Still In shock, I tried to get my facial expression back under control and wai'ied politely, before the four of us sat down again.
"Right Phi... you don't know those two... let me introduce them", Pan said with a big smile plastered on his face, looking first at me and then at the other two men sitting at the table. Well... he surely didn't know that Mix and I had met before.
Wait... did he already know about this back then when we Vee introduced us to each other?
"This is Ai'Ming, who is also a second year Art student. We met for the first time last year during a project which involved the different art groups in our year." He made a small break and the other man smiled at me, before my boyfriend continued: "Oh and this is Phi Mix... he is a second year student for psychology and studies with Phi Vee."
I furrowed my brow slightly while staring at Mix, who just took a sip from his cocktail and looked at me with an emotionless expression. What a rude guy he was... but that wasn't the real reason why I furrowed my brows.
"Why are you calling him Phi, Nong Pan?"
"Mix and you Phi are the same age actually... he was absent from school for a while, that's why he had to redo the school year..." Ming explained and I could see the expression of our forth... group member harden and look away. Hm.
"Anyway... let's have fun tonight", Pan cheered and all of us lifted our glasses, clinging them together before drinking. Even Mix participated, though he looked away again afterwards.
Now the more important questions was, who would be paired with whom. The three of them probably had figured that out already, while I was the only one standing in the shadow. Surely, the pairs were decided by what they preferred, giving or receiving... so I only really had to figure that part out.
I knew for a fact that Pan preferred being on the receiving site, but sometimes also liked giving. If I had to guess... probably in a ration of 70:30 or 80:20. Hm... with the two others, it was a little more difficult. And if I was honest... I wasn't sure whom of them I would prefer. I was going to follow the plan I made with Vee anyway, just hanging out with that person, but well... if it was Nong Ming - would that even be an option? All the times I had seen him with another guy, they all had one thing in common: they were taller then him and muscular. And... I somehow fit that description... Me agreeing to this had probably given off the feeling that I wanted to do this too... like the sexual parts. So... what could I expect?
Mix was a different case. Even though he seemed cold, there was surely another side of him, which I had briefly encountered that day in the basketball hall. Vee's comment to the open relationship Ming and Mix had... felt similar too. Maybe... he also didn't want to do any of those things... Maybe he wasn't my first choice... but I could surely pass some time with him.
"So let's go upstairs and split up... so we can get to know each other", Pan cheered happily and we emptied our glasses, before walking up the fancy wooden stair case. There, right at the top of it, was a young waitress, waiting for us and greeting us friendly.
"Welcome Sirs... can you please tell me your reservation name if you have one?" The lady asked, taking out a tablet to probably check if there was any reservation.
"We have two, Number 7 and number 49, reserved on the name Mix Saphaphap." Ming stated, while the person in question didn't even bother to look...
"Please follow me then", the lady smiled again and first let us to a small sepparée that had opened
red curtains. It really looked cozy in there. Without saying anything, Pan gave me a kiss on the lips before sitting down... shortly followed by...
I let out a breath in relief, a little too happy about their choice of pairings. The other and I followed the waitress again before we ended at the far end of the room, in a small sepparée with dark blue curtains. We sat down on the soft couches, that were separated by a high table in the middle, now being placed right in front of each other. With a glass of the same cocktail, just in case you needed... something cold.
"Did you think this through?" I heard him say, leaning back and the dark hair slightly falling into his eyes.
"I am not going to do anything with you. I know this is supposed to be a Partner switch... but I am not interested in sleeping with another guy. I agreed to this because it is important for Nong Pan, but there isn't going to happen anything between us", I stated clearly convinced of my plan, before he could say something weird. I mean... I knew him too less to really judge anything about him...but...
"I know you aren't", he simply answered, taking a sip from the cold cocktail.
"Excuse me?"
"You aren't the type for something like that. " Mix looked directly in to my eyes for the first time... and... well his attitude didn't match the expression in his eyes.
"What do you mean with being sure about this.." I slowly asked, taking a sip from my cocktail while watching him.
"Do you really feel okay with thinking about your boyfriend having sex with someone else? That's a question only you can answer for yourself."
I didn't want to admit it... but his words hit a little too close to home. I had somehow accepted this whole situation... but... was I really happy with it?
"You are in an open relationship... Are you happy with it? If you can do it... then why do you think I won't be able to?" I countered.
Mix' expression faltered a little, a sad smile appearing on his lips before he looked up to me.
"I'm not saying this to make you angry... It's just that I was in a similar situation at some point. Having to decide between the two: Do I accept that this is what my partner needs and even if it makes me feel bad, will I stay with him? Or ..." He took a big sip from the glass, his face surely showing how sour he found the drink.
"I do sometimes regret having made that decision. So I... thought it was better to ask you for your feelings about this again... because if you once agree... there is only one way out: A breakup."
I could feel my facial muscles relax a little and then looked at him... he had something similar in his eyes like Vee back then, when I had brought up the open relationship of those two... If I was really honest... he didn't seem to be happy. Neither earlier, when Nong Pan and Nong Ming were still here... and nor now.
"I didn't want to be rude to you... but I know you don't like me much. Your body language and behaviour gives you away. And all of those micro expressions. "
He looked at me while standing up and emptied his glass.
"If you want to really do this, ask Vee to give you my number. We would have to meet up on those days and just... you know hang out with each other to make it seem as if our part of the switch is there. " he paused and a slight smile appeared on his face. That was probably the first time... I saw that kind of expression on his face.
"And if you don't, I wish you all the happiness you can have. And sorry, for being rude."
With those words, he left the sepparée and disappeared outside, me still in confusion about his words. I definitely was wrong about one thing...
Vee was right. Mix wasn't a bad person... he actually seemed quite nice, though maybe not that good when expressing it.
I sat there a little longer, while drinking the rest of my cocktails before heading iut of the sepparée and back to the woman next to the staircase.
"I would like to pay", I voiced out, giving her a friendly smile.
"The young man who was with you already paid for everything. "
So he had paid for everything? Why?
"And our other two..."
"You are the last one sir, the others already left."
.
.
.
.
.
That night... Pan didn't come home. No message... no nothing.
I sighed some time after midnight and laid down on our bed, staring at the ceiling. Should I....
I saw the screen of my phone lighting up and chuckled. There was no way he would just ignore what I told him about. I put the phone down on my chest and on speaker.
"The couple you are doing this partner switch with is Mix and his boyfriend...?" he asked confused, seemingly not believing me. Yea I surely had a reason to lie Vee.
"That's right... they decided to match up him and me."
"Why would they..." Vee muttered on the other side of the phone, but it didn't seem to be addressed to me.
"In any way... he said you could give me his number," I explained and sat up again, taking my phone with me in the kitchen to get some water.
"Sure... I'll send you his contact."
I ended the phone call before filling up a glass of water and emptying it again.
Back in the bed, I stared at the picture and Mix' number, a little hesitating, before typing in a message and sending it.
I stared at the slight awkward message but just shrugged, placing my phone on the nightstand before going to sleep.
<< Sorry for the late Update,
I spend the past hour doing those two chats in Canva. No, they aren't made with any special texting program, I made them with the graphic program Canva... and it took forever ugh. And that background picture... I guess now you know who Pan is ;)
Hope you enjoy the story and don't forget to vote and comment if you like it <3
Ia>>