Ae looked at Pete as he walked out of the room and suddenly felt very hungry. It wasn't for food either. Smirk...
"How do I look Ae?" Pete looked over after fixing his cuff links.
"Do we have to go down to this event?" Ae strode over to Pete, confidently getting into his personal space.
"Ae," Pete breathed out in surprise and felt his lips get claimed in a forcefully sexy kiss. He moaned and sunk his hands into the muscles of Ae's lower back, trying to keep himself steady. This kind of response from Ae meant he definitely looked good but then again, Ae thought he looked sexy in a burlap sack and clown shoes.
"Let's ditch." Ae breathed against Pete's lips and Pete was very tempted to agree except he had a presentation to do.
"If I didn't have to present..." He trailed off softly.
Ae sighed. "Then come on. Let's go because if we stay here one minute longer, the debauched look is what you'll be sporting when we walk into this thing late."
Pete blushed as he smiled at Ae's back. They entered the elevator, greeting everyone with a wai and moved to be at each other's side instinctively.
Just yesterday, they had arrived at the hotel to find Tin and Can also checking in. Tin also had to do a presentation considering hotels were part of their real estate and Tul didn't want any more attention on himself after his recent misstep, especially when he found out Ae was attending. There was nothing like giving people more gossip to talk about. If only he knew...
Can spotted the moment the 2 walked in and waved to them. Tin also glanced over but other than a nod, continued speaking to his companion.
Pete walked over to Can and gave him a quick hug while Ae, bumped fists with him. They immediately began chatting. Unbeknownst to them, camera's began clicking as journalists covering the event took in the close relationship of the artist and the youngest Medthanet.
This aspect of the event was the networking aspect. Even Ae found himself collecting and giving out business cards and one person actually made an appointment to see the firm simply because he had been given a tour of a recent home the company had built. Everyone that Ae spoke to was captured in a picture and every move he made was chronicled.
The event was actually going well until someone brushed past Can forcefully and embraced Pete, taking him by surprise.
"Pete! You look gorgeous! And Tin! Icy_"
"Don't touch me." Tin said softly and sharply. He knew Dali because her father was a competitor but had never liked the bitchy girl. Can had also reacted and moved to put himself between Tin and Dali. His face was placid but his eyes were suddenly sharp.
"Hi." Can smiled at her and she blinked. "No touching. Property of Can." This too was captured in a short clip and would soon be posted on an article praising Tin's accomplishments for the night.
Tin snorted but he didn't deny the declaration and proceeded to ignore her. Others around also took their cue from Tin and ignored her simply because of who he was.
"O. K. Sorry. I didn't really mean anything." She looked back at Pete to see him engaged in another conversation but Ae was looking at her, his face carefully blank.
"Ae! I was wondering if I could get one of your cards."
"Sure," He said neutrally and handed one over. She smiled and slipped it into her purse before looking at him critically.
"You look very handsome." Her tone implied that she didn't think he was capable of it.
Ae simply looked at her. His fierce stare burning into her soul. She slowly turned red and did a quick look around the room.
"Oh there she is. Since Pete couldn't be my date, I had to find someone." She waved her hands at someone who made her way over.
"You move way too fast Dali," Sheri managed as she got to her friend's side. She looked around and her eyes widened in genuine shock as she took in Ae.
"Oh. Ae. I didn't know you would be here."
"Yes. I came with Pete."
"Oh." She looked around and made out Pete from the back. "Of course. How are you two doing?"
"We're great." Ae smiled and it made his face light up. Sheri stared, her heart bursting with longing. "I'm actually pretty excited that I got the apartment building next to mine. I have another place with some free space, I'll move some tenants, do some refurbishments, and make it one large building. I think I'll leave the stairs thought. Some people like the climb." Though this topic seemed to come out of nowhere, Sheri got the message easily. His life with Pete wasn't something he wished to discuss with her. He was simply telling her the place she held in his life now and it wasn't an important one.
