Tine's POV
A week later
"We are ready to file our lawsuit against the Daily Telegraph was unlawful firing of the journalists."
Mil sat across me in my cabin of the new office. Or rather the old office. The building looked the same from the outside, I wanted to preserve its architecture, but we had completely revamped it from the inside. With just five of us working, the office seemed to big, but I was really hoping to hire more people in the next few months as the work load picked on.
"Good, lets get started on that. File the case, send the notice to the newspaper and let the journalists know about it as well. Can we get some PR articles published about it after we file? Possibly with some online media outlets?"
"Yes, I think so. I'll let May know about that."
"And Mil, where are we on our case against that real estate firm that evicted 50 families?"
"Earn and Ohm are handling the final rounds of cross verification and research. We should be ready to file in two weeks."
I nodded. "And... did we find something more about Thanawat?"
Mil looked up, surprised. "I did, but I am not sure if we can even file a case against him"
"Why won't we?"
"Conflict of interest.
You didn't tell me that your husband bought the factory that was previously owned by Thanawat, Tine. This complicates things. You know that, already."
I pressed my lips. I knew that. And if Thanawat's lawyers were to find out Sarawat's grandmother died in that factory fire, they would just say I was seeking revenge. There is no way I'd be able to lead the case successfully.
"I have already thought it through. You can lead the case. I will not have any involvement in it. And we will not be bringing up this factory during the trial, at all. Thanawat has done a bazillion other wrong things, we don't need to depend on this factory to win a case against him."
"And why shouldn't we bring up this factory, Tine?" Mil leaned in his chair." Because his lawyers may bring up the fact that there was another fire at the same factory, after it had already been taken over by your husband."
"It was an accident." I snapped back.
"May be it was, Tine. I believe you because you are my friend.
I am just saying, the judge may not believe that."
"And that's why we are not going to bring this factory up when we go to trial." I started jotting down all the list of tasks in my diary that needed to be done this week just to so I didn't have to pay attention to this entire topic of conversation.
"Let's just cross that bridge when we get there, shall we? There is still a lot of research and paperwork to be done." Mil sighed as he looked straight at me. "How is he, by the way? I heard Sarawat was injured in the fire too."
My pen stopped in its place, the ink bleeding through the paper. "He's okay."
At least I hope he is okay.
I haven't seen him in five days. Ever since we touched down in Bangkok, he hasn't come home. He stays in the office all the time, doing, I don't know what. He seems to be okay physically, but mentally — I am not so sure anymore. If it wasn't for him picking up my phone calls and answering my texts once in a while, I wouldn't even know how he was.
"There's a hell lot of news fodder about Sarawat and his company, everyday." Mil reminded me what I already knew and loathed.
"Yeah. Its almost like the press has nothing else to talk about."
Everyday, I try not to read the negative press around Sarawat, everyday I give in and end up reading it all. When the company took full responsibility for the fire and shared all the details of the incident transparently, the company's stocks started to free fall. The stock prices finally stabilised yesterday, but there has already been a lot of PR damage done. I guess that's what happens when you try to do the right thing and take responsibility for your actions — You face consequences of the society that can never image a large corporation being this honest.
"I think its amazing that the company took responsibility." Mil said. "You and I both know, most big companies would never do that — It would be like suicide.
I mean, it wouldn't be that hard hiding an incident like this on a secluded island. Thanawat has done that before."
"It was amazing... but it was necessary. Sarawat isn't Thanawat, or even close to it."
"You know Tine, may be you were right, may be I judged him to soon. Sarawat is not like your father or any other businessmen in the country. I think now I understand why you married him."
I stared at my wedding ring and then back at Mil.
That part was true. He wasn't like anyone I had ever met. Sarawat was one of a kind — and I missed him.
I miss my husband.
I miss sleeping next to him.
I miss waking up to his scent.
I miss the sound of our wedding rings that clinked together.
"He's nothing like those people and he will never be." I tried to put up a smile as I stacked up all the papers together.
"By the way, should we take the team out for dinner today? We didn't even celebrate moving into the new office . You could invite Sarawat too? I'd love to meet him."
I shook my head. "Not tonight. I need to get home. And Sarawat is — too busy to even think about a dinner outside these days.
Lets just take the team out for lunch tomorrow?"
"Yeah. Yeah. I understand. Of course."
"Oh and... hope you have already invited your parents to the law firm's launching party? I really want to thank your father properly for helping me out at the last minute."
