I subtly mentioned this to Ray during a video chat, but he didn't seem to mind.
"Martin and I used to work out shirtless when we were together!
"He's just being comfortable around you because we've been close for so long. You can ask my mom. She's seen him working out without clothes many times. You shouldn't read too much into it."
Talking about working out, Ray began to lament how he had neglected exercise since work, causing his eight-pack abs to reduce to just one.
Unable to do anything else, I could only tell myself to forget about that night and not to view Martin through tinted glasses.
But a few days later, I found that my underwear had disappeared from the balcony.
At first, I thought it might have been blown away by the wind.
Fearing that someone might pick it up and use it for something inappropriate, I made sure to clip it securely with several clothespins and hung it in the innermost part.
Eventually, the underwear still vanished without a trace.
Suspicious, I took advantage of Martin and Linda being out at a wedding and sneaked into Martin's study and bedroom.
I silently prayed that I was overthinking.