Leo arrived at his parent's farm in the afternoon, after many months of college. His mother hugged him tight and wished him a happy birthday - he had turned 22 the previous week - and his father patted him on the back several times. The family dinner was a little awkward. His brother and sister were present, and his dad had invited Paul, an old colleague from work, and his gorgeous wife.
Leo wasn't very fond of Paul - their energies were very different. The man was around 40 years old, and he was always loud and magnetic, controlling the energy of the room and making uncomfortable jokes that everyone seemed to find very funny, except Leo. There was a toxic energy about him - maybe it was the fact that Paul was so spacious and masculine, or maybe it was because he had a slightly rude behavior - some type of manly swagger.
Leo, on the other hand, was shy and reserved, and tried to ignore Paul's dirty jokes and spicy humor. At some point in the evening, Paul joked about having the biggest dick and lasting hours in bed, and his mom's face became fairly red and then everyone laughed. The hilarious Paul and his big dick. Leo tried not to roll his eyes. Then, when Leo's brother talked about his wife, Paul's gaze found Leo and the man was about to ask whether he had a girlfriend or not, but thankfully, his drunk father intervened with a random remark.
Paul and his wife would stay at the farm for the night. After dinner, the men went outside to check something in the cellar. To avoid more uncomfortable dialogue, Leo volunteered to wash the dishes instead. His mom thanked him and walked upstairs with Paul's wife, showing the guest room. Leo was eventually left alone, and as he enjoyed the therapeutic task of cleaning the cutlery, he heard heavy footsteps enter the kitchen.
"Wow, what a good boy," said Paul warmly. His face looked red after gulping so much wine.
Leo laughed through his nose and didn't answer.
"Look, I hope I didn't say anything that offended you," the man approached him and squeezed his shoulder a few times.
"Don't worry, Paul," replied Leo, as he rinsed the forks.
Paul leaned on the counter and crossed his arms. His white shirt stretched around his wide and robust torso. His sleeves were rolled up, exposing his hairy forearms.
"It's a beautiful place, the farm. You were lucky to grow up here," he noted.
"I know, right? I like how calm and quiet it is," said Leo.
"It must be very different at the university."
"Very different. Less quiet."
Paul chuckled for no particular reason. He seemed to find Leo funny.
"God knows what they teach people at college, these days," the man said, after some awkward silence.
"They certainly teach many things," replied Leo, a slight tone of irony in his voice.
"Are you popular in college, Leo?"
"Uh... I have a good amount of friends..."
"No, I mean, popular with the girls," Paul smirked and raised his eyebrows playfully.
Leo cringed internally.
"Not much, to be honest."
Paul stared at him for a second and then chuckled. When he noticed Leo wasn't laughing along, he gazed into his eyes with an intense expression.
"Come on, a handsome guy like you should get a lot of girls," said Paul, with a puzzled tone. "Are you gay or something?"
Leo raised his shoulders and smiled. He wondered what he would have to say to end that conversation.
For some reason, perhaps because he was drunk, Paul shook his head and started laughing again.
"So, are you popular with the guys, then?"
Leo didn't answer. He rinsed the last plate and grabbed a cloth to dry his hands. Paul walked closer to him and placed a big hand near the sink. He leaned his head and approached Leo's ear.
"Are you a butt boy?" he asked in a low volume. His eyes glinted playfully.
Leo felt his face burn with embarrassment. He was not ready for that one. How on earth was that man so comfortable? He faced Paul, inches away from his bearded jaw, and tried to maintain eye contact with his provocative gaze.
"Cause if that's the case," continued Paul, "don't worry, your secret is safe with me," he chuckled.
When Leo didn't answer, the man squeezed his shoulder again.
"Relax, Leo," he whispered and walked away.