Like The Water That Sustains Me

I Wash, You Dry

At the very least Jay feels a little relieved. The elder isn't saying much. Only a few questions asking if he's sure he doesn't need the help, and him answering that, yes, he's quite sure.

And then goes back to leaning by the door frame, silently. Still watching him. And Jay is getting more and more unnerved. Breaking the ice has never been his problem.

Until now.

He just wishes he doesn't feel the other man's eyes following him around so much. He just stands there, not saying anything, and just watches him cook. It's totally different when you're chatting while someone's watching you. It's more like; keeping the conversation, or keeping eye contact.

He's so fidgety, he's scared he might cut his hand while slicing these vegetables. He'd hate to bleed all over such an expensive floor. Well, usually these kinds of vehicles are insured anyway, but still. It'll be so embarrassing to explain to the owners that he destroyed their customized yacht from cutting potatoes and sweet potatoes.

Oh right. Maybe he should start a conversation.

"So, what are your plans for Khun Chaai?"

"Plans for Solo? For what?"

"To get closer to 'im? The reason why you're here in Thailand?" Then Jay looks away.

'Stop following me around,' Jay thinks.

"Yeah. Part of it,"

"Oh yes. The other reason is Phuket. But you must have some plans in place already right?"

"Yes, I do actually,"

"Okay. Good,"

"So what about you and Neo?" Khun Tan asks in return.

"What about me and Neo?"

"You never answered me that one time. When I asked you on our way here,"

"You're still on to that?"

"You never answered me," Khun Tan shrugs.

Jay throws the potatoes in the boiling water. And he takes a few spices he wants to use from the spice rack.

Salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, smoked paprika, cumin, rosemary, and thyme. They have even more selections but Jay doesn't need them. They even thought of stocking up spices. Very intuitive.

"Do you want sweet potatoes with your steak too? I'll add more if you want,"

"Sure,"

Jay adds the leftover sweet potatoes, then tosses them quickly into the water so they can cook in time with the others.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to,"

"Don't wanna tell you, what?"  and Jay puts in the spices for the sauce on a separate pan one by one.

"About you and Neo,"

"Why would you think that?"

"I don't know," Khun Tan answers with a shrug.

Jay smiles, then leans on the counter by the stove. He folds his arms with the spatula in one hand.

"We're colleagues. Same as you and Khun Sichanta. He's his employer, and you're mine,"

Jay hears the older mumble. It wasn't incoherent, just inaudible. "Yeah, I'm yours."

"But we do talk outside office hours when we both have some free time. Well, it actually started when there was this one time I went out for drinks, and he happens to be in the exact same bar I was, so we talked, and then we realized we have so much in common,"