work on, so much to figure out.  I am devastated that I may have destroyed your relationship with Eric.  I realize now, how damaged I was... and am.  I'm in some intensive therapy for sex addiction and really beginning to see things clearly for the first time in my life.  I hope one day that we'll be able to speak, that one day we'll be able to be friends again.... I know this is unlikely but you've been one of the most important people in my life... and you always will be.  I love you, Andrew.  I'm sorry.  Love, Mark