"You don't need to thank him, Tine. It was literally the first time you ever called him for help — He was honestly very happy to hear from you."
"Still, I do need to thank him for everything he did. I am sure it wasn't an easy decision for him to take a patient who was already unstable. No hospital wants to take that kind of responsibility on themselves — And he helped me save someone's life."
"He just did what he thought was right. And he did tell me to remind you to come to the hospital for your annual checkups which you have missed for the last two years."
I nodded. "I'll try to go when I can."
"And to answer your question. Both mom and dad will be there at the party, if not for me then for you. They were ecstatic when I told them you got married... and then they spent the next hour reminding me that if I don't find someone soon, I might die all alone.
Anyways, you better bring Sarawat to the party, mom is very excited to meet 'your husband.'"
I chuckled. "Is she? If he's free, I am sure he'll come.... If he's free."
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When I got home, it was in the same state that I had left it in the morning — Sarawat hadn't come back tonight too. The whole place felt alone and desolate.
Somehow, the house had started to feel colder and bigger.
Steps inside the house that has started to feel bigger and colder.
Like a routine, I walk inside Sarawat's study, sat in his chair, and dialled his number.
"Hey, I am busy, I'll call you later." He said, as soon as he picked up.
"That's exactly what you said in the morning, and also yesterday, and also day before yesterday, and.."
"Tine, I am in a meeting..."
I took a deep breath, trying to not let my frustrations come to the surface. "You have been busy in meetings for five days now, Wat. You haven't even come home since we landed in Bangkok."
"Its a bit chaotic here."
"So, chaotic that you can't find time to come home and may be sleep for a few hours?"
"Tine, I really need to go --"
"Have you eaten anything? Did you have dinner?"
There was silence. "I will."
"Wat, just come home."
"I will once I sort out this mess."
"You not coming home to sleep through the night will not do anything to sort out this mess."
"I have responsibilities, Tine."
"Of course you do."
"I'll see you later, okay?"
"I wonder when that —" Suddenly the phone got cut and I could hear the beep.
I wonder when that would be?
Dejected, I sat there on the table with my feet up. I could probably storm into his office right now and create a scene until Sarawat agreed to come back home with me. But I knew Sarawat, forcing him to do anything would never work. This is why, I had patiently waited for him for this long. But it has now been five days — He has been working non-stop and hardly eating. He was jeopardizing his own health and I can't just watch him destroy him like that.
He was hurt, I knew that. He was trying to throw himself into work because that's what he had always done — because he never had anyone in his life.
I needed to do this differently.
"I gave you five days, Wat. Five days.
If you still can't find your way back... I guess we'll have to do things the hard way."
I tapped my fingers on the table and opened up the phone screen again.
Tine [08:32pm]: Does he have any urgent meetings tonight?
Dim [08:33pm]: No
Tine [08:33pm]: He doesn't need to be at the office, does he?
Dim [08:35pm]: No
Tine [08:35pm]: Has he eaten?
Dim [08:36pm]: He had some brunch in the morning.
Tine [08:37pm]: Clear out his schedule for tomorrow. He's taking a leave
Dim [08:37pm]: I don't think Mr Guntithanon would want to take a leave
Tine [08:38pm]: I'll handle that. You just clear out his schedule.
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One hour later, I was at my favourite bar, well not really a favourite, but my regular bar.
I hadn't come back here in a long time — Ever since mom's birthday. But well, desperate times
I had swapped my office suit with a black leather jacket. Ditched my button up shirt for a low cut one. I had even decided against doing my hair.
Desperate times, desperate measures
"Minnie, my usual bottle of whisky and one big empty beer mug." I sat at my usual table on the corner of the rathe dimly lit bar. This is why I liked coming to this place, it was so dimly lit, people never really cared to even notice others. I could come here and drink alone for hours, and just no one cared.
"Tine! I haven't seen you in months! How have yo been?"
"Good, just busy with work. How are you?"
"All well. I'll get you the whisky right away! Do you also want a beer?"
"Nah, just an empty beer mug.
When Minnie brought the whisky bottle out, I poured half of it into the beer mug and gave it back to Minnie. She looked at me with utter confusion, but she accepted it none the less.
Finally, I took my phone out and took a hazy selfie with the whisky bottle. Just the right amount of hazy.
"And... sent."
Twenty minutes later, my phone started to ring.
"Really, took you that long?" I stared at the phone, but didn't pick up.
And then the phone rang again, and again.
Suddenly, there was a ding on the phone. A new message.
