==
In the game of seduction, there is only one rule: Never fall in love
==
Josh found it much to his good fortune that not only was Lance going to attend Manchester in the fall, but that Lance himself was staying with Josh's aunt while his parents looked for a house. How was that for irony?
He pulled up to the large country mansion in his car. `The one I don't plan to lose,' he thought.
Out in the gardens, where Josh could neither hear nor see, was his aunt, Helen Valmont, and Lance, riding two horses. They were having a pleasant everyday conversation, and Lance was enjoying himself quite well. The gunshot startled him. The second one frightened him.
Helen laughed and said, "Joshua's home."
Lance had no idea who she was talking about. They rode their horses to an open area in the gardens, and Lance caught sight of a tall, brunette man in very stylish clothes. He suddenly felt a little foolish in his blue jeans and white shirt.
Josh heard the approaching horses and turned around, smiling when he saw his aunt and Lance. "Aunt Helen!" he exclaimed, running over to her. She got off her horse and they hugged, and Lance felt very awkward.
"Joshua, this is Lance Hargrove. Lance, this is my nephew Joshua." Lance nodded his hello and turned to dismount his horse, but he felt Josh's hands around his waist, pulling him down. "Thank you," he said, a little shortly. It had taken a moment, but Lance remembered who Josh was perfectly from the letter.
"Aunt Helen, why don't you go whip us up some of that famous iced tea of yours? I'll show Lance around." Helen smiled and nodded, and Josh took Lance's hand in his, pulling him along.
"So, how do you like the country so far?" Josh asked as they reached the steps up into the back part of the mansion.
"It's very lovely," he said.
"So... I read your manifesto. I found it a little... appalling."
"Really? Most people praised me for it."
Josh looked at Lance in disbelief. "Who are you to criticize something you've never even experienced?"
"I wasn't criticizing it, I just think that you shouldn't experience the act of love until you -are- in love."
"And you're not in love?"
Lance looked at Josh before saying, "Look, you can stop wasting your time, I know perfectly well why you're here, and it isn't to give me grief about my beliefs. I know that you promise anyone you've got your mind set on the world, just so you can get them in bed."
Josh wasn't prepared for that one, and Lance having the one up on him would certainly make the whole thing harder. "Who...who told you that?"
"A friend wrote me," Lance said simply.
"We'll that's a little tacky."
"That's not the point, the point is that you can go back to the city and stop wasting your time, because your mind games aren't going to work on me."
Josh gave Lance a sarcastic smile. "Well, it's just too bad for you that I'm here visiting my aunt, isn't it?"
They'd known each other for five minutes and they already despised one another.
*
Justin stood outside the door of the large room in Joey's house, watching as he played the cello, his teacher sitting behind him, arms guiding Joey's, and Justin got more than a teaching vibe from the both of them.
He looked over, and saw a small box resting on a bookshelf. He knocked it onto the floor, turning to his Vietnamese maid. "Mai Lee! I'm so sorry, I've told her about doing that before."
Joey smiled. "Hi Justin. This is Chris, he's teaching me how to play the cello."
Chris nodded a hello to Justin, and Justin just have him a half grin. "Do you have a moment, Joey?"
Joey nodded. "We were done. See you tomorrow, Chris?" Chris smiled at Joey and patted his shoulder before taking his music and leaving the room.
"Chris is a student at a musical college, and he's working on his first musical play. He's also really good at listening to problems and stuff," Joey babbled, moving his arm in invisible motions.
"That's great, Joey. I was thinking, though, that me and you should go out. How does a picnic sound?"
Joey grinned in excitement, and Justin had to hold back an insult.
They got to the park and laid out the things Justin had brought, and soon they were drinking fine wine and eating pâté. Not Joey's idea of a picnic, but whatever made Justin happy.
"So, rumor has it that you are Court Reynolds are an item," Justin said, making it sound like casual conversation. Joey nodded. "Oh yeah, but all he ever does is talk about this psychotic loser that he dumped during the summer."
"Psychotic loser... how interesting. And have you and Court... you know..." Justin prodded.
"Oh no!" Joey said, a look of shock on his face. "I'm not really all that interested in Court, anyways. Plus, I've never even been to first base with someone."
"Well, haven't you ever tried on one of your friends?"
Joey looked at Justin like he had just grown another head. "Um, no." Justin grinned and shifted positions so he was face to face with Joey. "Well, how are you ever going to get good if you don't practice?"
"I... I don't, I mean..."
"Just do as I say, all right? Just close your eyes, I promise, I'll go slow." Joey did as he was told, and Justin leaned in, his mouth brushing Joey's for just the briefest of moments. "See," Justin said as he pulled away. "That wasn't so bad."
Joey, eyes still closed, smiled. "No, that wasn't bad at all. That was fun!" Justin rolled his eyes quickly before Joey could see, and then said, "Now this time, I'm going to put my tongue in your mouth, and you're going to rub your tongue on mine, and that's what getting to first base is. Are you ready?"
Joey nodded, and Justin moved in again, probing Joey's mouth with his tongue. Joey's mouth opened and it rubbed against Justin's, licking it as if it was a popsicle or an ice cream cone. Before pulling away, Justin gently bit down on Joey's tongue.
"That was so cool," Joey said, in awe.
"Now maybe you could practice on your friend Chris sometime," Justin said, going for the casual suggestion tone again.
"Wh...what?" Joey asked, looking at Justin with wide eyes.
"You do like him, don't you?" Justin questioned, leaning back, sticking his shoulders out.
Joey stood up suddenly, putting his hand on his forehead and pacing back and forth. "I do! I like him so much! I just... I don't know!" Joey sat back down, and he looked at Justin with a secretive, gleeful look. "He writes me love letters you know."
Justin grinned in mock happiness and surprise. "Love letters? All right Joey, here's what I want you to do. Have you saved the letters?"
Joey nodded. "In one of my old boxes of legos."
"All right, I want you to make copies of the letters and bring them to me. If there's one thing I'm good at, it's love letters."
"All right! This is great! Um, Justin? Do you like... wanna hang out this weekend or something?"
Justin just gave Joey a falsetto friendly look. Inside, he was already forming a plan inside his head.
Maybe he wouldn't need Josh to bring Court down.
Then again, watching the whole thing would be one hell of a great time.
*
