Pojanee paced restlessly in the hotel lobby, her eyes darting left and right. No sign of Anupap anywhere.
"P'Bud, I'm going to call P'Nu. It's past ten and he still hasn't shown up."
"Leave him be. Let the man sleep." Sombat waved dismissively, shouldering his canvas bag. He beckoned to Tam, his younger boyfriend who had arrived just last night. The young man sat quietly reading a newspaper on the sofa near an elegantly arranged flower display.
"It's almost eleven. P'Nu never oversleeps. We should go without him—they're probably already filming."
"Not yet. Bank just woke up. Won't start shooting until afternoon. And don't go waking Nu up—he doesn't want to be disturbed."
Pojanee's brow furrowed. "How do you know that?"
"I just know... When you're not sleeping alone, why would you want to get up early?"
"Who's he sleeping with? When he checked in, he was alone."
Sombat exhaled deeply. "Pojanee, stop being so nosy. Who checks into a single room just to sleep alone?"
Understanding dawned on Pojanee's face as she nodded vigorously.
"Oh... that's why he chose a single room. I should've invited Rachawat to come too."
"You little fool..." Sombat tapped his younger friend's temple with his finger. "Don't go throwing yourself at him. He'll just dump you later."
"Too late for that, P'Bud."
Pojanee shrugged and hurried toward the car parked in front of the resort. Sombat's eyes widened—he hadn't expected Pojnee to be so quick on the uptake. He grabbed Tum's arm and followed, needing to get the full story.
***
The afternoon sun blazed mercilessly by the sea, but the actors and crew worked with unwavering dedication. Bank Nitinai delivered his final slogan for the product they were advertising, flashed his charming smile, then leaped into the air with legs spread wide for the photographer's final shot.
The director called cut. The entire crew erupted in applause—the first segment wrapped smoothly without much delay since the young singer acted naturally, unlike a certain someone from the past who had nearly driven the director to resign.
"Everyone pack up! Khun Trin's treating us to dinner again tonight. Tomorrow we're island-hopping around Ang Thong islands early in the morning. Free time tonight—do whatever you want!" Pojanee announced before turning back toward the bright parasol planted near the coconut palms.
Sombat sat intimately with Tam, ignoring everyone else. Pojanee was looking at them and found herself thinking of Rachawat, the younger man she'd met at Atid's birthday party, wishing he were here to share this beautiful seaside atmosphere.
"P'Bud, where should we go tonight?" Pojnee settled beside them, then quickly spotted Anupap approaching from a distance and jumped up, waving. "P'Nu! Over here... Oh my, the Detective came too."
"Pojanee! Sand's flying everywhere!" Sombat complained as Tam protectively shielded Sombat's face with his hands.
"It's all in my eyes, Tam. Help me get it out—it's burning." Sombat played up his distress. The young man chuckled knowingly. Their world had turned rose-colored, making everything beautiful.
Anupap and Atikom approached, smiling greetings to everyone. Both men looked refreshed.
"Detective, when did you arrive? I didn't see you at all."
"Since yesterday evening."
"Why didn't I see you at dinner? Where are you staying? They're filming here now—every hotel is completely booked." Pojanee's voice rang clear.
"Poj, lower your voice. Is your mouth a megaphone," Sombat couldn't resist the jab.
"P'Bud, stay still. Don't move." Tam chided as he carefully brushed sand powder from the older man's eyes.
"We're staying nearby," Atikom smiled, glancing at Anupap who seemed indifferent.
"Poj, don't worry about the Detective. He's got comfortable accommodations, sleeping blissfully happy. Right, Nu?" Sombat teased.
"Really? Oh... Detective, come to our party tonight. Khun Trin's treating the crew. Come drink with us again—this time I'm betting on your side."
"Probably can't. I'm being disciplined—no alcohol allowed." Atikom's smile was strained. The stone-faced man beside him remained silent.
"That's terrible. Then just come eat with us at our resort. You know where we're staying, right?"
"Pojanee, stop pestering him," Sombat was losing patience with Pojanee's cluelessness.
"P'Bud, I won't brush the sand out for you anymore if you won't stay still." Tam began to pout.
"Okay, okay, I'll stop talking." Sombat's voice turned sweet and soft. Everyone smiled knowingly.
"Tam, do you have any new projects? When can we see your latest work?" Anupap asked his younger colleague.
"There is one..."
"Acting opposite Jenjira on Channel 3..." Sombat interjected.
"P'Bud!" Tam scolded. Sombat quickly shut his mouth, afraid Tam might refuse to continue removing sand from his eyes.
"It's called 'Love Tricks'—a romantic comedy that airs early next month. Don't forget to watch, everyone." Tam beamed, showing off his adorable smile.
"Won't forget. I'll be glued to the screen every day," Pojanee replied eagerly.
"And I'll be stationed at the filming site every day," Sombat added.
Everyone laughed merrily, not noticing Dolchai, the famous singer's manager, approaching.
"Khun Pojanee, I need to discuss something with you." Dolchai's voice was honeyed. "Oh, Nu! Hello, I didn't see you there."
Anupap stood up, smiling broadly at the older manager.
"Bank needs to return to Bangkok tomorrow afternoon. Can we rush to finish filming tomorrow morning? Then he will catch up with you in Phuket the day after."
"But Bank gave us four consecutive days," Anupap protested calmly.
"There's an urgent job. Bank agreed to something without telling me. There's a scheduling conflict."
"You're his manager, aren't you? How can you let your talent book jobs on his own?" Pojanee objected.
Anupap interjected, "We're going to Surat Thani tomorrow. By the time we set up, it'll be late. We definitely won't finish filming by noon."
"Just push a little harder. Bank feels bad about this too, but he says it's necessary. He promises to add an extra day."
"P'Dol, we're working in fragments as it is. We got Bank for four days, then a two-day break, then Bank returns for three more days—we already agreed to that. But now we're getting disrupted from day one. Our entire schedule is ruined."
Atikom stood up, wishing to help negotiate but knowing he was an outsider who didn't understand the situation. He moved to sit under another parasol planted nearby.
The voices of Anupap and the singer's manager continued their back-and-forth. No easy agreement in sight. The famous singer's schedule must be incredibly tight—otherwise his manager wouldn't be negotiating with the film crew from the very first day of shooting.
The brilliant blue sky stretched endlessly above, the sea inviting and refreshing. He wanted to invite Anupap for a swim in the cooling waters. This vacation to pamper Anupap wasn't wasted—he'd found the happiness he'd yearned for these past months since meeting him. He wanted to spend more time together, just the two of them, in this refreshing atmosphere.
"P'Kom." A soft voice called from behind. The young police officer turned toward the sound.
"Bank." Atikom murmured.
Nitinai stood nearby, smiling broadly. His dark sunglasses with large frames made his sharp features appear more intense.
He and Bank had a history from early last year when the young singer was new to the industry. In just one year, Bank had shot to fame with his looks and singing talent, becoming a rising star in no time.
"P'Kom, what brings you here? I never expected to see you. I'm so happy... I've missed you so much."
"Uh... I came with..." Atikom almost said 'boyfriend' but caught himself. He wasn't sure if Anupap would appreciate him revealing their relationship, so he deflected. "A friend... someone from the crew... so I took the opportunity to vacation here."
"How wonderful! Are you staying at the same resort? Then tonight let's go drinking together."
"Well, I'm not sure yet. I need to ask him first."
"Invite him along too. Who's your friend?" Nitinai smiled cheerfully, overjoyed to see the young police officer again—the man who had left an unforgettable impression. You could call it love.
***