Seconds earlier, when King had told me to have Mai drive me home every day, I had even thought about condemning him for being too selfish. I mean, I was an adult, how could I take advantage of a kid who didn't even have a job. But when I saw his car, I realized that I had to worry about myself first.
"Is this your car?"
"Yes. Please go ahead." Never opened the car.
I looked back and forth between the boy and his black BMW, the model of which I didn't know. What I knew was that I could never afford it in this life or any other.
I was just so stupid. From the looks of him, I should have known that this guy came from a rich family. Of course, his pocket money was probably more than my salary. Why am I thoughtful then?
I sighed and approached the car, thinking that maybe it was for the best. Knowing that this guy had enough money for gas, I could ask him for a ride home without feeling guilty. Towards the end of each month, I always feel like it's the end of my life when my money starts to run out. So please feel sorry for a poor employee like me, boy. On a mentor's salary, though I barely have to teach you anything.
"But what a beautiful car." I said as I sat down in the front seat and closed the door gently and carefully. My salary was quite low, it wasn't even enough to have a cheap car, let alone an expensive one. I had to be absolutely careful not to damage that machine.
"The door isn't fully closed, P'Jade."
Okay, I'll be a little harsher.
I closed it again and fastened my seatbelt. I stood upright with a stiff posture, staring ahead, as Mai started the engine before driving through chaotic Bangkok traffic after office hours.
"Do you want some music?" he asked.
I nodded. Soon the music began to play softly. After looking at a luxurious car with an even more expensive interior, I couldn't help but ask him a few questions.
"Is it your property?"
"No, it's my brother's. He lent it to me."
This stresses me out even more. Jade, you can't touch anything here!
"How many brothers do you have?"
"There are only two of us, me and my brother. And you?"
"Three. I have an older brother and a younger sister."
"It must be very beautiful. I always wanted a younger brother. How old are they?"
"Jet is almost thirty years old. He got married last year. Jan is twenty-five, the unfortunate age for Thais. You know how they say that people in their twenties are always unlucky?"
"Yes, I heard it. But it's good that your siblings' age gap isn't too big. My brother and I are ten years apart."
The conversation with Mai lasted as long as the traffic queue in Bangkok. I found that this guy was easy to chat with even though we had just met. He always smiled and knew what to talk about. Furthermore, he seemed to be interested in every topic I proposed. Well, I'm a talkative guy, so I talk non-stop. I felt like, after getting on the highway, Mai knew more about me than my colleagues who I had worked with for four years.
This guy's conversational skill is quite special. He must be good at flirting with girls. I can't believe he doesn't have one.
"Mai, can you be honest with me? Don't you really have a girlfriend?" I asked as soon as we stopped at the red light.
"No I'm single." he replied. He probably noticed that I was acting like I didn't believe him, so he chuckled. "Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Well, who the hell believes that? You are handsome and have a nice car. Are all the people at your university blind? Or did you just break up with your ex?"
The red light turned green. He never drove while continuing to talk.
"I actually never gave much thought to relationships until...until recently."
I saw his face light up as he looked at me. Those words and that look of his made me narrow my eyes a little.
Has! Deja vu. It's about to start, right?
I took a deep breath, preparing for the same old conversation. From my previous experiences, I knew this was the time he would ask me about Uea's love life.
"So... Are you engaged?"
"No. At this moment Uea is..."
Wait...
Wait a moment!
I was taken aback and was confused. I repeated the question he asked in my head over and over again.
Whose relationship is it you just asked about?
"What was your question?"
"I asked, 'Are you engaged?'." Mai asked again. His smile was still as polite as ever.
"Oh, um... No."
I sat there like an idiot for quite some time before answering. Then I thought I heard Mai laughing softly, or maybe it was the music on the radio, I wasn't sure.
Mai said nothing after that. I felt like I had said too much, so I remained silent. All that was left in the car was the soft music which made the atmosphere less silent.
I intended to ask him to drop me off at the market near my apartment, then I would take a motorbike taxi from there, but Mai insisted on dropping me off at my apartment.
Well, that's great. It'll save me like twenty baht, and that's still money.
"You can leave me there."
I told him to drop me off on the sidewalk at the entrance to my apartment. Mai leaned over to look inside the building before asking me, "Do you live here?"
"Yes."
"What a coincidence. My apartment is right across the street."
He pointed to an apartment across the street, not too far from mine.
"Oh yes. What a coincidence. Anyway, thanks so much for giving me a lift. See you tomorrow."
"What time do you usually go to work?" he asked as I took off my seatbelt, preparing to exit the car.
"Well, I leave at half past six, because the queue for the motorbike taxis is very long later. Why did you ask me?"
"You can come with me. I am coming to pick you up."
"Wait, wait, wait. No."
I refused immediately. Just walking me home makes me feel bad enough, now you want to take me to work? Even if I'm broke, so to speak, I can't be that greedy. My level of greed is not that advanced.
"You don't have to be so generous. We can go our separate ways so you don't have to wait for me in the morning."
"It's not a big deal to me. We live across the street from each other. I can come get you so you don't have to waste your time waiting for a motorcycle taxi."
