“Just that they couldn’t meet until after Thanksgiving and Darren didn’t want me to know about it.”
“So, naturally, you assumed it was for fucking,” Corey said.
“What else would it be for?” I asked. “Darren doesn’t associate with twinks unless it’s to nail them.”
“Rule ten,” Paul said suddenly.
“What?”
“Rule ten,” he said. “Darren wouldn’t tell you why he was doing this because of this supposed rule ten.”
“I know,” I said. “And I still don’t understand what that was supposed to be about.”
“Seriously?” Vince asked. “You don’t know? That was the easiest part to figure out.”
We all turned slowly to gape at him.
“What?” he asked. “I knew that right away. It’s obvious. And I know I’m right, because you can’t spell convinced without Vince.”
“Hold out your hand, palm down,” I demanded.
He did.
I smacked the back of it. “Never say something like that again! Now you tell me what it means. You tell me right now.”
“You seriously don’t know?” Vince looked at each of us in turn as he shook away the sting on his hand, the big baby. “Any of you?”
We shook our heads.
Vince grinned. “I never get to know things first. Ha! How does it feel to be kept in the dark, motherfuckers! I’ve got the brains now!”
“Paul!” I barked. “Tighten your leash!”
“Vince, if you tell us, I’ll make sure we do that one thing tonight you always wanted to do to me.”
Vince flushed horribly. He coughed and said, “Are… seriously?”
“Seriously.”
“I almost want to know what that one thing is,” Corey said.
“You really, really don’t,” Paul said.
“It’s where Paul lets me lick his—”
Paul slapped a hand over Vince’s mouth. Vince waggled his eyebrows at him.
I grimaced. “Okay, let’s not get distracted here. What’s rule ten? Why did he agree to do this?”
Paul dropped his hand carefully, as if he still expected Vince to announce what he was going to lick.
He didn’t.
Instead, he said something else entirely.
Vince shrugged. “It’s because he’s in love with you.”
I fell off the chair.