KONGPOB
- "I DO NOT WANT TO KNOW!" - I exclaimed to later cut the call and throw the phone on the nearest sofa.
A growl left my lips, causing Stud to lift his face from the reports. Then he looked at me curiously. However he didn't ask anything and I certainly wasn't going to tell him.
It had been several days since Sam, to my surprise, had started calling me. He had even shown up at my apartment with a bouquet of flowers and a promise that he would never cheat again.
As if everything that happened could be that easy to forget!
And yet ...
My eyes dropped to my lap. I didn't want to admit it but ... his apology had affected me more than I wanted. I still loved him ... I was sure of that from the fast beat of my heart as I saw him there, in front of my door, with those pleading eyes.
But I couldn't forgive him, I couldn't forget how I had found them. Together. Embraced. Kissing like there's no tomorrow
Inadvertently I turned to Stud who was sitting in one of the chairs at my office, reading various papers while he drank a coffee. One of those that he used to drink with Arthit if I was in the middle of my work.
- "I'm surprised you're here today" - I said - "Are you going to stay for the meeting? Normally you would prefer to be with P'Arthit"
Stud sighed and, shrugging, placed the report on the table next to him.
- "Well yes, but he and Phana have gone out to visit a client so I have nothing better to do"
- "So Earth has ended sending them both ..."
Stud smiled wryly and shook his head.
- "No. She told only P'Arthit but Phana found out and wanted to accompany him ... as if Arthit needed some kind of help to sign the contract" -he commented to me as he ran one of his hands through his dark hair.
I nodded slowly while, through my mind, several images of the two of them alone began to appear... inside the client's office, on the train... maybe Arthit would even fall asleep and then he would drop his head on Phana's shoulder.
Maybe...
..
.
- "I suppose that, as we are only missing the last signature, they will arrive in time for our dinner tonight"
Stud nodded.
- "Arthit said they would be back on the five o'clock train so there will be no problem. Although ... I still don't understand your interest in all of us being there tonight, as far as I know you have never liked that kind of meetings."
- "And I don't like them, but I think it's a good way for us to get to know each other better ..."
Stud smiled coldly.
- "And of course ... what better place than in Beam and Ming's favorite pub. By the way, both have told me this morning that they will stop by like every Friday night..."
As soon as I heard his words I noticed how my cheeks started to redden.
- "I just want Arthit to know what he's getting into, I don't want him to get hurt. Although he wasn't my senior for a long time, I consider him an acquaintance who also happens to be the best friend of Wad's boyfriend."
- "Yeah ... and I suppose it has nothing to do with that other boy you never wanted to talk about ... that first love of yours who, from what I remember, had a name very similar to P'Arthit, if it wasn't the same ... "
A grunt was my reply. That and an agenda that, to Stud's surprise, brushed past his cheek.
ARTHIT
- "Do not worry. Everything will go according to the program ... in a week the merchandise will arrive here" - I commented while, with a smile, I shook the hand of the middle-aged man who was in front of me. Next to me Phana was smiling as well, although in a much more forced way.
Unable to avoid it, I gave him a slight poke that made him lean towards the client and say goodbye to him with the kindest words he could find.
"I really don't understand why he wanted to come with me if he was going to behave like this," I said to myself as I shot him a sullen look.
- "I'm sorry.."
- "If this is how you were going to behave, it would have been better if you stayed at the office" - I said as soon as we were alone.
- "Of course... so that guy could continue trying to seduce you as he has been doing throughout the meeting" - Phana muttered in a low voice, however I could hear him perfectly well which made me let out a slight growl.
A second later I had stopped in the middle of the street and, ignoring the taxi that was waiting for us to take us to the train station, I turned to my friend with such an expression on my face that it made him lower his head in shame.
- "I've already told you dozens of times that I can take good care of myself. I don't need anyone's help."
- "But that man doesn't seem to understand that you're not interested in him!" - He exclaimed as he raised his arms and placed them on my shoulders.
With a brusque gesture I removed his hands from my body and took a couple of steps towards the car that was waiting for us. However, before opening the door, I stopped.
- "Phana, you are my friend but that does not give you the right to do this ... that man is an important client and it is not as if he had gone over the line. Besides, as far as I know, you haven't even asked me if I was interested or not ... "- I said without turning to him.
- "But Arthit, I thought ... I thought that we ..."
A wry smile touched my lips.
- " I know we have gone out two or three times but I have already told you that I need time. Time to think if I want to be more than friends with you and, to tell you the truth, after today I am even thinking that a relationship between us would not last more than a couple of weeks "- I snapped -" now I ... I think we should leave. I don't want to be late for our office dinner tonight ... "
A COUPLE OF HOURS LATER ...
The restaurant was packed, making the atmosphere really stuffy. For the umpteenth time I wished I were at home, in the comfort of my bedroom and with the last comic I'd bought in my hands.
But the worst part, without a doubt, was the behavior of Phana who, despite sitting next to me, did not stop flirting with one of the waitresses.
