Pete's POV
Vegas.
WHY are you here, Vegas? Do I have a tracking chip in me?
Or are you here to see another person, huh?!
Wait...be reasonable, Pete! Even though this guy Ton likes is possibly Vegas, you can't be mad at him for things that happened in the past.
Vegas was a different person. A jerk basically.
And he didn't like you back then...you were just a damn bodyguard to him.
You see... It's not a reason to be pissed.
Be reasonable Pete...be reasonable Pete...
"Do you know them, Anong?"
"Me?"
"You are staring at them."
"...Uh...no...I don't think so...I'm just curious to see that Thai guy you mentioned."
"That one in a light color suit is Khun Kamol and the man in red is Khun Vegas. They're both from Thai mafia families."
"Really..."
"I don't know those men with them...but judging by the quality of their clothes, they must be from rich mafia families as well."
"Probably." I see Macau, Tankhun and Pol enter the room right behind Vegas.
"You said that Thai guy you like is over there...which of them?!"
"He probably doesn't even remember me..."
"Yeah...probably he doesn't...I mean...It was a long time ago, right...?!"
"Not that long actually..."
You're not helping me not feeling like making you disappear, Ton...
Maybe spending so much time with Vegas is making me think like him.
"Anyway...maybe it's time for you to move on, Ton...show some self-respect, dude!"
I feel like Tankhun talking to me.
"You are right... he just walked away and never spoke to me again."
"EXACTLY!."
"I'm pathetic"
"Don't be so harsh on you...this guy is a jerk. He is not worth your time"
"Come on, Anong, let's offer them drinks."
"Yes...No! Why?!"
Shit...aren't you listening to me?!
"Because it's our job. You speak Thai, it will be easier."
"What do you mean?! Weren't you agreeing to let him go for good?!Like dying...for you?!"
"I have my work to do. I can pretend I've never seen him in my life. I can ignore him like he's been ignoring me all this time."
"Can't you do it from afar?!"
"No! You're giving me the courage to face him head on"
No! You got it all wrong! I'm doing the opposite, man!
In fact, you're desperate for him to notice you, right?!! You fool!
"Wait...it's not quite what I'm saying..."
"Come on, Anong! We have work to do."
DAMN!
It's not time for Ton to feel empowered to face his unrequited love...and drag me along.
How do I get out of this?! I can't let Vegas see me.
Ton and I head to the counter to get drinks to serve.
I look at Arm who is at the counter preparing drinks.
Arm spotted them too. Now I value Arm's costume. He is well under covered.
He could have done a little more on my costume too. What can braids and glasses do to disguise me?
"Could you take those drinks alone, Ton? I need Anong to serve another table." Arm hands me a tray and pushes me away from Vegas direction. "Go to that table, Anong"
"Uh...sure..."
Arm pushes Ton to take drinks to Vegas and friends by himself.
In fact, I don't want Ton to be anywhere near Vegas, but my hands are tied.
I watch Ton approach the group. Everyone turns to him.
He's a damn good-looking cute guy.
He's so likeable.
Ton keeps his face calm and kind, but I can tell he was nervous inside.
Oh man! He even got flushed.
"Hey waitress, pay attention!" Some customer yells at me when I drop a drink on my tray, distracted.
"I'm sorry, sir..."
Damn it, don't interrupt me, asshole...I'm looking at something more important.
"Hey!" Damn costumer grabs my arm harshly. "I'm talking to you, stupid girl! I'm going to take you upstairs to make you learn how to answer a man talking to you, bitch."
Did he just call me a bitch?!?!
I just can't stand rude people.
"I'm not deaf...sir..." I grab his wrist and squeeze it until he releases me.
I'm not in a good mood right now.
Even though he's released me, I keep squeezing his wrist. I should teach you good manners, stupid costumer!
The customer makes an astonished, scared, angry face at me.
Suddenly I feel someone putting a hand on my left shoulder.
I release him.
That rude customer holds his wrist marked with my fingers.
"You should get rid of bad staff, Mr. Tang!" The customer says angrily.
Mr. Tang Yi glares at me. Then he gives the customer a faint smile and asks for a 'urisen'...a male prostitute...to approach us."
"Please, enjoy the night." That rude customer is taken by a handsome boy to the second floor of the club, where the private rooms are located.
Disgusting.
Mr. Tang Yi doesn't have to say a word to me. I understand right away I have to follow him.
I'm going to be scolded for sure.
I glance at Vegas and Ton one last time before leaving. Why are they smiling to each other?!
Damn you, Vegas.
...
Vega's POV
"Thank you for the drink, Ton. I'm surprised to see you still working for Andy."
"Ton is my savior, Khun Vegas. He helps me with everything." Andy praises Ton.
"I hope you manage to keep all the hawks and vultures away from him"
I glance at Kamol, who can't take his eyes of Ton, who has served him a drink, but has ignored his stare completely.
"Ton is so eye-catching...it's hard to get so many eyes off him. Soon someone takes him away." Andy also responds by looking at Kamol.
Ton smiles shyly.
"Let's go to the private area, Vegas" Kamol says, annoyed.
"Oh, yes...your table is ready, sir. Please follow me." Ton says politely to Kamol, but indifferent.
We take his lead.
"If you need anything, you can call me through the panel."
Ton points to a digital panel on the table. He bows and leaves the private room.
"Why are you teasing me, Vegas?"
"I'm not teasing you."
"Yes, you are"
"Don't you like him anymore"?!
"You don't understand...I can't do those things we used to do anymore...not to him."
"So why don't you do it just with him?"
"Are you telling me rumors are true?! Are you a guy of one person only now?! You used to get so many at once...just to annoy Kinn. I can't believe it."
