Strategic Mistakes
[Memory, Junior Year, November]
He had to start learning somewhere. Real life practice mattered more than whatever he could glean by reading blog posts and listening to podcasts, all these highly theoretical endeavors being well-seasoned with watching adult videos.
Twenty-one years old was old enough to start considering the practical applications of all this learning. But anywhere close to the campus was a no-go. Lyn knew he’d never live down the humiliation he’d have to face if he were discovered accidentally by one of his fellow students.
There were places he could go and observe quietly. He didn’t intend to do anything. How Brad and Alexander could hook up left and right without being affected for a moment by their fleeting relationships was beyond him.
Imagining himself in the arms of a stranger, engaging in acts that were supposed to matter, especially when done for the first time, was an impossibility. If he ever tried to do that, he risked fantasizing about Brad way more than would be healthy. And daydreaming had an unpleasant impact on his studies. He ended up not studying enough.
Night dreaming, however, was a whole different kettle of fish. That was when his mind loved playing tricks on him. Because he often found himself in dreams arguing at length with Alexander about all sorts of things, only for the dream to veer unexplainably to Lyn asking his nemesis for a kiss.
One possible explanation was that he had a penchant for masochism. Alexander was so ruthless in all their intellectual confrontations that many people wouldn’t even peg them as being friends. Brad had to save him – or Alexander on occasion – quite often, by inserting a completely dumb argument that made the two friends’ armies of tin soldiers disappear into thin air. Lyn, however, was compelled to go back, eager for another beating, again and again.
Alexander annoyed the hell out of him. He continued to sponsor Lyn quietly even when it wasn’t necessary, whether Brad was in the mood for a whole beer keg or to go clubbing off campus. One of these days, Lyn ought to tell his second best friend that they needed to keep a ledger. Any debt gone unpaid risked turning into a nasty animal later on.
He was always right. He was always calm about it, while Lyn got so passionate that Brad had to hold him back on the suspicion that he might choose to engage in physical violence just to prove a point. Funny how Lyn was completely cool and collected whenever he confronted anyone else.
And then he dreamed about asking Alexander to kiss him.
Of course, there was a completely reasonable explanation. Alexander was handsome. Women adored him, men wanted to be him, as that expression went. And Lyn knew no other more sublime satisfaction than beating Alexander in an argument.
Since he was gay, he wanted more than to be Alexander. A guy like that was perfectly tailored for fantasies, but Lyn avoided indulging in such when his eyes were wide open.
Okay, he encouraged himself. He had saved for two months to be able to go to this club and observe the gay scene for himself. Even if all he did was look, it would be worth it.
***
The music was loud, the strobing lights were dizzying, and Lyn was having a hard time doing the thing he had come to do. Sweaty bodies moved past him, pushing him randomly into other sweaty bodies, and he’d had to grab his glasses before they ended up sure victims of this night on more than one occasion.
Finally, he thought, as he spied an empty corner. He needed a breather. Then he’d watch.
He had barely leaned against the wall when a guy in a white tee and jeans joined him.
“New here?”
The stranger had to shout over the music. He looked directly at Lyn with shameless, direct eyes.
Lyn managed a short nod.
“Want me to suck you off? You’re cute.”
Lyn pulled away before the guy could touch him. “No, thank you,” he replied, hoping that he wasn’t violating some secret code of conduct.
The guy laughed and moved closer, not at all discouraged by Lyn’s rejection. “Shy? First time?”
Lyn had to nod again. “I… just thought I’d… watch,” he somehow got the words out.
“Pervert,” the stranger said and kissed him on the cheek. “Just kidding. Watch all you want, sweetheart. You’ll develop the appetite.”
Lyn wasn’t so sure. He felt itchy all over, although the stranger had been nothing but kind to him.
“I need a bit of fresh air,” he said and pushed his way through the throng of bodies, against the current, his hands trembling, sweat cold as ice running down his back.
***
The cool, clean air did him good. But Lyn didn’t feel like going back inside just yet. So many people crowded into one place meant too many stimuli he couldn’t process and control. That was something he needed to beat. After all, as a lawyer, he’d surely be required to face a numerous audience more often than not.
“I’ll be damned,” he heard a voice to his right.
His head snapped in that direction, but his brain told him he needed to run before he understood why. His feet didn’t move.
Quinn sauntered up to him, dressed just like the rest of the handsome boys in the club, white tee and light blue jeans, a warm jacket over it all, opened in front. Joe followed him quietly, his eyes on Lyn, too.
The lights from the nearby stores were enough to tell Lyn that the two jocks had him in their crosshairs. What were they doing here? This place was supposed to be far enough from campus to be safe.
“Hi, Quinn,” he said, as Joe moved to crowd him from one side. “Joe.” He nodded at the other.
“Lyn,” Quinn said in an excited voice. “I haven’t seen you here before. Do you come here often?”
The words were unnaturally neutral, but Lyn wasn’t fooled. There was no escape route for him now, unless he wanted to look like he was running away. He needed to be smart about this situation.
“Where?” he asked, pretending that they weren’t only several feet away from the club entrance. “I’m just waiting for someone.”
“Come on,” Quinn said with a smirk. “You might think we’re dumb jocks, but we saw you coming out of there.” He pointed over Lyn’s shoulder.
Lyn didn’t turn to look. “So? It’s a free country.”
“Yeah. Isn’t that awesome?” Quinn expressed his delight by slapping his palms together. “So, when did you discover your flamboyant sexuality? Was it yesterday? ‘Cause before that you were so straight you wouldn’t wear a thread of pink at gunpoint, or something like that.”
Lyn maintained his neutral expression. Joe was close enough to count as uncomfortable, but not close enough to warrant an instant rebuke. “It’s for a project. An essay,” he said.