"But..."
"We go together. It's not like I have to go to the other side of the country, I still have to go this way. You do not have to worry." Mai said.
I hesitated for a moment before nodding.
"Alright then. A thousand thanks."
"Well, can I have your phone number so I can contact you in the morning?"
He handed me his phone, so I dialed my number. Mai took it back and gave me a ring before putting his phone away with a smile.
"I'll pick you up at seven in the morning, okay? I call you."
"Ok now I go."
"See you tomorrow." he greeted kindly.
I got out of the car and watched the expensive car drive away. I frowned as I entered the building.
Isn't it too early to be kind to someone you just met?I still thought he did all this just to get closer to me, to know my likes and dislikes, so that one day, if he needed help, he could ask me for it.
I understand! Jade, you are a genius!
I smiled at how smart I was. How could I not know his game? I had been going through those same situations for more than ten years. Many people who wanted help from intermediaries were smart, just like him.
I bet he'll ask me about Uea in a day or two. After that, he will ask me for his number or directly to be his sidekick. He can't fool this super Jade, even if he pretends to be smart.
I threw myself on the couch as soon as I got to my room, then grabbed my phone and saved Mai's contact number. His LINE profile opened, automatically adding him to his friends. His profile picture was elegant, black and white, with only him with his back turned.
Does even just his body look that good? I mean, God is too biased, isn't he?
I put my phone down and stared at the ceiling before happily closing my eyes.
Uea. That's beautiful. I'll save a lot of money from a free ride.
**********
My life in those days was simply great, as Mai accompanied me every day, as he said he would. I could get up thirty minutes later than I usually did. There was no need to rush people on the train, which broke down every three days. Speaking of work, it was even better, because Mai was already great at it, so I barely had to teach him anything. I would give him a couple of tasks and some suggestions, then he would finish on his own. His work was very well done, the kind you didn't need to keep checking. Apparently I was the happiest person on the team thanks to Mai's help.
I wanted to kiss Uea like a hundred times for entrusting him to me. I had told him the day before that it was too late to take Mai back, because I wouldn't have let him go anyway. I had also threatened him that if he did not keep his word, he would be reincarnated as a dog in his next life. He looked at me for a moment and said just one word.
"Bullshit."
It had offended me, but even so I was glad that Uea could never ask Mai to change mentors. But if Mai abandoned me to help others, then I would have to see what to do.
It was the first day since Mai had started training here that I had to stay late for overtime. Bas had assigned me a job that needed to be done as soon as possible. I had to design an annual sales poster. The fact was that this job was the responsibility of Mongkon, another senior, but this time he had taken two days off, even though he had already taken one day off the first day Mai started working. He had also turned off his phone. He didn't seem to want to go back to work and we needed to post the poster on our site at midnight soon.
So guess who has to do it. Obviously me.
I wasn't blaming Bas, but I had been free all day and he had only told me about this job that evening. When I asked him why he hadn't told me before, he responded nonchalantly.
"Sorry, Jade. I had a lot of work. I forgot about it."
That's enough, sir. Okay, he'll buy his some fish oil and ginkgo capsules for his birthday to prevent Alzheimer's.
The good thing was that I didn't have to suffer alone, because King also had to fix a problem on the company's website. At least I didn't have to be afraid that the ghosts in the office would surprise me and give me a heart attack. There was a ghost story in our office. Even though I had never seen one, I was still afraid of things I couldn't see.
Well, if I get stalked and go into shock, King can take me to the hospital.
"Never, you can go first tonight. I have to work overtime." I said, as I saw the other employees starting to gather their things to go home.
Mai bent down to look at the image I was retouching.
"Do you still have much to do?"
"Three more of these. He'll finish around eight or nine. Drive carefully."
"Do you want my help?" he asked.
I shook my head. "Why? Come home, I'll take care of it."
"The more people there are, the faster the work gets done, right?" he replied.
I blinked repeatedly in confusion. He was never standing next to my desk, it seemed like he would never move away from me. But when I heard the sound of Uea using his computer near my desk, I knew right away.
By saying 'more people', he was probably talking about Uea. They had shared multiple conversations over the past few days. He must have wanted to stay late to be with Uea, sure.
"Let me help you, please."
"Well. Do as you like." I stopped refusing his help.
Mai sat down in his chair, ready to work with a small smile on his face. I looked at Uea who was focused on his work, then I smiled to myself.
Damnation. If I weren't so smart, I wouldn't have been able to understand why Mai treated me so well. As I said, I am not a heartless person to stand in the way of loving others. If there is anything I can do to help Mai, I will definitely do it.
Talking about that guy, he was very good at taking care of other people, even a middleman like me. What if it was his girlfriend or his boyfriend? He would definitely treat him like a god. But hey, if one day he gets what he wants from Uea and kicks me out of his care, I'll be very disappointed.
My mind collapsed. Everyone who wanted to get to my friends by being so thoughtful to me had always disappeared from my life once they got what they wanted. Some acted as if they didn't know me at all. It was depressing.