"Whatever . Whether you believe it or not doesn't change the fact."
"OMG...Does this person accept you as you are?! 'Cause we know you have some pretty shitty past, Vegas."
"Pete has met my worst...and found the real me. He doesn't need to know every detail of my past doings...unless he wants to. And if he asks, I will answer him."
"Even if he asks about that door over there, Vegas?" Kamol points to a special room attached to the room we are in.
"..."
"I wish I was like you, Vegas. After I took Ton to that room, I didn't have the courage to see him anymore...I felt like a monster."
"As I said...Pete has met my worst, Kamol...and that room means nothing compared to what I put him through..."
Pete's POV
I enter silently, head down.
Mr. Tang Yi maintains a private office at De light.
Ton told me that nobody comes in when he's not there.
It is a large and luxuriously decorated room.
In addition to his desk and a conference table, there is a set of couches.
He probably does business there.
A fancy chessboard sits on a table in the corner of the room.
"Do you play chess?!"
Mr. Tang Yi turns to me and asks suddenly.
I shake my head.
"Good...although mentally exciting, it can be quite dangerous depending on who your opponents are. It was my uncle's favorite game." He says reminiscent.
He's definitely a player in the chess room.
Arm and I will probably have to come back to this office to look for clues.
Then Mr. Tang Yi. takes a cigarette and looks at the lighter.
I understand that I must light it for him.
A simple gesture to make my place clear.
Jerk.
After exhaling the smoke, he looks at me.
"You are quite strong for a girl."
Maybe I blew my cover.
"I exercise a lot...sir."
"You are quite bold for a girl as well."
"Raised with boys."
Damn...
"This club is full of gangsters who would have no qualms about beating and abusing a pretty, smug girl like you."
I'm honestly grateful for your concern, but I'm not smug...nor a girl. That stupid costumer invaded my personal space. Besides, he interrupted something really important.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Tang. It will not happen again."
"It certainly won't."
He gives a step close to me.
"..."
"You must watch your temper, girl..." He caresses my cheek." We don't want you getting hurt, do we?!"
I have three things to say about this...that I'm basically keeping to myself:
Number One - Again, invasion of my personal space.
Two - I hate it when people stroke my cheek. Why touching my cheek?! Sanya, Wang, Tang...come on! Hands have germs...no matter how much you wash them! The only people I accept to touch my face are Vegas, Venice and my grandma. Period.
Three - I certainly don't want to get hurt...and I do hope you don't want it either, Mr. Tang.
"No, Mr. Tang. I'm deeply sorry for the disturbance"
I bow to him apologetically to get rid of his hand on my face.
"You don't look like a men-pleaser." Mr. Tang gives me a wry smile.
"I'm a lesbian. And I have reasons to hate men inadvertently touching me, sir."
"I see." He smirks.
"Knock, Knock"
Mr. Andy enters the room.
He looks puzzled and worried to see me in the office alone with Mr. Tang Yi.
"Tang Yi, Vegas and Kamol are waiting for you in the private area."
"Was the special room prepared too?!"
Mr. Andy seemed hesitant to answer about it in front of me.
"Yes..."
"Don't mind the girl, Andy. She's worked in nightclubs like this before, from what she said, hasn't she?" Mr. Tang Yi glances at me.
I nod.
"We have everything prepared. Sex toys... whips, chains, chokers...everything of their taste, Tang Yi."
"Good. Vegas and Kamol are important clients. Were the boys called into the room as well??
"Not yet."
"Get them ready. I know Vegas and Kamol well...choose the cute and submissive ones. They can take two each."
"Yi..."
"Are you shocked, girl?" Mr. Tang teases me.
I shake my head.
"Good. These are very thirsty clients...ferocious...you are lucky you are a girl, 'cause they don't like girls...they like young pretty boys like Ton..."
"..."
"By the way, Andy...choose those boys that can stand pain...a lot of pain."
"Okay..."
"Go first, Andy. I'll be there in a moment." He turns to me. "You can leave too...and since you're a woman who doesn't like man, and they're customers who don't like woman, maybe I'll have you serve drinks in the special room while Vegas and Kamol have fun. That won't upset anyone, right? You can be indifferent to each other. Be ready."
I bow and leave his office.
My blood boils.
...
Arm's POV
Finally Pete appears at the bar.
"Where have you been, Pete?! I was getting worried about you! What was that fuss at table 11?"
"Nothing much... I just lost my temper with a customer. And Mr. Tang took me to his office to warn me."
"Are you okay?!"
Pete has such a gloomy face.
It's a rare facial expression to see on Pete.
"Where is the private area, Arm? Tang Yi and Mr. Andy headed to the private room to talk to Vegas and Kamol."
Pete definitely looks in a bad mood.
"Do you know Kamol?"
"I didn't know that Vegas and Kamol knew each other. Kamol family operates in a different segment than the Theerapanyakul family. I've been to a few meetings with Khun Kinn and him in the past. Vegas and Kamol seem to be pretty close friends with quite similar tastes. Where's Ton?"
"Ton went with them. Do you see that mirrored wall across the dance floor? That's the room reserved for Kamol and Vegas. They can see every movement on the dance floor, but nobody can see anything inside. The room is acoustically isolated. I went in there to check it out before the club opened. Bodyguards prevent access. Not even the staff can enter. Only authorized ones."
"Be honest with me, Arm. Haven't you seen a 'special room' attached to that room, Arm?"
"..."
Damn...how does he know?!
"...chains and everything...?!"
"Yes...I have...but you must trust Khun Vegas, Pete. He must be here following some lead. Let him get the information we need. Trust his ways"
"Which ways, I wonder..."
...
Author's note:
Hello guys!
See you next chapter.