First April

Chapter 12

"I thought rich people wouldn't want to do a job involving kissing men,"

"Rich people would do anything they wanted to," Ben twirled his bang.

Is that why you keep hurting me?

Peat wanted to ask that but thought it was just more inappropriate than the other. He sipped his drink, admiring how tasty it was.

"Not many can make the drink as sweet and salty as you do," Peat lifted his brow. "You know even when the drink is our native, not many Thais can master how to make this drink not as sweet,"

Ben chuckled.

"Why don't you stop with the small talk, Phi?"

"What?"

"Ask me what you had in your mind,"

Peat put down his glass. Ben leaned forward with his chin rested on his palm, his eyes were watching him like a hawk.

Peat felt a sense of familiarity. A déjà vu. But he couldn't put a finger on where he saw it.

"What do you think I would ask you?"

"I don't know." Ben shrugged, and a smirk emerged. "You tell me,"

"Why do it sound like you're challenging me?" Ben shrugged again, looking nonchalant. Peat leaned on his side and sipped the drink again.

"Why do you think so?" Ben pushed the hair on his forehead again. Peat watched Ben for a while in silent before he sighed.

"Nothing." Peat finished his drink and stood up. "Might be I'm exhausted after a whole day of filming," Ben sat still in his chair. Peat felt quite weird and attributed it to a sudden change of position. "And I felt quite sleepy," he yawned. Peat wondered if he was too tired that suddenly he felt drowsy. "I need a good enough sleep,"

"Is it about Fort?" Ben asked calmly.

"Why suddenly Fort's in the picture?"

"Director Anne asked me to do what I need to do to get you comfortable with me,"

"We already did the workshop, it's working," Peat yawned again. He threw a glance at Ben and the window behind him. It was totally dark outside.

"You think?"

"Can I use the bathroom?" Peat asked before he yawned, this time it was more violent yawn that he felt like a lion roaring. His eyes started to water. He didn't wait for Ben's reply and urged himself to the bathroom, the one where Ben gestured him to. There was a small walkway to the bathroom, and there hung a picture. It was a picture of Ben standing with a middle-aged woman. He took a glance at it. His head hung heavy, even when he was standing solid his legs felt like jelly.

Ben was wearing a black cap and dark brown hoodie. Peat leaned closer just to get a better look at the picture and somehow the woman felt familiar. His eyes felt heavier.

I should go to the bathroom and wash my face to get rid of this sleepiness.

Why on earth was I this drowsy?

Is there something in what I drank?

Shit.

Peat's heart skipped a beat. He turned to the bathroom so suddenly that the drowsiness was precipitated by dizziness. He had to hold on the bathroom door to help him steady himself.

Peat's mouth mumbled profanities as he cursed himself because he was too naïve to trust Ben.

He heard Ben's approaching him, and he felt his limbs went too weak to support him by now. All in his head right now was what would happen to him when he knew now what's going on. He remembered where the familiarity was, he should have known, and he should have pulled out of this whole fiasco when he should earlier on.