"As if that's going to bother me," I said to myself as I turned to the other side where, with a smile, Stud was sitting next to Kongpob and two friends who had just come over to greet them.
- "You look bored, have a beer!" - Stud exclaimed as he handed me one of the jugs that had just been left in front of him.
With a wave of my hand I declined the offer.
- "I'm sorry, I don't like the taste of it very much .." - I said as I looked for a glass of water and brought it to my lips.
A smile touched Kongpob's lips as Stud, with a disappointed gesture, pushed the mug aside to place it on the other side of the table.
- "So what do you prefer to drink? You can order whatever you want" -he asked me, which made Kong, to my surprise, let out a slight giggle.
- "I think they won't have his favorite drink here," he commented, making my face reddened.
"Damn Kong ... I can't believe he still remembers that!"
- "I do not know what are you talking about!" I exclaimed helplessly, which made Kongpob smile harder while Stud, with a curious expression, looked at us without quite understanding what we were talking about.
- "I mean a certain pink drink that ..."
It was then that a voice, somewhat raspy from drinking, interrupted. A voice that made us turn towards one of the two strangers who, with a slightly lopsided smile, was watching me as he drank, or rather tried to , from his own jug.
- "I can't believe it, seriously, with each passing minute it surprises me more ... they really look alike!" Ming exclaimed as he pointed the half-drunk jug at me, "He reminds me so much of my brother ... Wayo. I miss him so much!"
A fork fell on the table, causing me to turn to Phana who, with a surprised expression, was watching the newcomers as if it was the first time he had seen them.
"Perhaps it is... after all he has not taken his eyes off the girl's bust"
- "Hello Pha" - said the other man, Beam.
Phana just grunted and, struggling to his feet, waved at him. Beam got up and, closely followed by a drunk Ming , left in the direction of the bathrooms.
As soon as they were gone I turned to Kongpob and Stud who, like me, had followed the three men with their eyes.
"They're old friends ... and also know Phana's ex-boyfriend," Kong said as he shrugged.
Ex-boyfriend ...
Wayo ...
"No wonder the name sounded familiar to me," I said to myself as I looked back at the place where they had disappeared.
Phana had told me about him but not much. I didn't even know what he was like physically...
- "So his ex, Wayo, looks like me ..."
Kongpob nodded with a serious expression.
- "Not so much physically, although both of you are light-skinned and dark-haired. Rather, it is your actions... and your tastes, especially regarding a certain drink .."
My cheeks reddened and I scowled at him, causing him to giggle again.
- "Drink ... What drink?" Stud asked.
- "And you .. How do you know all that?" I asked in turn, ignoring Stud's curious gaze.
- "Beam's family is very good friends with mine, we even do business together ... that's how I met Forth, his boyfriend, and the craziest trio of doctors... Beam, Kit and ... "
- "Phana" - I finished saying. Then I stared at him - "And Wayo?"
- "He is Ming's best friend. I don't know him personally but I have seen many photos of him ..He studies science or something like that and he even went to the same institute as all of them. He loves comics and plays the piano. .. "
- "I see ..." - I mumbled as he nodded slightly. Things were beginning to made sense... so many things that I did not understand before.
I've always wondered how Phana had discovered my favorite drink, or that I loved comics ...
And there were also those gifts that had managed to make me feel grateful, loved ... that had made me agree to go out with him a couple of times, if only as friends until I saw if we could be more ...
"He was not seeing me ... but him ..."
- "I ... I'm not feeling very well. I think I'd better leave ..." - I muttered as I stood up.
Kongpob and Stud did the same. Then they accompanied me to the door of the pub.
- "I ... I'm sorry. I didn't want you to find out like this..." - Kong whispered with such a guilty expression that made a slight smile appear on my lips.
- "Don't worry. It's not like Phana and I are anything more than friends .."
A smile touched Kongpob's lips.
- "Hmm ... How about I walk you home? That way we could stop to buy an iced coffee and one of those drinks that you like so much ... I haven't had one in a long time."
- "I don't know. I ..." - I started to say when, in the distance, I could see how Phana came back closely followed by Ming and Beam. As soon as I noticed that he was looking for someone I turned to Kong and nodded.
- "YES!" - exclaimed Stud - "we can go to a pub that I know ... or to that cafeteria that is open all night. I think ..."
Kongpob, however, shook his head as he put a hand on his shoulder.
- "It will have to be another day, Stud ... we can't both leave, someone has to stay and be in charge"
- "But..."
- "Come on, P'Arthit" - Kong said as he placed a hand on my back and began to push me towards the street - "we'd better go, unless you prefer to stay and go back to the table ... but I'm not going to let you leave like this, not when you are not feeling well and you are in my care "
- "I'm not a little boy ..." - I whispered in a low voice as I started to walk.
- "But .." - Stud asked behind us just before we turned the corner - "But ... why can't I go and you stay? Aren't you the boss?"