“So the gala,” I tell her. “Scott was there.” I say his name, and I’m not angry, I’m not bitter, I’m nothing. Her eyes fly up and look at mine and then at Mark. “He knows. I told him.”

“You told him?” She slaps the table. “It took you ten years to tell me.”

“Don’t be jealous, Karrie. I love you both equally,” I tell her and then look at Mark. “Sorry. Anyway, I saw Scott and his wife, and well, then Mark caught me telling him to fuck off.”

“High-five,” Karrie says, lifting her glass at him.

“So minus all the crying and me feeling like scum for sleeping with a married man—”

“That’s enough,” Mark snaps, and Karrie looks up at him. “I’m not going to let put yourself down.” I look at him and smile and then look at Karrie.

“He’s so going to get laid for that.” I wink at her, and she drinks again.

“Like you wouldn’t bang him regardless,” she says, and I shrug.

“I professed my love to Mark,” I tell her, feeling so free. “And then we made up for lost time.”

“There will be no details of that,” Mark says, chewing. “We are not discussing that.”

“I second that,” Karrie says.

“Please, do you know the number of times I heard you and Matthew going at it?” I say, laughing.

“You did not,” Karrie says, shocked.

“You aren’t as quiet as you think you are,” I tell her. “And besides, once you left the baby monitor on, and well”—I put my hand up—“high-five for banging in the middle of the day.” But she just glares at me.

“Mark and I are together,” I say with a smile on my face. “I have a boyfriend.”

“I saw,” Karrie says.

“We haven’t figured out how or if we are going to tell people just yet, and I would like Vivienne to meet my family before we announce it,” Mark says, and I look at him. “I told you I don’t share my personal life with anyone really.”

“Buddy, you have chosen the wrong person,” Karrie says and drinks the rest of the champagne.

“Hey, no one even knew we dated before,” I tell her. “I think that it would be good to keep it to us.”

“So are you going to go to the games and whatnot to cheer for him?” Karrie asks.

“I cheered for him this whole time, and no one knew.” I fold my hands over my chest. “On the down low.”

The rest of the lunch goes smooth, and Karrie calls herself a car service to take her back to Long Island. I hug her at the door, and she waves to Mark who just nods at her.

“Go get dressed so we can go to my place,” he tells me, and I nod at him.