They were friends for many years before they became 'lovers'.
She left her husband and ran away with her 'lover'.
His wife accused him of having a secret 'lover'.
(..) And I hope that it won't color your opinion of Leonard, who is not only a wonderful guy, but also, I hear, a gentle and thorough lover. I did what I could. Hey, Raj. Hey, listen. I don't know if you heard about what happened last night. (..)2007 TvShow: The Big Bang Theory Title: The Big Bran Hypothesis Season: 1 Episode 2