Two days had passed, then three. It was now on the fourth day since New had left and he was beginning to go crazy. He had talked with his mom and she assured him that G-TV had left the house. His sister had also backed off, deciding that since he wasn't working she didn't need to go on a shopping spree.
He was bored!
Admit it, being with Tay Tawan was fun! New shook his head. No! I have to move on, he's not interested in me. Those were words only, no
t real.
The pills were working though, and he knew that too. His mood swings were stabilizing. He could feel it, as well as the side effects kicking in. The way that things were starting to feel just slightly fuzzy, and he felt like he was on the outside, watching life again.
It didn't matter though. Nothing mattered. New blinked. You're lying again. Honesty did. Tay mattered to you! You were never honest with him. You need to make it right with him!
I put Tay Tawan in the center of my world in seven days and didn't realize it! I'm an idiot!
~~~~~~~~~~
It was on the afternoon of the second day Tay received the documents. He spent the day reading every word. Then... he slept.
The third day, he re-read the original contract and read the new contract, this time with a notepad and wrote down the changes, clause by clause. Finally, after many long hours, he stood up, and stretched out his tight, sore muscles, wishing there was a stretch for his overused brain.
"Fuck this! I can see how G-TV is screwing me over about money and working conditions, but I still don't understand how come New is so damn adamant." He rubbed his temples, his head pounding. "I need more information."
He picked up his phone and dialed the last number called, which was Ms. Tam. He never noticed the time and left a voice mail. "Ms. Tam, It's Tay Tawan. I need to speak with New Thitipoom before I make a decision. You said he had the answers to my questions."
He didn't know why the number he had for New was not working but he knew if anyone could find him, it had to be his lawyer. Yawning, Tay headed to bed and to dream.
Lately, all his dreams were about New. Waking up with New in his arms, kissing New, tasting him... loving him.
I have to convince him I love him. I need to talk to him, tell him the whole truth. Tay sighed, as he pulled back the blue duvet, the scent of New almost completely gone. I can't avoid the truth anymore.
~~~~~~~~~~
The Detective placed the photos on his wife's desk and the dossier on the man in the car. Then he leaned in and gave Ms. Tam a kiss on the cheek before sitting down. "So, my love, this is the shady reporter giving our adopted child a hard time. Pull up his 'website'."
Ms. Tam didn't even bother reading the documents, just followed her husband's advice and the look on her face changed. From being pleasant, it hardened until her eyes looked like obsidian chips. "Have we got enough evidence to go after him legally?"
He smiled back, grimly. "Oh yes. The photo tag on the couple on the balcony is registered to his camera. I even found the store he bought the camera from. Do you want to know what's even more interesting? He's the scumbag that worked for G-TV, the one that was fired in the contract scandal."
Her eyes narrowed, until only slivers showed. "He's that guy? He looks nothing like him."
"Plastic surgery in Korea, and a name change there. Luckily, it had to be registered when he returned to Thailand. We have him dead to rights for stalking, slander and harassment. Not just of New, but also Tay Tawan, since it's Tay's condominium he's parked outside."
She pushed the envelop back to her husband. "Do it. Take it to the police. You checked if the asshole was there this morning?"
Her husband nodded. "Hasn't even moved his car since I delivered the envelop. He walks for food twice a day. It's so bad the regular residents are nodding hello now." The detective stood and then looked back, "Oh, we found a delivery guy that was paid to give up his delivery. We'll hand him over at the same time."
Ms. Tam nodded, the incident already dealt with, was moving forward with her day. She raised a hand, having her husband stop at the door. "Dear? I think I'll need your help with something else."
Quickly, she scrabbled a number on a piece of paper and slid it into a small white envelop and handed it to him. "This is urgent. Take it to Tay but only after you've dealt with that scumbag. I love you."
Her husband leaned over and dropped a quick kiss. "I love you, too. See you for dinner."
~~~~~~~~~~
New jumped when his phone rang. Only two people actually knew the new number: his mother and Ms. Tam. Neither was supposed to call him. He looked at the display and with reluctance, answered it.
"Ms. Tam, what do I owe the pleasure of your call?" He deliberately kept his voice neutral. If she was calling, it either had to do with Tay, or it was bad news. New wasn't sure if he was ready to hear about either.
Her voice was also calm. "New, we have a lead on your stalker. Stay where you are until I say otherwise."
He wasn't sure why he started to tremble. He stared at the phone, positive he was going to drop it. "Pardon me?" It took everything he had, to pay attention to what his lawyer was saying.
