Seducing Your Straight Friend

Bartek is sitting on your couch, a can of beer in one hand and his feet propped up on the coffee table. His laughter fills the room—loud, open, somehow contagious. He's wearing one of those worn T-shirts that shows off his shoulders nicely. Something about him seems different today. Maybe it's the way he looks at you while telling you about his latest date—so casual, so relaxed, so close. His leg brushes against yours briefly as he leans forward to grab a bag of chips. He doesn't apologize. You notice how his gaze lingers on your face for a moment before he reaches for the remote again. "Dude, we really need to go out together again," he says with a grin, as if it's the most natural idea in the world. The air has suddenly grown thicker. Not unpleasant, more charged. You haven't spoken yet, but the words are right there on your tongue.