Sarawat[09:50pm]: Where are you?
Tine [09:53pm]: A bar
Sarawat[09:53pm]: Pick up the damn phone
Tine [09:56pm]: Its a bit chaotic here. I'll call you later.
Sarawat[09:56pm]: Are you alone? Are you just at a bar drinking alone?
Tine [10:00pm]: For now. You could come here and join me. Or I am sure I could find someone else to share a drink.
Sarawat[10:00pm]:WHAT BAR ARE YOU AT?
I laughed as I texted him the location and switched off my phone.
"Minnie.. " I raised my hand. "Could I get an extra glass of whisky please?"
Thirty minutes later, Sarawat Guntithanon walked into the bar wearing his usual all black suit, looking just as agitated and irritated as I had predicted him to be. As I watched him find me in the crowd and make his way to my table, I remembered this is exactly where I was sitting on Mom's birthday when Sarawat had showed up out of nowhere.
"What the hell, Tine? Let's go." That's all he said he stood there near the table, towering over me.
"Sit down." I poured out the whisky in my glass and the extra glass on the table. When he still continued standing there, I repeated my words. "I said sit down, Sarawat."
When I put the bottle of whisky back on the table and looked up at Sarawat, I realised he was staring right at me, carefully. He looked me up and down. Something about his gaze was different.
I heard him sigh as he sat down next to me on the sofa.
His hand travelled up to my nape, brushing against it.
"Why are you here, babe?"
"I was bored at home. Why are you here Sarawat?" I stared hi down. "I thought you were very, very busy."
"I was. I am. I need to go back to the office."
I smiled, scooting closer to him. Slowly, I leaned into him and traced my tongue through the back of Sarawat's ear.
"Then, leave." I whispers.
Sarawat's hand travelled inside my jacket, rubbing through the fabric of my tshirt.
"Let's go. I'll take you home."
I chuckled, moving away from Sarawat. "So you can drop me there and go back to the office? No thanks, I'll find my own way back — when I want to go back."
Sarawat's hand went lower, holding onto Tine's waist as he pulled me near him, refusing to create any space between them.
"I really need to go back. I have work, Tine."
"Yes, 24 hours of work, I have noticed." I chugged my entire glass of whisky and moved my face closer to his. I licked his lips, pulled his lower lip, and let it go just as quickly as I had pulled it in. "I don't need a ride home. I only called you here because I thought you'd want to share a drink. You can leave if you aren't interested."
I could hear Sarawat's breath getting hitched, his heartbeat getting stronger. He stared at me for what felt like an eternity befoe finally speaking up. "So, if we have a drink here, will you come home with me?" He asked.
"One drink? No." I laughed.
Sarawat checked his watch, exasperated. "What will it take for you to come home with me, Tine?"
I looked at Sarawat and smiled. I thought you'd never asked.
I slid my hand slowly under Sarwat's suit feeling up his chest through the thin shirt. Feeling his heartbeat get stronger as my fingers brushed over his his nipples. Just as Sarawat was leaning in for a kiss, I took the pen out of his suit's inner pocket and moved away instead.
I picked up a tissue paper and wrote on what I needed to before sliding it in front of Sarawat.
"Sign this."
"No."
"Okay." I shrugged my shoulders and slid the tissue paper back my side. "You can leave then."
"No that's not what I —" Sarawat snatched the tissue back. "How are you this drunk and still pulling your lawyer shit?"
I couldn't help but laugh. If I was not hell bent on bring him in home tonight, I would have probably kissed him right now.
Sarawat was still staring at the paper in his hand. Reading the words I had written over it.
"Tine, this is stupid."
"Forcing me to go home when I clearly don't want to is also stupid."
"You don't understand, Tine. I have a lot of work."
"And so I have heard."
"I can't do this."
"Then don't. Go back to your office and do all the work you want to — and I guess I'll see after a week or may be two — no actually three.
But you need to stop bothering me while I am living my life, when you don't want me to bother you while you are so busy working." I raised my hand. "Minnie, can I get a bottle of Gin, pleas—"
"No, we don't need anything." Sarawat pulled my hand down, took the pen from me, and signed over the tissue paper. "We are leaving."
I smiled . "I mean.. if that's what you want."
Sarawat put cash on the table and crumbled up the napkin in his suit pocket.
I, Sarawat Guntithanon, will not leave my house for the next 24 hours. If I break this agreement, I shall not be seeing or calling my legally wedded husband, Tine Teepakorn, for the next 24 days.