“Wow. What’s the essay about? Anal sex? But you’re not the pre-med guy. That’s the other one. Mr. Handsome AF.”
Joe suddenly spoke, making Lyn jump half a step toward the wall. “Quinn, let’s leave the guy alone. He’s got it into his head we want to harm him, and now he’s scared shitless.”
“I’m not scared,” Lyn scoffed.
Joe shrugged his shoulders. “Oh, yeah? You look pretty scared to me. Come on, Quinn, you’ll find someone to hook up with inside in like five minutes.”
Joe’s dismissive tone got on Lyn’s nerves.
“Don’t tell me your friend here likes me,” he said as if such a thing was impossible.
Because it was. Lyn knew very well how he looked. He also knew how unavailable he was and acted.
Joe smirked and leaned toward him, his hands deep in his jacket. “What if he’s not the only one who likes you, pretty boy?”
Lyn let out a nervous laugh before he could hold it in. “That’s nuts.”
“Why?” Quinn asked.
“Because,” Lyn sputtered.
Quinn and Joe traded glances over Lyn’s head. It was unnerving, to put it lightly.
“I suppose no one has ever really told this guy how pretty he is,” Quinn said, as if he had discovered the secrets of the Pyramids.
“I thought he was playing coy,” Joe replied.
“He is standing right here,” Lyn reminded them of his presence.
“Were you here to hook up?” Quinn asked him, out of the blue. “Be honest.”
“None of your business,” Lyn replied.
“What can we do to make it our business?” Joe asked. He seemed the more serious of the two, yet he was asking the most dumbfounding questions.
“Maybe not crowd me like you’re about to give me a beating?” Lyn asked.
Joe tsked. “Told you. He’s scared.”
“I am not,” Lyn protested again. If he admitted he was scared, would they just let him go or continue to play with him like a pair of tomcats with a mouse?
“Really?” Joe made him take another step back. He searched Lyn’s face for something only he could see. “Let’s get real here for a moment. You’re like deep in the closet, right?”
Lyn didn’t say a word.
“And you don’t want people to know you’ve come here tonight. People like that jealous husband of yours and that handsome pre-med.” That was Quinn, who chose to rest one shoulder against the wall and scrutinize Lyn at length.
“What jealous husband?” Lyn asked in an irritated voice.
Joe and Quinn both laughed. “Six foot three and two hundred pounds of fucking anger management issues. Ring any bells?”
They were both so close, Lyn was sure he’d need to fight his way out of this. “Fine,” he said. He didn’t have to succumb to his fears. He only needed to be smart enough to play his cards right. “What do you want to keep silent about seeing me here tonight? I don’t have money, just to be real with you. But I can write any paper you need and get you any grade you need.”
“Any grade?” Quinn asked. “Not the best grade?”
Lyn smirked, feeling on top of things for the moment. They were interested. Of course, they were. “If you’re a guy who doesn’t give a flying fuck about your studies, no professor worth their salt will believe you got an upgrade in IQ overnight. I know how to introduce strategic mistakes so they seem natural, so you don’t look like you became freaking Einstein in less than a week.”
Quinn stared at him, his jaw slack. Then he broke into laughter. “Joe, do you hear this guy? Fuck me sideways, I think I’m in love. He’s more than just a pretty face.”
“He sure as hell is,” Joe agreed. He seemed more interested than his friend Quinn, boxing Lyn between his arms against the wall.
Quinn patted Joe on the arm. “Okay, we’ve messed with him enough. Though he’s so easy, he’s dangerously entertaining. Don’t worry, Lyn. We won’t tell anyone. And we don’t need help with our studies. Let’s go, Joe.”
“What if I don’t want to let him off the hook?” Joe said.
From up close, Joe smelled nice and his strong facial features made Lyn’s stomach do backflips like a gymnast at the Olympics. He licked his lips and faced his opponent, waiting for his next move.
“What if I want a kiss?” Joe’s voice dropped low.
The tiny gymnast who had taken up residence in Lyn’s belly was barely maintaining a precarious equilibrium on the balance beam right now.
“Quit playing, man. He’s too sweet to tease like this,” Quinn pleaded with his friend.
Lyn was damn certain sweet wasn’t the right word to describe him. “Okay,” he said, bracing himself. He wrapped one hand around the back of Joe’s neck. “I’ll give you your kiss.”
“Hey, I want one, too,” Quinn protested.
One kiss, two kisses, what would it matter? Lyn thought as Joe pulled him close and snuck his tongue into his mouth.
***
That had been… an experience, Lyn thought, as he dropped into the backseat of the taxi, ready to return to what counted as his real world. In the end, he had done more than kissing with the duo. His hands kind of hurt from working at the same time, but he had no regrets.
After all, he’d gotten a lot more than he had bargained for, such as two hot guys sucking him off together – and yes, blowjobs were everything the internet said and more – a lot of kissing, and most likely several sore muscles in his arms from jerking off both jocks since neither was willing to wait in line.
That, and their promise that they wouldn’t say a thing about Lyn and his nightly activities to absolutely anyone.
Tomorrow, most likely, he’d wake up to discover this had never happened.
Right now, it was done. He wouldn’t need another real-life experience for months, and he could return to focusing on his studies.
A rogue thought kept swirling in his head as he began dozing off in the backseat of the taxi: why did Quinn call Brad ‘his jealous husband’?
TBC
Thank you for reading!
@Derek - Alexander came to Brad's pre-wedding vacation with a plan... He wouldn't be so easily dissuaded. Also, he and Lyn have known each other for a long time. And I won't say anything more :D
@Buchanan - I did get the feel that readers would split into two sides on this topic... while fiction is up to interpretation, there are choices for characters I do believe to be more logical than others.
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