From Something To Everything (Bounprem)

50. Setting Boundaries

“When did you guys meet?” Bosston asked in a serious tone.

He and Boun were in his office. He had asked Boun to stay over after Sammy and Prem left.

“A few months ago.” Boun knew that he was going to have a long questioning round from Bosston today.

Boun found it surprising that Prem’s best friend Sammy was actually Bosston’s girlfriend Samantha. The world was indeed small.

“Tell me the exact time, Boun,” Bosston demanded.

“That day, when you took me to the hospital. I met him there. He had his surgery done on that day.” Boun said in detail to avoid Bosston from asking more questions.

“Oh my god! You guys have known each other for that long?”

“What’s wrong with us knowing each other, Phi?”

“If it is someone else then it would have been all right. But you… No way.”

“What do you mean phi?”

Bosston looked straight into Boun’s eyes and asked “Have you slept with him?”

Boun was silent as he looked at the floor.

“Boun, I am asking you something. Tell me, have you slept with him?”

“Yes.”

“Yes? What do you mean yes?”

“Yes means yes. I have slept with him. Anything else you are curious about?”

“Boun, can’t you keep your pants on for a single day. Do you even know how complicated things are going to get from now on?”

“What complications phi? Whichever complications you are talking about, I am ready to face them. And one more thing. Prem is not like the other people I sleep around with. So don’t talk about him as if he is a slut.” Boun said firmly surprising Bosston.

This was the first time Bosston had seen Boun being protective towards someone he slept with. He immediately understood that the matter was bigger than he thought.

“Boun, I want the details. I want to know what stage you guys are in.”

Boun stared at his manager for a few seconds and then finally opened his mouth to speak “I met Prem at the hospital that day. Later Tae and Benz introduced me to him as the spokesperson of our brand a few weeks later. We became friends, quiet close ones. We slept together. But I was reluctant to cut ties as I did always so we kept in touch. During his exam period, he was having trouble with his studies. So, I moved in with him so that I can tutor him. After his exams when he went back to Chiang Mai, I visited him twice. I attended his convocation ceremony and we went to Phuket together for a week.”

“That time when Dream couldn’t find you at your place, were you staying with Prem?”

Boun nodded.

“How many times have you slept together?”

“Never kept count.” Boun shrugged.

Bosston sat down massaging his temples. He never expected that Prem was into men nor that he had already fallen into Boun’s trap.

“He didn’t tell you that he was auditioning for the role?” Bosston asked.

“No. We haven’t been in touch for the last two months.”

“He cut you off?”

“No. I did.”

“Then, why were you all sad and moody for the last two months? Was it because of him?”

Boun licked his lip and nodded.

Bosston was about to ask another question when someone knocked on the office door.

“Come in,” Bosston said.

The door opened revealing Prem. He waied at the elder.

“Phi, Sammy left my file in your office. I came to get it.” Prem said. “It’s kind of urgent.”

“Oh? Where did she put that?” Bosston asked.

“That one phi. That’s the one.” Prem pointed at the file on Bosston’s table and grabbed it. “Thank you, Phi. I will get going.” Prem waied again.

“Prem, wait,” Bosston called making the younger pause in his tracks. “Do you have five minutes to spare? I have something important to discuss with you.”

Bosston had noticed that Prem had completely ignored Boun’s presence even though he didn’t forget the etiquette towards elders ever since he entered the office. He could tell that things weren’t going well between the two.

“Khrab Phi.” Prem turned around.

“Take a seat.” Bosston motioned at the couch on which Boun was sitting.

Prem walked over and sat on the other end of the couch looking at Bosston seriously.

Bosston cleared his throat and spoke. “Boun told me about you two. I mean how the two of you used to be close… and how you guys haven’t been in touch…” Bosston paused and observed Prem. There was no change in Prem’s expressions. He continued “I know it is going to be awkward… but you know…”

Bosston was struggling to find words to present his thoughts without embarrassing Prem.

“I understand what you are trying to say, Phi. You are worried that the past between me and P’ Boun would affect our work, right?” Prem asked.

Boun felt like a throne pricking his heart when he heard Prem addressing him as Phi instead of Hia like he usually did.

Upon getting affirmation from Bosston, Prem continued. “Please don’t be worried about that. Whatever happened between me and him is in the past. I don’t have the habit of digging into the past. Also, I keep my personal and professional lives separate. I wouldn’t let either of them suffer due to the other.”

“Prem, what are you trying to say?” Bosston wanted more clarity.

“I want to say that the past is passed. We ended everything before stepping into the acting industry. I can assure you that I will maintain distance from him and will try my best to keep a good professional partnership with him.” Prem said firmly.

Boun felt a lump in his throat as he heard Prem draw a clear line between the two of them.

“What about you Boun?” Bosston asked.

“I agree with him. We will keep a professional relationship with each other.” Boun said.

“That’s settled then.” Bosston exhaled deeply feeling relieved. He was afraid that Prem would behave like those clingy people who wanted to stick on to Boun like a leech.

“Phi, if you are done, can I leave? I have to get there in an hour.” Prem asked in a hurry.

“Oh. Yes. We are done. You may go now.” Bosston smiled at Prem.

Prem hurriedly left the room, not wanting to spend another second near Boun. Even though he had promised Bosston, Prem knew that it was not going to be easy to keep his distance from Boun given his current mental state. He had to do it anyhow. His whole future depended on it. He didn’t want it to be ruined.

Boun looked at Prem’s back leaving via the door. He was upset. Upset that Prem didn’t even talk to him despite being together for almost the whole day. He was being treated like a stranger. He wondered that if he hadn’t left Prem behind in Phuket, then things would have been different between them.