She knew how private he could be. She also knew that only those in his inner circle was privy to his personal life. He had blocked her out and she didn't have a choice. After all, Ae never hid his feelings for Pete while she hid her opinions on gays. She hated them. She hated Pete. This meant she would never be able to get close to Ae again.
"You would, but I think it's a little too much for me personally." Pete joined the conversation with a sweet smile for Ae who grinned at him.
"Well there are other forms of exercise anyway so that's ok. Besides, when I'm there I do get you to eat healthier. And don't think I don't know when you sneak the fast food." It always surprised Ae that Pete was a bit of a fast food junkie. He didn't do it often but he admitted to liking that big yellow M and doing a drive by when he thought he could get away with it. Ae didn't complain thought since Pete was a very healthy eater otherwise.
"Shhhhhhh! Ae! Why are you letting the secret out. Not in front of Can!"
"I heard that!" Can had recently took in Pete as a side client. He was allowed one or 2 since he wasn't the only trainer assigned to the team. Pete was working on being a bit fitter. Just one look at Ae's muscles and firmness and he felt a tad flabby. He didn't need to be a muscle pig but he just wanted to feel fit. It had helped when Can told him that would increase his stamina in bed. It also helped that they used a good portion of the morning time to old talk their spouses.
There were manly chuckles all around while both girls were red for different reasons. Dali was pissed, looking at Pete and Ae being so close while Sheri had picked up on the implication that they were sleeping together. She was a much better listener than Dali was and picked up on a lot of the unsaid details.
Did they use condoms? He has used one with her? Did Pete rate his bare touch? She looked at their joined hands and wanted to yank Ae's hand out of Pete's own. He had such beautiful hands. Long and slim, just like her own... Bitterly she swallowed the bile of knowing she had been a substitute and managed a soft, fake smile.
"Oh look! It's time to go sit!" Dali faked a bright smile and started moving off with Sheri. She knew very well that Ae was Pete's plus one so they should be sitting together. However she had heard this time that the table were not round but long. Dates would be facing each other. She had immediately pulled some strings and made sure she would be sitting next to Pete which meant Sheri should be next to Ae.
When she walked in and saw that there were indeed long tables, a smug look settled on her face. Until she saw the seating cards. Tin would be sitting between herself and Pete! What!? HOW!?
"Tin." She whispered desperately. "Sw_"
"No."
"But_"
"I said no." He shut her up with the look in his eye as well as the sharpness in his voice. She wasn't the only one with connections. Ae had asked and Tin had seen no issue in making sure Dali wasn't near Pete.
He understood Ae after all. There were just some people you couldn't trust. Ae didn't want Dali so close that she would affect Pete's concentration before his presentation. He would be obligated to pay attention to Dali because of who she was. Tin had no such obligations and froze her out immediately.
Dali struggled as she tried to hide her frustration and embarrassment. Scanning the table, she accidentally locked eyes with Ae. She couldn't say what it was that made her feel this was his doing. He didn't look smug or even over confident. He simply looked like his fierce self but those eyes told her he would never let her get close.
She let the hatred show in hers and he merely lifted an eyebrow. She turned away and found Sheri watching her fearfully.
You better do all you can tonight Sheri... If you want to live.
Sheri shuddered and looked down at her place as the MC went to the podium and began speaking. She had felt the wrath of Dali's insane temper on more than one occasion and wasn't in the mood to feel it again. She glanced at Can and struck up a conversation with him.
She casually spoke to him and asked him questions about his personal life. Can didn't really have a filter so he answered everything openly and honestly. If Tin felt, Can was saying too much, he simply called his name softly and Can would move on without a hitch.
"Would you like me to recommend you a great trainer? I would slot you in on my schedule but I have a husband who has a full gym in his house and still drops a couple thousand at my workplace just so he can flaunt the fact that I'm his."
"Private citizens are allowed to work out with the team?"
"No. The center has two gym spaces. We trainers work in rotation. When we're not traveling with the team then we work in the public gym. Money from that gym helps support the efforts of the team."
"And people can say they have the same trainer as the national football team." Pete added.
