c in the background.

Suddenly, Curtis remembers something and perks up, eagerly reminding the guys that it's the first of the month. Three of the guys (everyone but Jay) whoop and wolf-whistle excitedly - as of yet, no one notices Jay's lack of excitement. The three other mechanics go to a wall, where a calendar has been hung. The photo shows a barely clothed woman in a pin-up pose. Jay stays behind to continue working on the car. The guys looking at the calendar mention that it's going to be hard to top Miss November here, making lewd and raunchy comments about what a hot piece of ass she was. They fake saying goodbye to her and continue to make degrading comments. Jay can hear them while he works and can barely contain his disgust. But, at the same time, he is also desperate to keep his secret and so he bites his tongue.

Chris and Curtis notice that Jay hasn't joined them and call him out on it. Jay makes a feeble excuse about needing to finish thework on the car, but Chris and Curtis goad him into coming over, mocking him as they insist that a nice pair of titties ALWAYStakes priority over work. Jay swallows hard as he slams down the hood of the car.

He walks over to the calendar as Chris and Curtis continue to tease Jay about not joining them right away.Mike shoots Jay a subtle questioning glance, but no one - including Jay - seems to notice. Mike gives Jay a hard time, and the guys all seem shocked that Jay is talking back. There is a moment of stunned silence before Chris and Curtis burst out laughing, commenting that maybe Jay is finally 'growing a pair.' Jay laughs along with them tentatively, seemingly The gang cheers. They change the subject to the new hot girl of the month on their calendar. Jay seems relieved that the spotlight is off him and subtly moves away from Mike.In what is obviously a monthly ritual, the guys count down, whooping and hollering as their excitement builds. With eachnumber, they lift the calendar page a bit, a slow reveal. When they reach the end of the countdown, they finally turn the calendar page to Miss December with a big reveal, unveiling another scantily dressed woman. The guys whoop and wolf-whistle.Jay joins in, but his excitement seems more muted and fake than his coworkers. Leering at the photo, three of the four guys (everyone but Jay) talk excitedly with shockingly rowdy comments about the calendar. Now that the spotlight is off of him, Jay tries to recede into the background, laughing at the guy's comments but saying nothing in an effort to fit in but not draw attention to himself.

The guys begin a lewd and crude conversation - typical 'guy talk' about what they would do with/to Miss December, whichnaturally segues into a conversation about their past sexual conquests with various women and making fun of each other with jabs at their dick size and sexual performance. As Chris, Mike, and Curtis share easy banter, Jay chuckles along with them, but he doesn't offer anything to the conversation. One of them - Curtis or Chris - calls Jay out on being quiet, mockingly asking him if he's a virgin. Jay seems a little nervous at this question, but tries to cover it up with a dismissive laugh.

Jay seems nervous. But he has no other choice but to push forward now, so he tells the guys a seemingly true story about the last time he met a girl during a night out, brought her home, and had sex with her.His story seems believable on a surface level, but does feel a little stilted and awkward. There are some very small details that indicate that something is off about what Jay is saying, such as using 'they'/'them' pronouns and avoiding using 'she'/'her' pronouns, not describing her body in much detail, and similar. While Chris and Curtis don't seem to notice this - interacting and still teasing Jay throughout his story - Mike clearly catches on. He listens closely with a scrutinizing look as Jay speaks (althoughJay doesn't notice him watching), his eyes narrowed in skepticism. Finally, Mike's eyes widen ever-so-slightly, a conclusion clearly forming

Brandon Anderson

Brandon Anderson