My dad had walked in on me in a compromising position again.

Quickly I shuffled up on my feet and handed the towel to Conrad who was in a hurry to wrap it back around himself.

“I thought you were out.” Genius that I am that’s what I said when I figured yelling ‘it’s not what it looks like’ wouldn’t make a good look for either of us. Dad walked back out of the room and closed the door behind him without saying a word but I knew that wasn’t the last of him, I’d hear from him for the duration of all my life now.

Embarrassed, mortified and embarrassingly still flustered from the skin on skin incident, I awkwardly turned to leave but Conrad’s voice stopped me “Liam uhm listen, I can’t cross the house like this.” He used his hands to gesture to his naked torso and continued “I need you to help bring me my clothes from the room I slept in last night. Please” He asked almost hesitatingly and avoiding direct eye contact.

I had a pair of sweatpants and a shirt draped over my shoulder when I ran into my dad in the passage “What in the world are you doing blowing Conrad? His father is very important to this family’s future and your eagerness to bend over and rub the genie out of him with your tongue could ruin all the hard work I’ve put into that family.” My father spoke so sternly and icily his forehead wrinkling up. And the way he’d said it? The words he’d chosen? He swirled the drink in his hand as he advanced closer to me “make sure when you tell your mother that you tell the truth, I’m not being homophobic. I’m just looking out for my blood and sweat.”

“No dad, you’re not homophobic you just don’t want me with any guys in your house. I get it” I sarcastically assured him as I walked past him and went back to the room where I found Conrad leaning over my game console.

He smiled bashfully sweet at me in a way that made me think about wanting to get with him again, but I wasn’t stupid enough or intrusive enough to linger after I handed him the clothes “here” he took the clothes from my hands and our fingers brushed.