"You have a nice body. Have you considered modeling? Or are you already one?" Congressman Alonzo asked, swirling the expensive brandy on his a snifter glass while he was sat on the posh couch.
"I'm camera shy," Yves said, putting on the robe to get rid of his pants. He grabbed his phone and wallet, then folded his soiled clothes beside him. It felt awkward to be on his socks and underwear in someone else's presence, who wasn't his boyfriend, but the robe was long enough to cover his thighs.
"In the past, I was shy to face the camera too. But I got used to it. How old are you?"
"I'm twenty-four."
"Really? I wouldn't have thought. You look younger than your age."
"The same goes for you, Congressman."
Congressman Alonzo sighed in relief. "Well, I'm just glad you're at an appropriate age. I'd been fearing this whole time that I'm having a forbidden admiration for someone younger than twenty-one. That would have been troublesome."
Yves' heart almost stopped at the implication of the older man's words. His face heated up, aware of the stare admiring his face. There was no indecent proposal that followed or any movement that made him feel threatened, but the vague confession made him aware of his surroundings. So when the glass door slid open and the congressman's secretary came in, Yves visibly flinched.
She collected his clothes on the couch without a word and stepped out of the cabin like a silent breeze.
"Did I make you uncomfortable?" Congressman Alonzo asked.
Yves snapped out of the dazed bubble he fell into and chuckled awkwardly. "N-No, sir. I was just surprised. Sorry."
"Just call me Richard. What is your name?" he asked.
"Y-Yves, sir. Yves Mallari."
"It's nice to get acquainted with you, Yves." Richard offered a brandy snifter to him, grinning—a smile that tickled the insides of Yves' stomach when their fingers touched as soon as he accepted the glass.
"S-Same, Congressman. I mean, Richard. Sorry, I'm not used to calling VIPs by their first name."
"It's alright. Take your time to get used to it. We're not in a rush."
Yves didn't know how to respond. Thankfully, the door to the younger Alonzo's room opened, and Glenn stepped out with a girl holding on to his arm. Their gaze met again, and he received a deep scowl before an expensive white suit dropped between him and the congressman.
Glenn walked out of the cabin wordlessly, while the girl looked back to give a shy nod of goodbye.
"Forgive my son's rudeness," Richard said, eyes trailing the back of his son, who didn't even look back. "He's not much of a fan of the LGBT people, as you may have probably guessed. But he's a nice kid, I can assure you of that. Would you like to use my room to change?"
"Ah... no, it's alright."
"So you'd preferred to stay in my robe?"
"That's not what I said."
"I'm just kidding." Richard flashed a charming smile. His gaze held no malice, but it had enough flare to show his desire. "I don't mind you staying in a robe, though."
What's with this man? Yves was receiving mixed signals in his gaydar from the man's suave playfulness. No wonder the charming politician's gender identity was always under the scrutiny of tabloids and gay blogs.
Putting aside the white suit from Glenn, Richard shifted closer to rest an arm on the couch's recliner. He gave a little pinch to the robe's shoulder, twiddling the cotton between his thumb and index finger without actually touching him.
"So, Yves," Richard started. "Are you seeing someone right now?"
It was a question with a definitive answer. Yet, as the attractive man's deep-set eyes stared at him, expecting a favorable reply that could advance this once-in-a-lifetime encounter, Yves felt a flicker of hesitation before he croaked an honest answer.
"I have a boyfriend," Yves said.
Richard's smile faltered, disappointment flashing in his toffee eyes. He pulled away to take a sip on his brandy snifter and hissed at the alcohol that burned his throat. "Ah... pity I met you a little too late."
A tiny pin of regret prickled him, followed by a wave of guilt because it's a feeling he shouldn't have. But Yves gave himself kudos for resisting the questionable advances of one Richard Alonzo. He was no saint, and trying not to get excited about the man's presence was a challenge. The sweet musk of his perfume mixed with the swirling cognac was proven arousing.
Richard poured himself another glass of the finely brewed alcohol and offered him a toast. Their glasses clinked, but Yves only took little sips of brandy from his snifter to not appear rude.
Too much alcohol with an attractive man wouldn't do him any good.
They didn't exchange another word until the secretary came in and handed back his dry-cleaned clothes. Yves had emptied his snifter's contents enough to calm his nerves.
"Do you want to change in my room, or would you like me to leave instead?" Richard asked.
A glass of brandy was not enough to make him drunk, as he had a considerable tolerance to alcohol, but it had an ambiguous effect that made Yves dismiss either of the suggestion with a shake of his head. He pulled the knotted belt on his waist and let it fall to the couch.
The way Richard's unashamed eyes swept over his body seared Yves with unexplainable excitement. Even when the congressman looked away to appear unaffected, his reaction could never be denied. Richard cleared his throat. "Are you doing this on purpose?"
"I don't know what you're talking about," Yves said, feigning ignorance. He buttoned his long-sleeved shirt, starting from his navel.
"You are seducing me," Richard blurted out, looking back at him. His eyes lingered on Yves' exposed chest, where a crescent moon birthmark nestled next to his left nipple.
"Why would you be seduced by another man, Congressman? As far as I know, you are straight. Or am I wrong?"
With the conversation they just had, it was clear the congressman was attracted to him. Perhaps it was the need for a verbal confirmation so he can stop making assumptions of what the older man's motives for bringing him to his cabin.
Yeah, he just wanted to confirm.
"Would you like to take a walk outside with me once you're done?" Richard asked. "I think I need a breath of fresh air. It felt stuffy in here all of a sudden. If you don't mind, that is."
Yves smiled at how Richard skillfully evaded the question, so he didn't press any further. He just pulled on his dress pants and buckled up his belt. "Sure. I see nothing wrong with that. But can I grab something to eat first? I'm hungry."
"Sure! I haven't eaten either. Let's grab some meat at the Banquet Hall." Richard slapped both hands against his thighs before he stood.
"Yeah..." Yves trailed off as his eyes darted to the man's crotch.
"I see where your eyes went."
Yves looked away with flushed cheeks and pushed up his eyeglasses that slid down to the bridge of his nose. He grabbed his blazers and tried not to think of Richard's noticeable bulge as he made his way to the glass doors. He needed to get out.
"Yves," Richard called, stopping him in his tracks. "Your fly's still open."
Yves looked down and caught his white underwear peeking out. His hand flew to pull up his zipper, but Richard beat him to it. He looked up in surprise and met Richard's playful smirk as he pulled his zipper up, his finger gliding to his own bulge.
"Looks like someone's excited too," Richard said, amused. "To grab something to eat, I mean."