"Yep. Also it gives the trainers additional income." Can agreed. "So. Dali was it?" He suddenly looked at the beautiful girl across the table from him.
"Oh. Yes?" She looked up at Can in surprise.
"Why are you kicking me under the table? Sheri is that way if it's her attention you were trying to get. And anyway, it's not like she can do anything with me sitting between her and Ae. You'll have to wait until the dancing portion of the night comes up to make your move."
Can wasn't exactly speaking quietly though he wasn't loud either. Persons close enough easily heard him and a sort of silence fell before some hastened to cover it with nervous chatter.
"Right. I'm going to do that then." Dali said with narrowed eyes. Pete only shook his head while Ae's mouth slanted up in a quiet smirk. He wished her the best with that.
Post dinner saw the presentations. Persons quietly drank of had desserts as they listened. There were 6 presenters in all, each slotted for a maximum of ten minutes. The presenters were all given an individual theme. Some veered way off in order to include advertisements of their own companies. This was a usual occurrence. Tin thought, used not the Medthanet name but his own personal company structures to present. They were great choices since his theme was The Advantages of Targeting a Niche Market. He effectively found a way to tie this into the hotel industry and made an impressive and intellectual figure on the podium.
Persons who were biased against him couldn't find an issue with the man or the presentation and therefore assumed that someone had done it for him.
The MC soon put a damper on that idea. "Genius presentation. Let's give him another round of applause. Originally this was supposed to be done by Tul who had an unexpected company emergency and had to fly out. Tin accepted the challenge and even asked for another theme. He only had a week to develop this idea and did an outstanding job despite his hectic schedule. Next we have Pitchaya..."
Pete ascended the stage after a reassuring look from Ae. Dealing with the theme, Restructuring the Past to Embrace the Future, he also did an outstanding job since he himself was currently going through the process of doing the same to his family hotels.
Ae clapped politely when Pete was finished and ignored Dali's wild applause. She easily acted as thought Pete was her man and she was soooooo proud of him. It was irritating to Tin who had to sit next to her but highly amusing to Ae who knew he would be the one sharing Pete's bed tonight, so why was she acting all hot to trot.
Once the presentations were over, persons were encouraged to move to the initial greeting room where they chatted and waited. That room transformed into a bar and many got drinks and continued to network.
Dali stuck close to Pete while Ae switched tactics. He drifted around, working the room but always keeping Pete in his line of vision. Pete also worked the room, often dismissing Dali with a look or simply walking away from her as he chatted with clients. Despite being a friend, she was also competition. Additionally she was in his way. After a while Pete turned to her, his face tight.
"Dali. Do you not have something to do?"
"Oh. Pete. I just thought_" She tried her big eyes and sweet smile. He wasn't having it.
"Listen. I have work to do and so do you. Whatever your intentions are here, it's not going to work." Pete took a deep breath. "Your my friend Dali but instead of supporting my relationship with Ae, your working hard to disrupt it. Even thought I understand your feelings, in your place I would never do that to you. I would simply want your happiness. Consider my feelings and please stop this. It does not endear me to you."
In the shocked silence of his words, Pete walked away. Ae silently followed.
"Hey. Is everything ok?"
"No. Yes. I'm ok now I think. I just needed some air."
Ae smiled softly and nodded. "Did you want me to give you some time?"
"No. Please. Can you stay with me?"
"Sure." Ae looked around then led Pete out into the garden. He had known, if he gave that Dali enough rope, she would easily hang herself with it.
Dali rushed out after a moment and looked around.
"They went out into the garden." She spun and looked at Sheri then nodded. Without hesitating, she took off too. Sheri lowered her eyes then turned and walked into the room. She had followed Ae when he had suddenly turned and walked out. Once she saw why, jealousy once again consumed her.
Why did he have to be gay? No lover had treated her like Ae had. It had been the best sex of her life and then right after it had turned into the biggest mistake. She hadn't been finished. She had wanted more. His powerful thrusts, those deep strokes that actually made her consider having his babies. She had seen their future in the height of her orgasm and it was blissful.
If only there wasn't Pete.