Anyone But You [PhayuRain] [Love In The Air]

22: RAIN'S STORM

One Week Later

"So, what do you think?"

"You were right. He looks like shit."

"Didn't I tell you? I haven't seen him look this bad in years."

"What the hell do you think happened? He seemed happy when he came back, but he's gotten moodier and moodier over the past two weeks."

"You know that I can hear you right?"

"You are literally sitting five feet away from me and you wouldn't know how to whisper if your life depended on it. You two are worse than fishwives," Phayu said with his arms crossed, sitting back in his big leather chair.

Saifah leaned over to Lalisa and asked, "What the hell is a fishwife? I think he means you. I'm super manly, so it couldn't be me."

"I'm pretty sure he means you...You know when you do that weird thing with your mouth, I always thought you looked like a fish." She made a fish-kissy face as she looked at Saifah.

Phayu hit the intercom button on his speakerphone and buzzed his Executive Assistant who was sitting just outside his office. "Win, can you call security and ask them to escort these idiots out of my office?"

"Sure, boss, I'm right on it," came the bored voice. And then he said in a much more chipper voice, "You can go right on in," to someone in the outer office.

Mhok walked into Phayu's office and shut the door.

He went over to the seating area, plopped down next to his wife, and gave her a sweet kiss on her head.

"How was school today, darling?" She asked him lovingly.

"I live to do it again tomorrow," Mhok said tiredly, having faced too many 15-year-olds all day.

Phayu eyed them all grumpily.

"Why are you all here? I'm a very busy man with a multi-billion dollar business to run. I can't believe the three of you are in here just wasting my time," he said with his most fierce CEO-like expression as he moved very thick important binders and folders marked Month End Financial Reports and Merger Risk Assessment around his desk.

"Win said you have been in here moping and playing Mario Kart on your Switch all day. We are here for an emergency intervention."

Thank god he had thrown it into a drawer when he heard them outside... plausible deniability was a must. "I don't know what you are talking about."

Phayu pressed the speakerphone again, "Win, remind me to fire you tomorrow."

"Oh, joy. I can have a life now," came the happy response.

Phayu sat back in his chair, knowing that he wasn't getting out of this.

"P'Phayu, this isn't like you." Saifah said with real concern in his voice for his older brother. "You are always strong and ready to take things on. I haven't seen you this down in a long time....in about 9 years in fact!"

"Tell us what's going on, please. We all want to help," Mhok was worried as well. He had hustled over here after school had let out. He didn't remember ever seeing his friend so down.

Phayu looked at the three pairs of eyes staring back at him with love and concern and let go of his irritation.

He knew he couldn't hide anything from them and they were only doing this because they cared. They had stood by each other through very rough times. These were the people who were closest to him.

He sighed. What could he possibly say?

But he needed to give them something. They knew him too well and wouldn't let this go.