LOVE UNDERCOVER

Chapter 5

"My boyfriend?! Really?"

Kavin and Thyme have been in the parking lot for a few minutes now and Kavin has just been repeating the same phrase over and over.

Thyme is leaning against Kavin's Porsche 718, arms folded across his chest. Impatience is carved on his face.

"Boyfriend?!," Kavin exclaims for what was probably the 853rd time.

"Yes. Boyfriend. We will pretend to be boyfriends."

"What kind of a dumbass plan is that?"

"It's actually pretty smart. You get to go to the gallery all you want, you get to go the exhibits, and the auctions and no one will bat an eye because you're my date. And in return, I have 24/7 police protection. Sounds like a win-win."

This shuts Kavin up. Those were actually logical points. He huffs. "Wouldn't it have worked if we were just friends? Couldn't I have done all of that as your friend?"

Thyme lets out a long drawn out sigh. "Really? You think it would work if I just happened to have a cop friend stick his nose into my business?"

Kavin holds up both his hands in surrender.

"Besides, it's for your job," continues Thyme. He pauses, realizing why Kavin may be so up in arms about this. "I am sure Kaning would understand."

"Of course Kaning would understand. She's a very understanding ex."

"Oh. I didn't know."

"We're still good friends but you know, I had to leave and...anyway. Why are we talking about Kaning? Wouldn't your fiancée be mad? She might start hitting you again if she found out."

"My fiancée? You mean Gorya? We broke it off."

"Why?"

"Well, she got a scholarship to Cornell. I didn't want to move and it was unfair to stop her from going."

A beat of silence.

"Besides," Thyme shrugs. "I don't think I was really ready."

"I am sorry. I thought...I assumed I just wasn't invited to the wedding."

Thyme hits the back of Kavin's head gently. "Where would I even send the invitation? You disappeared."

Kavin simply steps away.

"You owe me an explanation, Vin. You owe a lot of us an explanation."

"I just got tired of Bangkok. C'mon, it's not like anyone would look for me."

"I looked for you."

Kavin did not quite know what to say. He wasn't back in Thailand to reminisce or to explain to Thyme why he left. If he was going to explain anyway then why go through all the trouble of escaping?
He looks at Thyme and it irritates him to no end how he can clearly see it - behind the knitted eyebrows and the haughty smirk - Thyme's pleading eyes.

Kavin cannot do this right now.

"You can drive right?," he asks as he tosses Thyme the car keys. "I need a drink."

He opens the car door and doesn't even wait for Thyme to respond before stepping inside.

Thyme steps in and starts the car wordlessly. He drives, letting the silence settle in between them.

After a few silent minutes of cruising around. Thyme turns on the radio. Neon Moon starts to play and Thyme taps his hands to the beat and begins to hum along. Kavin cannot help but relax. Alright, so maybe some nostalgia wasn't bad. He did miss this - speeding down quiet roads, listening to Thyme singing his favorite songs, stopping through a drive through for fries and large Coke Zeros.

As if reading his mind, Thyme asks. "Mcdonald's?"

"Normally, the answer would be yes but I really could use a drink."

"Where do you want to go?"

A slow sly smile appears on Kavin's lips. "What's the most expensive bar in Bangkok?"

Thyme takes a moment to think. "Earth's Mix."

Kavin claps his hands. "Good. Let's go there."

"Most expensive bar? Really Kittiyangkul?"

Kavin smiles at Thyme. "Yeah. Because my boyfriend is buying me drinks."

Thyme laughs. "Just how many drinks are we talking here?"

"Until they decline your card."

- - -

Author's Note

It's a short chapter because I decided to chop the story in two parts.

Will get to writing in a bit. Just under the weather.

I hope everyone reading this is liking it so far. <3