Atikom turned the door handle of his condo and found the living room lights blazing. Soft music drifted from the guest bedroom on the western side of the luxurious unit.
Looking toward the front balcony of the living room, the large sliding glass doors stood open. White lace curtains fluttered, cool wind carrying the fresh scent of rain into the room.
Tongrob—his partner and buddy who held the privilege of occupying his condo.
The young man, built similarly to Atikom, emerged from the living room balcony into the room, holding a brandy glass more than half empty. His sharp, handsome face wore a wide smile, his eyes seeming amused by something.
Atikom tossed his room key onto the small round metal tray on the black oak table by the door, his left hand starting to unbutton his shirt as he walked slowly toward the center sofa.
"Hey Tong, doesn't your house have food or a bed? It's late and you're still standing here grinning happily in my place," Atikom collapsed onto the sofa, exhausted.
"My place is a danger zone right now, buddy. Let me crash here tonight," Tongrob crouched casually on the edge of the sofa on the other side, swirling his brandy glass comfortably. His relaxed demeanor contrasted with his words.
"Max came over, been waiting in the room since evening. Keeps calling, rushing me to come back quickly. I had to turn off my phone. If I'd known this would happen, I wouldn't have given him the key," Tongrob reported, brows furrowed, shaking his head slightly as if frustrated.
"Why'd you make him so attached then? When you wanted him, you chased him morning and night. Now you're complaining," Atikom shook his head, leaning back against the sofa cushions, looking up at the ceiling. Anupap's face floated in his thoughts.
"How was I supposed to know the kid would be so insatiable? Every time we stay together, I barely get any sleep. Round after round, I wake up pale yellow and exhausted, practically crawling to work. I've been working this case for almost a week, dead tired. Max's waiting in the room—if I go back tonight, I'll get worked over and won't sleep. Tomorrow I have to rush to finish urgent paperwork too," Tongrob rambled as usual, downing his entire glass of liquor in one gulp.
"Karma," Atikom couldn't find words to respond.
"What about you though? You're this tired but still lying there smiling."
"Go to sleep, Tong. Have to get up early tomorrow," Atikom cut him off.
"Didn't he come up to see you off? You're injured—he could help you shower," Tongrob ignored being dismissed, scooting closer and winking.
"Who?" Atikom closed his eyes, head still tilted back against the sofa.
"Playing cool. I saw, you know. Who was driving that red Celica that dropped you off at the condo entrance?"
"Why are you being nosy? You've got good eyes—you can see that clearly from way up here," Atikom opened his eyes, staring at his dear friend.
"Special police ability, you know how sharp our eyes are," Tongrob shrugged. "Doesn't your special someone want to take care of an injured policeman like you?"
"He wouldn't come up. Probably knew there was a servant like you waiting to wipe me down," Atikom got up from the sofa and walked across the living room toward the master bedroom.
"Crazy! Don't say that, gives me goosebumps," Tongrob made exaggerated gestures.
Atikom ended the conversation and went into the bedroom. Showering was still awkward since he tried not to get water on the wound on his right arm.
He dried off completely, draped the towel over the chair back near the table by the wardrobe, then walked to the bed and bent down to unfold the blanket. The bedroom door burst open. Tongrob walked in and stood in the doorway.
"Hey!" Atikom startled slightly but didn't reach to cover his naked body since he was standing sideways to the door. He wasn't shy around a buddy like Tongrob since they'd been close since high school and had seen everything of each other during all their times out having fun together. The two friends had the same "preferences" so had no feelings toward each other like what happened with others.
"Damn... you flagpole, what now? Don't know how to knock?" Atikom cursed.
Tongrob ignored the profanity. "Let me ask you something. Do you think I could ever love someone? I don't feel like I want to stop with any one person. I just want to keep trying new people, changing flavors so I don't get bored. Do you think I could fall head-over-heels in love like you someday?" Tongrob spoke bluntly.
"Probably not. You're a player down to your blood and bones. You change boyfriends like changing underwear," Atikom chuckled in his throat as he climbed onto the bed, lay down and pulled the sheet up to cover his muscular torso.
"You're no different from me. In the past, every time we changed underwear, we changed together, at the same time. You and I were like a pair of tiger soldiers prowling together," Tongrob protested.
"Hey Tong, didn't you notice that for the past several months, you've been going out hunting prey alone?" Atikom reminded him.
"Exactly. That's how I'm different from you," Atikom concluded, lying down and pulling the blanket up to cover his broad chest, reaching to turn off the bedside lamp—an indirect way of 'dismissing' his tiger soldier buddy.
"Oh, right." The buddy captain retreated, closing the door softly behind him.
Atikom lay with eyes wide open in the dimly lit bedroom. Light from outside shone in, hitting the wall opposite the foot of the bed. He shifted into position and raised his right arm to rest on the small pillow he'd placed as support. The young inspector groaned softly as the wound still hurt.
He thought of Tongrob's teasing words: "Maybe he wants to take care of an injured policeman..."
'Khun Nu, do you want to take care of me? But if you're not well, I want to take care of you. I want to be close, want to touch your body, want to...'
Atikom's thoughts stopped abruptly when the bedroom door burst open again.
"Tong!" Atikom growled, calling his friend's name in a voice sharp as his teeth.
"Last question, Kom. You've been abandoning me to prowl the nights alone for months now. But tell me—have you gotten to Khun Nu yet?" Tongrob asked with a straight face and flat voice.
"Police Captain Tongrob, if you don't stop bothering me, I'm confiscating my condo key back," Atikom pretended to use a cold, formal voice. He called his annoying friend by full rank when he was getting irritated.
"Useless," Tongrob said quietly without any hurt feelings, turning back to close the door.
"Lock the door too," Atikom called after him.
The door lock clicked. Silence enveloped the spacious bedroom. Atikom shook his head, exasperated with his friend's crude habits. He closed his eyes, shifting his head on the soft white pillow to find the most comfortable position.
...Useless, huh... Atikom thought about his friend's words. If he meant useless, it might be true in the sense that he hadn't yet 'gotten' the person he'd set his sights on, as his friend crudely put it. But another part of him argued otherwise.
His charm was very effective. Every time he met someone he fancied, never once had he failed to get what he wanted. His good looks and natural appeal meant he hardly had to try using any 'charm' to win anyone over.
But wait... it's been almost three months. Forget about kissing—I haven't even kissed his cheek, haven't even hugged him. If Tongrob knew, I'd never hear the end of it...
His relationship with Anupap was progressing so slowly, so tentatively. He knew Anupap didn't dislike him, but the young man hadn't accepted his feelings either. Anupap still maintained a gap between them, a small wall that he hadn't been able to tear down yet.
Khun Nu... why do you have to keep me at a distance...