If I Were You discussion

Of course they were once friends. Must have been best friends to hate each other now. It's more of a love/hate relationship. I'm sure a woman or two was involved.

I think so..the story is complicated and so intertwined...hmmmm

They were once friends. The friendship was broken when Chris disagreed with Mark bringing Rebecca into the BDSM world. The history of their friendship has not been disseminated to us in the books.

I think they were once friends because of their love/ hate relationship. Maybe they once shared rebecca.

Reasons why you can tell they were once friends? Off the top of my head I can think of two reasons. When Dylan dies and Chris goes to the club Mark sees that Chris is taking things too far so he calls Sara. If he hadn't been a friend at one time he wouldn't have bothered to try and help Chris. When Chris is told by Mark about his mother's illness Chris tells Mark he would be there for him. Same thing, if they had not once been friends Chris would not have offered such support.

I think they were close enough because of the sex club. I think they both got really messed up there with sharing Sara. I think Mark was trying to help him deal with his pain and in the meantime Chris got hooked with all the rest.

I think they were once friends but Rebecca is what came between them. And if Rebecca came between them, Chris the good guy, Mark the bad guy, then what still holds them to each other now?

They used to be fiends but Mark had to introduce Rebecca into the world of BDSM and Chris did not approve, because she was inoccent and Chris didn't wantthatfor her......

I believe they were friends & I am sure a woman is the cause of the way their relationship is now

I believe they were once friends, but aren't anymore due to perhaps Chris' disapproval of Mark's treatment of women, even "sharing".

they were friends once but mark lead rebecca to the world of bdsm and chris wasn't happy about that. a woman can put a wedge into a friendship when work and play are shared!!!then came sara and work and play not to be repeated!!!!!

In Mark's office there was a fabulous mural that Chris had painted and Chris was also a member at Mark's club. This knowledge led me to assume that they were at least friendly acquaintances.

I definitely think they were friends. But I think their friendship dates back to pre-Rebecca. I think their contempt towards each other now stems from their similarities. They are so much alike yet they have different values when it comes to their lifestyle. Basically, they are too entwined in each other's lives to have not been friends before. If they just disliked each other from the get-go I don't think they would still communicate. They are both too straight shooting to deal with each other otherwise.

I think they were likely best friends, and I always felt like they shared several women, actually. I agree with everyone else, I think it came down to Rebecca. I think Chris maybe had developed feelings for her - not love but still feelings, and he knew Rebecca loved Mark. He also knew that Mark wasn't able to love her back. When Mark wouldn't give her up, Chris grew to resent him, even coming to hate him because of his treatment of her.

I think they must have been good friends at some point. I think the situation with Rebecca put a damper on that.

I believe they were once much closer than they are now - but not exactly friends. I think Rebecca (and then of course Sara) put a big rift between the mutual respect they had shared. I'd love to get more of their POV in that backstory!

I think they were once real close friends and perhaps maybe loved the same woman. I figure Mark needed help with the art world and Chris helped him and they ended up at "the club" together before a woman come in between them. It was a woman that tore them apart perhaps Rebecca. I think they are still friends but not as close just close enough to help each other when one might need it.

I think they were once friends due to the fact that they move in the same circles and have the same fetishes. I think Rebecca is what brought their friendship to an end and they are only business associates at this point.

I think that they were friends. They have a lot in common......artist and art gallery owner, same sexual preferences, both "alpha" males which probably led to their fallout and rivalry.

Zita wrote: "Reasons why you can tell they were once friends? Off the top of my head I can think of two reasons. When Dylan dies and Chris goes to the club Mark sees that Chris is taking things too far so he ca..."
I love this. These were my thoughts too. I think the exchange between Chris/Mark in Being Me where they have their confrontation outside the building after Sara makes her escape from Mark/Ryan was a clue to a friendship gone sour too. Chris made a comment to Mark that they 'both' know what this is about and Chris suggested Mark not to go there and Mark's reply that he is good at making suggestions he can't do himself. I'm not sure where Lisa's great mind was referring to (hoping we'll find out in one of her future books) but I think maybe another woman was involved, one before Rebecca. Maybe Amber. After all, she did bring Chris into the BDSM scene. Maybe she was with Mark first or the three of them were friends before her parents were killed.

I think so and then things happened.

Usually it is a member of the opposite sex that causes problems between friends. Could it have been Rebecca? Or could it have been something else?

I think they were definitely friends. I keep wondering if they were both involved with the same woman at one time.

I think that they were friends once because Chris seems to know a lot about Mark when he warns Sarah about him. They seem to have similar characteristics and run in similar circles. But the animosity between the two seems deeper than casual acquaintances. There seems to be a personal subtext. I wonder when or if that back story will be revealed. If they weren't friends, then they might have been frenemies. Good Q.

I think they were. There's clearly history there and they wouldn't be at each others throats if they were just casual acquaintances. And the fact that Mark called Sara when Chris was back at the club shows that he cared about him so they must've been close once. But I think there's been a major falling out at some point. Maybe even before Rebecca. Or maybe the situation with Rebecca was just the culmination of it.

I think they were friends once. I can't seem them being best friends but at the very least they were once on better terms than what they were in If I Were You. They share a lot of the same interests and know a lot about each other. I think Mark's relationship with Rebecca contributed to their falling out.

Yes they were but as thing happen friendship are haard to hold Uj roo\\

I think there's clearly some sort of history between them. For them to dislike each other so much now, they had to have been best friends. Maybe almost as close as brothers at one time. And it had to have been something huge, probably a woman, to cause the rift.

Definitely friends, who else would know how to push each other's buttons as well as they do to each other?

I think they were friends at some point. Chris was too concerned about Mark introducing Rebecca to the BDSM world for them to just be acquaintances. They also know each other too well for them to just have business dealings in the art world or from knowing each other through the club.

Absolutely they were friends. Chris painted the mural on Mark's office wall. Chris was unhappy with Mark drawing Rebecca into the BDSM world, as he thought she was to young and naive.

I think they were. Mark being a galleey owner and Chris being an artist. It opened alot of doors for Chris that probably werent there before. Then tge whole Rebecca thing, and poof it all went to hell per se.

I think the consensus is that yes they were once friends but what broke that friendship is definitely debatable. Hopefully in the remaining books we'll get more insight into their history.

i think they were friends in a way.. Chris being an artist and Mark being the gallery owner.. as well as being both a member of the BDSM club..