Lovely Writer [English Translation]

Three

"Good. Good. The main lead is cold and stiff. That's what's popular nowadays." Phi Bok says, before setting the iPad down. "This has the right feel to it. You can move forward with it, Gene." The screen shows the still open PDF file, the page filled with dazzling words. "About the contract, I'll have Hin call you when it's ready. Oh! By the way, for the NC scenes, I want them really spicy this time. The spicier the better."

"I'm sorry, what!?"

"You know. Do it like the other Authors normally do it. Step by step. Kissing, kissing the neck, licking the nipples, then going down, getting used to it with your fingers, before inserting. Something like that."

"Hmm... Phi... '' I frown, my neck rigid as my eyes sweep left and right, feeling uncomfortable with the volume P'Bok just used to describe such a scene in the quiet coffee shop, in the middle of the afternoon.

"I want it to be a bit different though, maybe more playful. You can add some sentences to make it feel sexier, like describing some steps or poses without being stuck in what's already been done. Our Editor-in-Chief sent you books for reference right? Take a look at what they're doing in the foreign ones for inspiration. What you have now is pretty good already, but if you add just a little bit more, it will be perfect."

"Hmm, ok Phi. I'll work on it. Let's talk about it again in the next revision, when I send you the next chapters."

"Hmhm. Okay, that's all for today then. I have to go, I have somewhere else to be now and I have to be back at the office in two hours."

"Thank you, Phi."

I watch as the Senior Editor picks up her bag and pushes the glass door open towards the street, before sighing lightly.

The truth is, I already had the manuscript up to chapter six for some time. I intended to send her the file via Email, but before I managed to she contacted me, saying that she had something to do around here today and wanted to meet to talk about the first chapters. So we made an appointment to come out and meet in the middle of the afternoon.

We decided to get together at a coffee shop that recently opened under a rental building on Silom Road. The view from the showcase style windows is a large road filled with cars. Right off the sidewalk there's a street vendor selling pomegranate juice. My eyes follow the hand that methodically cuts the pomegranate, my mind a jumble of thoughts.

I have to confess that when I was writing my first BL novel, the erotic scenes were a pain. Having lived to this age, I'd be lying if I said I didn't have a fairly good idea of how men had sex with each other. I knew how they did it, what went where, so to speak. But to be able to write about it in a descriptive manner, I had to do research, in books, on the internet, in forums... At one point I was worried that if my parents ever caught a glimpse of my browsing history, they would for sure think that their son was gay.

Since I was not going to write a detailed description of something I had no real knowledge of, I decided to keep it light and just follow the steps of the many other writers before me. If I had to guess, that was probably the reason why my Editor was preemptively mentioning this. Out of fear that I'll go the same route again.

I take a deep breath. No immediate solution comes to mind, so I might as well go home and think about it in the peace and quiet of my own room. Grabbing the bill, I get up to pay it at the counter, before walking to my car in the scorching sun.

—

I have just started reversing my car from its parking spot, when my mobile phone starts to ring loudly.

🎵~

The screen shows the name "Tum" under the new number we exchanged the other day. My mood suddenly lifts. I pick my phone up to answer the call with a sense of excitement.