"New, don't fall apart now." Her voice lowered, and New finally heard emotion in it - kindness, a gentleness he wasn't aware that she contained. "My husband has a lead on your stalker. We're going to keep you safe. Do you understand me?"
"Yes, ma'am, I understand." He carefully put the new phone down and hit speaker. The possibility of dropping it was extreme. "Ms. Tam, are you sure it's going to be alright?"
He heard her inhale, then exhale. "I'm positive about that, but less sure if you're going to fall apart now. Tay Tawan is ready to negotiate. I've given him your new number. Talk to him, New." She hung up, leaving him speechless.
He stared at the phone, feeling helpless. He needed help and he needed it now. Picking up the phone, he called his doctor, left a message and waited.
He wasn't good at waiting. Waiting usually meant falling asleep. Falling asleep meant nightmares.
~~~~~~~~~~
Tay sighed. What was with this cloak and dagger shit? The same man showed up again, saying exactly the same thing! He let him, but this time, Tay was prepared. Instead of just taking the envelop, he refused.
"Come in." The older man eyed him, then shrugged and crossed the threshold. Tay waved a hand. "Please, sit. May I offer you a drink?"
Again, the man simply shrugged. Tay shrugged as well and got him an unopened bottle of water. Handing it to him, Tay took a deep breath. "I know you are from Ms. Tam's office. I need some answers."
A slow smile crossed the man's face. "They say you're slow, but you don't talk that way." He cracked open the water and took a drink. "I'm Tam, the husband."
Tay blinked then laughed. "You're much more than her errand boy." His eyes swept over his clothes, recognizing a man who worked out. "What do you do for a living?"
"Courier?" Tam offered, knowing the young man wouldn't buy it but interested to see exactly how his train of thought worked. Some men think linear, some circular. New was a circular thinker, tending to go deep, and round and round, before coming to a solution. Neither was a bad way, just different.
Snorting loudly, Tay simply said, "I have two legs, want to pull the other one?"
Laughing loudly, Tam walked over to the sofa and sat down, placing the bottle of water and the envelop on the low table. "Boy, you're not slow, nor stupid. So tell me, why did you let yourself be photographed on your balcony?"
Tay leaned against the counter and stared at him. Private Detectives... he had to be a private detective working with the lawyer! He sighed. "I don't care about scandals. New forgot his medication and fell asleep on the balcony. I needed to get him warm fast. Do you think I wouldn't have said, to the world, if necessary, I'm gay, to protect him?"
"You'd really come out in public to protect New, knowing it would trash your reputation as well?" Tam raised an eyebrow. He fingered the voice activated recorder in his pocket. "That's brave of you."
"Why not? We're already shipped together. The public loves us. Fans send words of support every time New dates, or he gets death threats." Tay shook his head. "I never understood, actually, until he stayed here. I do now, Detective. If you love someone, you protect him."
Picking up the water bottle, Tam stood up. "Stay in your condo until I say it's safe. You have a stalker." From out of his pocket, he pulled out a picture of a man with a camera, a telephoto lens, clearly pointed at his building.
"Oh fuck." Tay sank down to the floor, his knees weak. He heard the door close and still couldn't move. Is this how New felt all the time? He was right! It was scary as hell!
~~~~~~~~~~
The reporter snarled. He had snapped a few pictures of the man but not one of his contacts had been able to identify him or the woman. Were they invisible? Everyone had a past... everyone! He was almost out of bribe money, having just enough to live on this damn stakeout!
He couldn't afford to go underground for their identities... his hand went up, rubbing his jaw. The last time he did that, he now had a metal pin. It had been worth it, though. New had been off Instagram for over six months!
He chortled with glee. Maybe... he could pay with his body again. What was some pain, in order to gain?
~~~~~~~~~~
It was hours before his phone rang again. New's neatly manicured nails were a mess, so was his bottom lip. It was more swollen now, than it ever had been when he'd been kissing Tay. He was a total wreck, emotionally, since his lawyer had told him she'd given his number to HIM.
Why? Why would she have done that? Had Tay really made his decision? Was it good or bad?
He couldn't stop thinking about it, going back and forth, round and round, wondering if he should practice what to say, and not improvise.
He drew in a deep breath and looked at the display. It was unlisted but after years, he knew his number. Tay finally called.
Time had run out. With trembling hands, Newwie answered the phone, his voice not betraying any of his runaway emotions. "Hello?"