Wittawin smiled at the two chubby boys who stood frozen, staring at him without blinking. He'd come to collect his fee from Pirayu for installing the computer system, but had to wait since his friend was stuck in a teachers' meeting. Once he finished here, Wittawin planned to go swimming, then head to his fencing lesson at the National Sports Center.
The two boys showed no signs of leaving. Wittawin beckoned them closer. The 'little piglets' hesitated for a moment before shuffling toward him slowly—only to shriek and bolt when Wittawin suddenly raised his hands like claws, rolled his eyes back, and bared his teeth in a demonic grimace.
The young engineer who enjoyed teasing children chuckled with satisfaction and leaned back against the marble bench—until his smile vanished at the sharp voice behind him.
"You don't even spare the children."
Great. Why does he must stalk me in broad daylight too?
Wittawin sighed, recognizing the voice instantly. He didn't turn to look at the speaker who'd approached and now stood beside the bench, hands shoved in his pockets.
"Quite the expert at tormenting others, aren't you? If there were any babies around here, you'd probably make zombie faces until they cried."
Shame I was standing behind him. Didn't get to see Wittawin's scary face...
Teeradon drew a deep breath as Wittawin slowly stood and faced him with that familiar mask of calm indifference. The warmth and sweet scent radiating from the younger man made Teeradon turn his face away, afraid he might lean in and nuzzle that clean, pale cheek he'd been thinking of as 'chubby monkey cheeks' for days now.
"I have no idea why you keep coming after me," Wittawin said coolly.
"Relax." Teeradon shrugged. "I'm here to see someone else."
"Khun Teeradon!"
Wittawin spun at Pirayu's voice, then looked back at Teeradon. The playboy's sharp, handsome features split into a wide grin, showing perfectly straight white teeth—so different from the sly smirks he usually gave Wittawin. But for the first time, Wittawin noticed that Teeradon's eyes didn't sparkle with their usual mischievous glint.
"Win, sorry for keeping you waiting so long." Pirayu approached with his trademark bright smile, stopping between the two tall men who immediately stepped apart.
"Whoa, I feel like a dwarf." Pirayu laughed softly, craning his neck to look up at both men flanking him. "Khun Don, this is the engineer who installed our computer system at such a friendly rate."
Wittawin's face tightened. Pirayu didn't need to make introductions—he could already guess that Pirayu's 'that guy' was probably this master playboy. Meanwhile, Teeradon maintained his composed expression, as if he'd come prepared for this exact scenario.
Damn him. Did Teeradon know beforehand that he and Pirayu were close friends?
As Pirayu introduced them, Teeradon extended his hand for a handshake, but Wittawin raised his hands in a traditional wai instead, then held out his palm to collect payment from Pirayu, who smiled awkwardly and spoke quietly while glancing sheepishly at Teeradon. "Right now, Win?"
"I need to go."
"Wait, let's have dinner together first."
"I don't want to be a third wheel." Wittawin spoke softly, then turned to give Teeradon a cold smile. "Khun Teeradon probably wants to dine alone with Khun Pirayu alone."
"Having a third person along is fine with me. Any friend of Khun Pirayu's is a friend of mine. I'd be happy to get to know you better," Teeradon replied.
"Good idea to get acquainted," Pirayu interjected. "Win is an incredibly talented engineer, Khun Don. He finished installing our system in no time. If your company ever needs skilled computer technicians who care more about their work than their own lives, I highly recommend Win's company. He's handled all sorts of difficult projects. Even the most challenging ones—what was that company you mentioned having to meet with...?"
"I'll be going now. Good day, Khun Teeradon." Wittawin cut him off and walked away.
"Hey! Don't you want your money?" Pirayu called out, reaching to grab his friend's arm.
"I'll get it later."
"Then come to the event the day after tomorrow. Bring your company brochures to distribute. And why don't you give Khun Don your business card?" Pirayu reminded him.
"I didn't bring any today," Wittawin replied curtly.
"You can bring them at the event then. You know, Khun Don owns the company that donated computers to us. It really is a small world, isn't it, Win?" Pirayu's voice remained cheerful, followed by his usual laughter.
The computer engineer smiled blandly, nodded in agreement with his friend's words, then walked to his trusty motorcycle parked nearby. He couldn't help but grumble internally.
I wish the world were flat, so I could push Teeradon right off the edge...
***
Teeradon lay with his eyes wide open, staring at the ceiling in silence before turning to look at the person sleeping beside him, then sighing softly. He had to admit that Pirayu put him at ease. The young man was fresh and cheerful, fun to talk with, able to make him smile almost constantly. Pirayu's pure, radiant smile never grew tiresome. If he had to compare Pirayu to the actors, singers, or models he'd been with before, he'd choose to stay with Pirayu every time. Those entertainers were like chewing gum—sweet while you chewed, but the flavor quickly faded. But Pirayu seemed different, like a piece of delicious fruit.
But he still didn't feel satisfied...
Pirayu suited him perfectly, made him feel happy in a way his secretary Monta had described as 'contentment' rather than mere 'fun'...
So what greater happiness could there be?
Was he wrong to spend tonight with Pirayu, trying to prove to himself that he could forget someone else's face?
Pirayu rolled over to look toward the bedroom door of Teeradon's luxurious suite and saw the penthouse owner standing by the swimming pool, drink in hand. The air conditioning in the bedroom was freezing, but the large blanket kept him warm—though not as warm as when he'd been in Teeradon's embrace.
His face felt cold...
And his heart felt just as chilled...
Teeradon did make him feel like he was floating on soft, fluffy clouds, just as he'd always gushed to Wittawin. But he couldn't shake the feeling that the man had only his body...
Where his heart was, who knew?
Would he really never have Teeradon's heart, as he'd always feared?
I don't like being tied down...
Teeradon's words from their first night together still echoed in Pirayu's head.
***