Fake This Love

Chapter 7 : Tine

Tine lay spread eagle on the most comfortable bed he has ever laid on in his entire life.

It was 9 in the morning and for once he was still snoring instead of clocking his third hour of work at some café.

More than the humongous closet filled with clothes and the car Praya told him he could use - this is what made Tine feel like he's hit the jackpot. 8 uninterrupted hours of sleep.

Well that and how Sarawat -

BAM BAM BAM!

So much for sleeping in. The loud commotion jolts Tine awake. He was walking out of the bedroom and towards the noise before he could think about what he was doing.

He races down the stairs towards the incessant knocking and is only a few beats behind the maid who tentatively opens the front door to check what was causing the commotion. But the poor woman was no match to the force pushing the doors open.

Entering the doorway as if they had every right to the place was a whole crowd of people lead by an undeniably handsome yet shrewd looking man and a voluptuous short haired woman with a misleadingly child-like face. Tine immediately recognizes Jandi - she was after all very famous. But he didn't know who the man was or who the small crowd with them were.

He smiled at them, unsure of what to do. "Good morning! May I ask who you are and what you are doing here? Are you here for Sarawat?" He hoped he sounded welcoming because all he was really feeling was confusion.

The man and Jandi turn towards Tine, and the smile on Tine's face threatens to falter. He grins wider though, determined to stand his ground.

Jandi smiles back at him but it is a smile without any warmth. It looked cruel. "Oh," she says, still smiling. "You must be the new plaything. So are you also the butler when there are no cameras around? What else does Sarawat make you do? How much does he pay playthings like you?" 

Jandi turns to the man beside her. "Maybe we should buy a plaything too. Do you think there's a store where I can buy someone like him?" She giggles and points to Tine as if he were an object.

Tine feels like he had been punched in his gut. He is frozen just like he was last night when that reporter accused of him of being a cheap mistress. He reels. He turns, instinctively wanting to run away.

What the hell did I get myself into?

But as he turns, two arms catch him and envelop him protectively. He tenses but then sighs in relief as he smells the surprisingly sweet scent of Sarawat.

"You are trespassing," Sarawat says cooly. "You are also verbally assaulting the man of the house. 2 crimes and it's just 9 in the morning."

"The man of the house?," Jandi repeats, venom coating her words.

"Yes, dear ex. Meet Tine - my fiancé and therefore the man of this house."

Sarawat gently releases Tine, nudging him to face the intruders. "Tine you've met Jandi. Unfortunately."

Sarawat then nods towards the man with Jandi. "And with her is MJ Changkham, one of my company's board members."

MJ flashes a big grin. "Come on Sarawat. I'm more than a board member. We're family."

Sarawat ignores him. "What are you all doing here on a Sunday morning? Lost your homes?"

"We're here to congratulate the love birds!" MJ snaps his hands towards his waiting entourage and they exit the home, moments later coming back inside with chafing dish upon chafing dish of food.