Justin

The house is quiet, and there is no chance of roomates walking in at anytime. He at last has Eleanor in complete privacy, and it changes the way she talks to him, even just in casual conversation, she lets her voice caress him here the way she only does in his bed & in his car. It could be like this all the time, he thinks, if there weren't any roomates at all, and he wonders how long she is going to want to live like they do at home.

He tried a citrus asparagus saute recipe he got online, and he's really happy with the way the orange zest & pecans work with the asparagus and shitake mushrooms. Justin will feed anyone who is around when he's cooking, but it's especially gratifying when your cooking impresses someone who grew up with a professional chef and staff to serve her family.

Justin can't stand having dirty dishes around, and two of his three housemates are complete slobs, so he cleans up after meals himself as a habit, for his own peace of mind.

Once he's satisfied there aren't any food remnants left out to spoil, he can take Eleanor up in his arms & carry her upstairs, and make love to her all night. By now he's completely forgotten this is Mercedes' house & that he was wary of coming here. He's completely relaxed & comfortable in a way he hasn't been since...well, ever.

But she is here on Mercedes' business & has to show the house the next day. They sleep until mid-morning & Justin gets himself out of bed after Eleanor is dressed. He comes out of the shower to see her on the phone: she's wearing a suit he's never seen her wear, and in that moment, at that angle...Sister Mary Margaret, he thinks with a shudder & his knuckles tingle in rememberance of his third grade teacher. She turns to him when she finishes the call & the illusion is wonderfully dispelled: Eleanor looks nothing like the dour Sister...though that suit does seem painfully suited to the bitter virgin that called him Satan's own bastard. "Do I look that bad?" she asks in a tiny voice that stabs him in the heart, he's hurt her feelings & that's the last thing he wants to do.

"You're beautiful, Elle," he says, and he tickles her, avoiding mention of the horrible suit. But she won't let it go, she says Mercedes' friend will be here to see the house in a few hours & she needs to look good. Justin knows there is not likely to be anything better in her suitcase, there is nothing in her entire wardrobe, were it here to choose from, that would impress the likes of Mercedes Arthag & her friends.

And unless Mercedes' friend spent third grade with Sister Mary Margaret, she isn't likely to have quite the same nauseated response to Eleanor's suit that he had. Not about to set one foot on the road to discussing his childhood, Justin skips the explanation & gets straight to what is at issue here: she wants to make a good impression on this woman, and now she's worried her suit isn't good enough. "Clothes are not as important as you think, Elle. People respond to what you project," he says seriously, drawing her face so close to his their lips brush together as he speaks, "Eleanor, you know you're smart enough & strong enough to handle anything. Just take that confidence you project in your walk & wear it when you're standing still." Justin's business involves a lot of show & costumes, and clothing does convey meaning, but he knows he could be more menacing in pink tights than most guys could manage even dressed in Justin's most violent gear: it's all a matter of attitude.

After he kisses her, her spirits rise. She has enough time for him to make lunch & clean up before Mercedes' friend is due to arrive, and then to get out of her way while she's showing the house, he'll take the boat out on the lake.

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