Shiny pretty things

Chapter 4

Tay Tawan is a busy man. Being a CEO takes up most of his time. He is often too occupied with work to leave space for other things. So it says a lot that New Thitipoom Techaapaikhun has managed to slip through the cracks.

It has been exactly one week since his wonderful —maybe imagined —night with the actor. He waited all week long for a call or a text, snatching up his phone at every ping and deflating when he didn't see the name he desired.

New threatened to flood his phone with messages and bore him with calls. What happened? What changed? Why the fuck did he just disappear? Tay racks his brain for anything he must have said or done to push the man away and comes up short. Things were fine before he went to bed.

See you tomorrow, New said. That was a promise of more. That did not sound like 'I'll sneak out while you are sleeping'.

Perhaps, the self-loathing part of him suggests, it was all an act. New is an actor after all, a remarkable one. He must have seen Tay as an easy target, a plaything to pass his time here in Chiangmai. It hurts. It hurts so much to be chopped liver in the world of the great New Thitipoom Techaapaikhun.

Currently, New is on his television screen, swearing his heart to a woman whose name Tay has not taken the time to learn. His chest caves in when he smiles at her. And when he kisses her in the rain, Tay feels rain clouds form over his head. He turns off the television and moves to the bar. He drinks whiskey straight out of the bottle, grimacing as the spirit claws its way down his throat.

At 9 pm, his inebriated mind urges him to send New a text.

Hello New, it's me Tay. We met last week...

Hey, I don't know if you remember me but...

It's JustTay

I know you must be busy...

How are you doing?

Did I say anything wrong...

I tried to replicate the drink you made but failed...

Text me...

He types and erases before he can press send, the cursor in the text box mocking his cowardice. Why is it called liquor courage when it does not make him courageous?

He flings the phone onto the sofa. If New wants nothing to do with him, then so be it. He does not need him. He was doing just fine before he met the man. Better to let it perish now than later when it will hurt more. He is so drunk and optimistic that it is an easy feat to attain. But when he sobers up the next morning, he downloads the Instagram app to keep tabs on the actor.

New is fine. Tay knew that before. His team has been in contact with New's manager. The actor takes his job seriously, he didn't lie about that. The only thing he doesn't take seriously apparently is Tay.

Seeing New would've been a lot easier if the man was half as miserable as Tay himself. He stalks (observes) New's Instagram throughout the week. The actor is always with friends or on one set or the other. A woman appears in his stories more than once. Tay does not know her but he hates her. He wonders if she is New's girlfriend. Why should it matter if she is? He does not care. Why then does his chest feel like an 850-ton engine has been deposited on it? God, he is so stupid. This is why he keeps his walls up. This is why he avoids shiny things. And New is the shiniest of them all. 

Tay should delete his number and act like they never met. Keep it professional. They are just business partners after all. Colleagues. He deletes New's number and then saves it again. Don't ask why he has it memorized.

Another week goes by and Tay is doing better. He is moving on from the things that trouble him. He hasn't thought about New for a day. Not too much at least. Just a passing thought here and there. New had his fun and has moved on with his beautiful girlfriend. Tay should too. He is trying until his phone lights up on Friday evening with a text.

Young master.
I'm in Chiangmai.
Shall I book a hotel or will you be kind
enough to let me use your guest room?

Tay goes into a fit of frenzy. He paces the length of his living room, muttering senselessly to himself. He then tries and fails to watch something on TV. He spends two minutes with his guitars before he loses interest. He wants to wait a few hours to reply so as not to appear desperate. However, he is able to hold out for just 20 minutes. He grabs his phone and types,

Hi, New.
My guest room is yours.

A reply comes right away.

Great! I'm at your door.

**

A glimpse of New at the door and Tay forgets all about his heartbreak. About the waiting. New is as beautiful as always and when he beams, Tay's heart ceases to beat for a few seconds.

"Hi, Newwiee," he croaks, holding a hand out to the man like he has done with many of his business partners.

New laughs and slaps the hand away. And the next thing he knows, he is pressed against the warm solid length of the actor. "Long time no see, buddy." He pulls away too soon.

"Yeah," Tay rubs the back of his neck. "It's been long." Too long.

"Have you entertained any other actors while I've been away?"

"No!" Tay frowns. He doesn't care that his voice comes out too loud. "I—I haven't."

"Relax," New laughs but Tay sees something akin to relief in his eyes. He might be imagining it. "I'm just playing with you." He toes off his shoes, squeezes Tay's shoulder once, and steps around him into the room.

Tay stares after him speechlessly. New has to know what he's doing, right? He can't not know the effect he has on him.

"Come on," New looks over his shoulder. "What are you standing there for? Come tell me how much you've missed me."

**

New is fun. He brings out facets of Tay he has learned to keep locked up. They don't leave the house all weekend. Tay makes all of their meals and New sits on the kitchen island and barks instructions like freaking Gordon Ramsay.

"If you know so much, why don't you take over?" Tay shucks off his apron and thrusts it to New's chest.

The actor almost burns down the building.

"Is there anything you can't do?" New comments as he stuffs his mouth full of bacon. "You're a CEO, you have a good head on your shoulders, you can cook, and you're irrationally hot."

Tay almost chokes on his poached eggs. "Thanks." He forces out after gulping down a glass of orange juice. The smug look on New's face says he enjoyed almost killing him.

New says things like this freely, with no consequence. Things Tay struggles to get out.

"Your eyes," New says while they watch the sunset at noon. "They are gorgeous," he laughs and takes a sip of the cold cocoa drink he made for them.

His words make Tay feel good. The butterflies in his belly flap their wings in a deranged dance. He holds his hand to his abs to silence them. It is fruitless. "You too," he says, keeping his eyes fixed on the colorful hues in the skies. "Your eyes are beautiful too."

New laughs because well, he is New and Tay does not understand the things he does most of the time. He does what he wants and Tay takes what he can get. This moment is his. He takes it. He is seconds away from taking New's fingers in his but fits his hands between his knees to trample the urge. He'll need some more of New's happy grass for that kind of bravery.

When he wakes up on Sunday morning to an empty apartment and a note— 'Didn't want to wake you, See you soon.'— he is hardly surprised but it hurts all the same.

How soon is soon?

He types but doesn't muster the courage to hit send.

A/N: I'll end now but I want lots of feedback when I wake up to encourage me 🤭🤭🤭🤭 I hope you're enjoying it.