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In the car, Sarawat's hand was intertwined with mine. He had held onto my hand when we were leaving the bar and he hadn't let go since.
The back of his hand was slowly grazing my thigh. The hold getting stronger as we got closer to home. I wasn't sure if we would have even made it to the house had there not been a driver with us.
Because right now, it was taking everything in me not to straddle Sarawat right in the car and tell the drive to get out.
When the car reaches a screeching halt, I lets go of the breath I had been holding and realised we had reached home.
The driver opened the car doors. "I'll wait here, Mr Guntithanon."
"No you can leave, I won't be going back to the office tonight."
We stepped out of the car and the driver left.
Sarawat walked into the house, right behind me. I couldn't see him but I knew his eyes were right on me.
As I entered the living room, I heard the main door close with a loud thud.
Suddenly, Sarawat turned me around and pinned him to the wall. His hands, holding onto mine like he was scared I'd run.
"Don't ever make me do that again." He said. He was so close to me I could feel his breath on mine.
"Do what? Make you come home."
"No, don't ever say I can't see you or talk to you for three weeks. Don't ever say that."
"Did that scare you, Guntithanon?" I smirked.
"Yeah, it did." Sarawat said with all seriousness. "I don't know what I'd do without you."
I was taken aback by his sincerity. "You didn't see me for five days, willingly. You seemed to be doing just fine."
"I missed you a lot."
"You could have just come home."
"I was scared."
"Of me?"
"Of who I become around you. I—I can't hide myself when I am around you, Tine.
The moment you touch me every feeling, good or bod, that I have boxed up and away carefully, comes out.
"And is that such bad thing, babe?" I whispered.
Sarawat didn't answer, he was just staring at the ground.
I remembered how much Sarawat had cried the night of the fire and all the remaining nights that we were together at the island. And I finally realised why he didn't want to come home. He was scared to come home because he didn't want to cry over and over again endlessly and feel the same guilt all over again. But what he didn't understand was that he can't always box up his feelings and put them away. He can't box up his guilt and throw himself into work just to stay sane. He has to face his feelings someday. He has to accept the fact that he is someone with feelings and emotions. He isn't the ruthless businessman people think he is. May be he has created that image in front of others, but deep down, that is not who he is. He can lie to othes, but he shouldn't be lying to himself .
I knew Sarawat was not in the mood to talk about it yet. I had just convinced him to stay at home for a day, I didn't want Sarawat to feel bad about it all over again, and leave.
I just wanted to remind him that I was here for him, that I would always be here for him. That he didn't need to box up his feelings around me.
I kissed Sarawat roughly, playing with his tongue, pulling his lower lip. His hands moved all over my body as he deepened the kiss.
"I missed you." He said as he grinded his hardness against mine , never stopping with his rough and needy kisses.
I missed him too.
When Sarawat broke the kiss, he licked my neck and shoulders. And I moaned, so loud, my echo reverberated through the huge living room and came back right to me.
"You don't have to hide from me, Wat." I said.
Sarawat's hand moved under my t-shirt, tracing through my spine. His lips still fixated on my neck.
"I can't believe you wore this damn jacket today." Sarawat whispered in my ears. "You know the first time I saw you wearing it, every bone in my body was telling me to throw you on my bed and fuck you."
I stopped breathing just hearing that. Glad to know I wasn't the only one thinking that.
"Well, what's stopping you now?"
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A/N: You know, this chapter was supposed to go in a very different, more emotional direction and I had written a big chunk of it already. But then yesterday, I suddenly woke up with a new idea in my head and so I decided to rewrite the whole thing.
I didn't want to dwell too much into the sadness and the guilt that Sarawat was experiencing, I wanted to focus more on how Tine helps him with that. I wanted to focus more on the changing dynamics of their relationship — because at the end of the day, that's what this story is about.
I said it in the previous chapter, and I will say it again: Tine in this story is my favourite version of Tine that I have written. The kind of growth and character development he has had is so amazing.
To Tine, Sarawat is someone he wants to love and protect. He doesn't see Sarawat as this strong wall or anchor. He sees Sarawat, for what he is: someone who is very vulnerable and lonely deep down. He doesn't want Sarawat to put up a facade in front of him. He doesn't want to stand here and solve all of Sarawat's mess for him. Instead, he gives Sarawat the space that he needs because he just wants Sarawat to say things are hard when they are hard. And I believe that's just how all relationships should be.