Like The Water That Sustains Me

Pitiful Plates

"I'll go prepare the materials we need for today's meeting, Khun Tan. If you could tell me what it's about? I'll get to it right away," Jay says as he finishes his breakfast, and the staff cleans up after them.

C looks at him, his lips pursed, and Jay takes it as a sign that his boss is being contemplative.

"Khun Tan, is it something you can't tell me?" Jay asks.

The elder shakes his head no and purses his lips again. Jay waits, just sitting across Khun C. He's itching to fish out his phone and start making notes or review the reports, but he didn't want to be rude. So he just sits across him, playing with the material of his sleepwear, his mind about to wander off.

"There's no meeting," Khun Tan says.

Jay's attention gets pulled back, and he had to ask, "Pardon?"

"Just like I said," Khun C says.

"So, you didn't book this place for a business meeting?" Jay asks.

Khun C straightens his back and answers, "No,"

"I see," Jay says. He thinks for a short while. Not a business meeting, so it must be a personal meeting. What else could it b-

"Oh, I see!" Jay perks up in understanding and addresses Khun C.

"What time are we expecting Khun Linda? So I can try to make myself as scarce and discrete as possible, Khun Tan" Jay adds.

Jay looks at Khun C in time to see his face become sharper. But Jay doesn't pay much attention to it.

"I'm fine with how Khun Linda treats me, Khun Tan. I hope you don't mind me speaking out of character, Khun Tan. But if you're worried about that, or you aren't but don't like it, it's fine with me. It's none of my business," Jay starts.

"I'm your secretary. I assist you with things and tasks you need, but that's it. I'm grateful for all the things you've done, and given me, and Khun Linda treating me that way, won't make me go away just like that," Jay says.

C's eyes are uncharacteristically wide, which isn't that visible without his glasses on, but they were unusually open so Jay, stilled his face to not show how surprised and amused he is. But if he was the other male, he would be just as surprised too. Jay never talks to the elder as candidly as he just did.

"Why do you never talk to me freely like that? I always see you composed and organized, and almost impersonal even. You're the only person who's been with me the longest, but you're the most detached too,"

Jay feels the breeze from the sea get stronger, the rays from the sun seeping through the gaps of the ceiling, the sound of the waves embrace him, and it makes him feel warm.

Jay for once looks away from Khun C, he faces the ceiling and trains his thoughts on the sunbeams looking like twinkling lights with the moving of the leaves, and the way it hits on the glass.

He senses the other lookup as well, and he looks at him, at the same time, and Jay sees the older look like his age. Or even younger. Not the man who created this huge business on his own, not the man who strikes fear on rigid tycoons, not the man who faced the world alone, because he thought less of himself.

And it's that exact thought that made Jay admire him. At first. He was just 8 years older than him, but he was strong, consistent, hardworking, and Jay wanted to be one as well. He followed his steps, he walked behind him. He worked hard to be worthy of following behind him, and he knows he's not the best that could assist such an amazing man, but Jay knows he worked hard, he wanted to earn the other's trust, and when he did, he's willing to work harder to keep it.