Let's Do Lunch

Chapter 4

Kongpob tapped the save button on his phone screen again. He received a new picture of Solo eating. This time it was a strawberry crepe with a whole strawberry on top. Solo looked adorable trying to fit the whole thing in his mouth. P'Arthit was the new photographer of his son's food journey.

It's been almost a three months that Solo started to eat regularly because of P'Arthit. In those three months, he would drop off Solo at P'Arthit's apartment or Solo would get picked up for dinner or P'Arthit would come over to cook. The packed meals in the fridge fed BOTH of them when P'Arthit was busy with work. Kongpob was not going to deny that he started out by sneaking food from his son's meals. Solo now ate his meals with his arm around his plate protecting it from his father if Kongpob was around. Solo looked too cute while giving him a stink eye, shaking his head while saying "No, daddy. Solo's food. So-lo. Phee made Solo food. Solo eat Phee's food. No daddy. Solo eat. No daddy."

P'Arthit almost laughed when he witnessed the interaction one time that he dropped off Solo food in his office. Kongpob could feel his ears go red when he had seen P'Arthit holding back his laughter. P'Arthit had taken pity on him by leaving him a bento box the next day when he was leaving Solo's food. After that Kongpob was also being fed by P'Arthit even when Solo would go out instead of eating in the office.

Kongpob ate another bite of his lunch box. His office was very empty without Solo's presence. His son traded him for P'Arthit, choosing to follow him for his lunch break today. He looked up when he heard a knock on his office door.

"Come in."

May walked in followed by M. "Busy?" May asked.

"Almost done. Did anything happen? The contract with SV company?" Kongpob frowned while keeping an eye on M. He now felt like his son, protecting his food from a food thief.

M laughed, raising his hands to show he wasn't going to do anything bad. He took a seat on the couch near by. "Can't we stop by and say hello like old times?"

May shook her head at her husband's teasing tone. "Nothing wrong. We just wanted to stop by for a few minutes and just talk like before we got busy being adults running a place."

Kongpob nodded before taking another bite of his food. He nearly choked at M's next question.

"So is P'Arthit gonna be taking over the full time parent position any time soon or are you still gonna walk on eggshells around him?"

"M, I thought we agreed to bring that up gradually?" May smacked her husband's arm. She sat down next to him, pretending to not be as interested in the answer.

"Oh please, May. You're the one that brought it up yesterday before bed. I was trying to upgrade us to parents but you were more worried about Solo and the lack of a second parent. Thanks for that by the way, Kongpob. You cock blocked me again just like back in college."

May blushed at her husband's words. "M!"

Kongpob chuckled at the death glare that M was receiving. "I don't know what you're talking about. P'Arthit just helps me sometimes with Solo."

May ignore her husband. "We were just wondering. Now that I know this, I can tell P'Fighter that P'Arthit is available."

M stared at his best friend while May said what they rehearsed earlier. Hopefully, Kongpob doesn't try to send P'Fighter to work on the other side of Thailand.

Kongpob paused, before continuing to eat like nothing. "Oh."

The previously delicious food now tasted like sand in his mouth. He struggled to swallow and chugged his water. For the first time, he closed his meal box without finished the last grain of rice. "Well, going back to the topic about the contract with SV Company. Was there any issues with the changes I made?"

May sighed before going along with Kongpob's change in topic. M rolled his eyes at the stupidity he was witnessing.

Much later, Kongpob was still thinking about May comment about P'Arthit and P'Fighter. He never let himself think too much of his senior in that way. Going down that mental path had too many risks. Not only for him but for Solo.

Solo was coloring at the table while talking. Everything he said was P'Arthit this and P'Arthit that. Kongpob could not jeopardize his son's relationship with P'Arthit even if he did sometimes want to tell P'Arthit to go home after coming over for dinner.

"Ready to go, Solo? Daddy is finished." Kongpob grabbed the small backpack that Solo carried daily.

"Almost daddy." Solo rushed to finish his drawing. "Let's go, daddy. Phee is gonna go home. We have to hurry."

He gave his father an exasperated look when Kongpob didn't move fast enough.

"Hold on, hold on. Remember we have to pick up your crayons and put them away." Kongpob grabbed everything his son left behind.

"Hurry, daddy. Phee is leaving." Solo rushed while picking up a stray crayon from the ground.

"Alright, alright. Let's go see P'Arthit before we head home."

Solo pulled on his father's hand. Trying to go faster. Kongpob chuckled at the difference in his son after meeting P'Arthit. Before he would have to carry Solo because he refused to walk because of the usual excuse, "Daddy, I'm tired."

Kongpob's smile died when he walked into the office P'Arthit worked in. His senior was getting his bag ready to leave while laughing at whatever it was that the other male standing next to him said. P'Fighter didn't seem to move slow after finding out that P'Arthit was available.

Solo interrupted them by squeezing between them to show P'Arthit his newest drawing. The senior awed and ohed at the right moments while Solo described the mess of colors. Even P'Fighter praised Solo on his work. Arthit grabbed a small piece of tape and stuck the drawing on the wall next to his work station.

Solo grabbed P'Arthit began to pull the senior to the door. P'Fighter followed them. Kongpob waiied at his subordinates before reaching down to carry Solo.

"Heading out already?" Kongpob patted himself on the back for how natural the words came out. They gave nothing away of the turmoil he was having within.

"Mn, Fighter is giving me a lift home today. We have a couple things to work out in a project we have for an orphanage we volunteer at." P'Arthit smiled softly while crossing his bag across his chest.

"Khun Fighter volunteers with you on the weekends?" Kongpob knew about P'Arthit's side projects on the weekend.

"Mn, I might not be able to come over or pick up Solo this weekend. I don't want him to get hurt while we work around the orphanage." P'Arthit made a sad face while poking Solo's cheek. "I'm sorry, Solo."

"Understood. Well, we have to go now." He bowed his head slightly in farewell since his hands were busy holding Solo to waii at them.

He grit his teeth when he heard P'Fighter speak behind him.

"Are you sure, Ai-Oon? Alright then let's go. I brought my second helmet for you."

Sorry for being gone. I haven't been in the best health. Even right now I'm still in bed rest. I lost all my stories. I figured I might as well use this time that I can't do anything to redo them.

This isn't meant to be too long. It should end soon. This was more like a short story.