Though Justin has always had his violent tendencies, he was never a bully. If you don't provoke Justin, he would prefer to let you alone. His close encounter with Zach, nearly hitting a guy he knows couldn't take it, and for no reason at all but unfounded jealousy, hurts Justin deep in his conscience, and in the following days, he makes an effort to make it up to his housemate, and offers to make him special dinners, Indian or whatever, whenever he wants. "Well, after Eleanor's parents leave," Justin sighs, "I have to go shopping now, she wants to have another BBQ here for them, so they can meet Xtina this time." Zach ends up coming along for the ride, asking him questions about his food selections, like kid on a field trip. Justin decided to try something new for this BBQ, he's making his own sausages, and ostrich meat & apple recipe he's been wanting to try, a little too gourmet for most of his housemates, but perfect for Eleanor's bitch-mother. Zach is very curious about ostrich meat. "I've never tried it," he says, "I didn't know you could eat them..." Justin laughs, "If you can kill it, you can eat it." The last thing he picks up is flowers, for Eleanor.

They stop for a cup of tea before leaving: Justin didn't ask for Zach to be around all day, but since he is, he might as well learn what he can, what Zach knows about Eleanor's family. Zach tells him Eleanor's mother is an heiress, from one of the wealthiest families in the country. He was beginning to suspect something like that, but it is the last thing he wanted to hear. "She might as well be a princess," Justin says quietly, forgetting for the moment Zach might be listening. "Her family goes pretty far back," Zach says, "I'd bet they come from royalty somewhere in their background." Justin shakes his head gravely, "Could it get any worse?" Zach pauses to think for a moment, and then answers, "Well, at least they don't practice arranged marriages anymore, not completely anyway, so the only thing they can hold over her head is money." Where Zach comes up with this stuff, Justin has no idea.

Another BBQ for Eleanor's bitch-mother, another day of cooking & emotional torment, a more torturous recipe of pleasure mixed with pain than he usually prefers. He can feel the tension between mother & daughter as he comes out on the patio: and both of them are getting sauced up. He hates the effect the bitch has on his Eleanor: she is his enemy.

Justin did much more than just sausages. He doesn't get many opportunities to cook for people outside his household, so while he hates the bitch and the fact that she treats him like he's not even there, he loves that she can't help but make satisfied little noises as she eats his cruettes.

He can't talk to Eleanor much, and he tries not to look at her. He tries focusing on the party, taking pride in watching them all gather around his food. He talks to Xtina's boyfriend about gaming, tries not to think about Eleanor's skin, restrains his hands from reaching behind him & pulling her into his embrace.

"This sausage would make an excellent pizza topping, Justin," Zach comments. At first a bit insulted, Justin mulls over the possibility. He's never really experimented with pizza, but it's a California culinary tradition.