As if I were just a tool. When everything was settled, I was thrown away.
"Never, so are you sure you want to stay?"
King's voice brought me back to reality. I focused on my work again as I listened to Mai's response.
"Yes."
"Damn... what a good boy. Do you know how to code a website? Come help me debug."
"Ah... I don't know anything about programming, P'King. I am sorry."
"Sit there and work in silence. Don't mess with my boyfriend." I said instantly.
King wagged his tongue and looked at Uea who was working in silence.
"It's my mouth. Why can't I talk? Do you want me to stay quiet all day like Uea? It's too uncomfortable."
"If I want to stay quiet all day, how is that any of your business?" Uea asked coldly.
King smiled, looking at him with satisfaction before returning to work.
Sometimes it confused me. Why does he like making fun of Uea so much? Are you a masochist? Is he happy when they offend his? He's strange.
"Do you want me to create a completely new one or just use your draft?" Mai asked.
"Can you make a new one with a light tone as a background? I've already used dark tones." I replied.
He nodded obediently and started working, while I went back to my work.
Thanks to Mai's help, the job was done faster than I expected. Mai and I turned off our laptops at 7:30 pm. Luckily, 'Grab' could deliver food directly to my house so I wouldn't have to starve and I wouldn't have to wait to get home and prepare something before putting something in my stomach. At first, I wanted to help Uea finish his work, but he said he was almost done, so Mai and I had gathered our things and were leaving.
I looked back again at King and Uea with some concern. I hoped they would get along until the job was done before they jumped on each other to kill each other.
"Do you often stay late to work overtime?"
Mai asked me this while we were alone in the elevator. Standing next to each other, my head was at the same height as his nose. I drank a lot of milk when I was young, but why am I not as tall as this guy so that some girls might be interested in me?
"It happens sometimes. If there is something to do urgently, I sometimes sleep here. But it doesn't happen often. Actually, if I have to work late at night, I go home around this time. Around ten or eleven at the latest."
"Aren't you afraid of coming back so late?" he continued to ask. I laughed as we walked to the parking lot.
"What should I be afraid of? There are lights on the way back. In fact, coming home later is actually better: there's no traffic jam, you can get home quickly and you don't have to stress about traffic. Plus, I'm a man. Who would attack me after dark?"
"Just because you're a man doesn't mean he's not dangerous. Bad people these days don't choose who they hurt." he said in his deep, yet soothing voice.
Somehow that voice sounded more serious, like I was a child being scolded by a teacher. His face had also become more serious, which caught me off guard.
Did I accidentally step on his foot? No I did not. So why is he making that face? Did I say something wrong?
"Next time you plan to stay this late, I think it's best to sleep in the office. The area around the house is quite desolate."
I just nodded at him, even though I didn't agree with what he said.
The thing is, there are no ghosts in my house, but I'm not sure what is in the office! Do you want me to piss myself off when I find one?!
**********
"P'Jade?" he called me after a quiet ride.
"Yes?"
"My teacher called me. I have to take a half day off this Friday, right in the morning. I already told P'Bas, but he told me to tell you too."
"Yes, that's fine. Why don't you take a day off? It will be difficult to go there and come back here, right?"
"No, it's okay. I'd rather go back to work." he said with a smile.
People in love are really dramatic. Is it so serious if he doesn't see Uea for a day? Cabbage.
"It depends on you. If you want to do it, that's fine, but let me tell you something: you'll only want to do it in the beginning. Once you graduate, you won't be so happy to come to work."
I told him from experience. It was exciting, at first, to feel like an adult who could work and earn money on his own, but after a week or so, all you wanted to do was just lie lazily on the couch.
But if you don't work, you have no money. Life is like that, except those with a rich father.
"But if there were interesting things to see in the office, I think people would normally want to come to work." He smiled as he looked at me.
What a bad boy. I wonder if he's always flirting with everyone, giving girls and boys false hope. If he said something like that to the girls in the office, they'd probably blush until they fainted.
"Go ahead, boy. For me, I'm only interested in the salary."
He laughed at my response. Once we were able to talk, the uncomfortable atmosphere disappeared. And since there was no traffic jam, we got to my apartment pretty quickly.
Mai parked the car in front of the building. He waved as I closed the door. Before it closed, he called me.
"P'Jade."
"Yes?"
"Tomorrow, at seven as always."
"Yes, I know, because you always arrive on time at that time. We will see each other."
"Wait." He stopped me again.
I stood there and raised my eyebrows, confused, waiting to hear what he would say. He smiled at me.
"Good night."
"Oh thanks." I closed the door and watched him go, then went into the foyer.
I had spent a week with him. I thought he was a very polite guy, the kind that he didn't pretend, because if someone was pretentious, some real sides of him could come out in the open. But Mai always seemed sincere. He was also kind and better than anyone my friend had tried to win over.
Out of a hundred, I had already given him seventy; for the other thirty, I would have waited to see how he treated Uea. But given how he treated me, maybe I shouldn't have worried at all.
But...
I had been shocked and confused by the last conversation we had had.
Do people usually say goodnight like this to a friend of someone they like?