Risk Taker [Englot]

Chapter 29

Our date came to an end. I put the guitar back down on the little cart it came with earlier. We thanked the lady for her services and we took a taxi back home. As we were driving, Charlotte was nestled against me and it felt like perfection. I was sure that she could feel my heart beating through my chest.

My thoughts were recreating the night we had just shared inside my mind. The massage, the onsen, her moans, the way she clenched around my fingers... I knew we had to go back home, her at Heidi's and myself at my sister's... but deep down I wanted nothing else than to stay with her longer. When the taxi pulled up, I held her in my arms for a few seconds, then pecked her lips before getting out.

I sighed as I walked towards the building. My heart felt full yet so heavy. I wondered how our relationship could evolve... if one day we would be together... what our lives could look like if we were to live... together... Could I provide for 2 adults and 3 kids? Then, as my thoughts started to get too much I remembered Charlotte saying that we were in this... together... I hoped this would be real.

I woke up the next morning feeling like I had no energy inside of me. Thankfully my sons cheered me up before we went out. I was still feeling rough and tired when I reached my office... Maybe I didn't get enough sleep... I tried to power through the first part of the day and went out to meet with P'Faye over lunch before the meeting between the museums and City Hall started. I was happy when it was over, going back across town to pick up Sun and Champ to go play at the park.

A sharp pain woke me up during the night. I got out of bed and went to take some painkillers in the bathroom. I realized that my period had just started. Maybe that was why Apo got so much on my nerves lately... and why I felt like crying in the shower after... Yeah, maybe it was just that... Though I was afraid that Apo would keep on being a dick. The way he talked to me was menacing... Given the circumstances I didn't know where this could go...

Thursday morning went by even though my insides hurt. I ate soup for lunch to get a little bit of comfort, which made my bladder scream for release. I cleaned up my desk and hurried to the bathroom. As I turned the corner I stumbled upon Charlotte who was heading to the same place. Her face lit up when she saw me, which made the tiger-flies jump inside of me. She quickly looked around the room and when she was sure it was empty she pushed me inside one of the stalls. I didn't stop her. I didn't want to. Our hands wrapped around each other as we shared passionate kisses.

"This is not the 4th floor..." I joked, whispering as low as possible while her lips ravished my neck.

She chuckled against my skin. That brat... My fingers found their way around her ass, squeezing her against me. I did all I could to stop from moaning, afraid someone would come inside the bathroom at some point. Her fingers started to unbutton my blouse and once again I didn't stop her. I craved her touch. She palmed my breasts through my bra, making my nipples harden under her touch. I felt her smiling against my lips... She knew what she was doing... One of her hands went south, fumbling with the button of my jeans.

"I just got my period..." I whispered, wrapping my fingers gently around her wrist.

She let go of my breast and my button instantly.

"Oh fuck, I'm sorry. Did I hurt you?" she replied, looking at my cleavage, half sorry and half hungry...

Damn... I loved the way she looked at me.

"No, no. My breasts don't get sore. I do have painful cramps now..."

Her face changed to compassion as she put one hand flat on my lower back and the other on my belly. The warmth soothed me and even though the pain was still there, that simple gesture made me feel so loved. I sighed happily and thanked her before kissing her lips. Just a soft kiss. I pulled away remembering that I really needed to pee... We parted and I went to another stall to relieve myself. That's when I realized that for once, I didn't stay to pee with her... Was I getting shy now??

I got out and as we washed our hands I saw her looking at me through the mirror. She was smirking, her eyes so dark... I tried to compose myself while drying my hands but she wasn't looking away... This made me blush a little...

"What?" I dared to ask.

"For the record, I wouldn't mind having sex with you during your period if you were up for it... I crave you so bad that I'll have you anyway you want me to." she said so seriously it made me falter.

I blushed so damn hard. Fuck. And as it was absolutely nothing, she pushed me quirkily with her hip and left the room. That was when Elsa from HR chose to come in...

"Hi Engfa! Are you ok? You look like you have a fever!" she said, looking truly worried.

"I..."

"You look exhausted, you should be more gentle with yourself! I know how hard you work! You should slow down a bit..."

"I'll... I'll think about it. Thanks." I replied before leaving the bathroom.

I went back to my office and locked myself inside, hoping to never cross paths with anyone ever again. At least for the rest of the day... Damn you, Charlotte! But one hour later, Nawat called me to his office to ask me various questions regarding City Hall and what they had planned for the second semester. I looked at the time and realized that I was probably going to be working late to answer all of his demands... Elsa wouldn't be happy about that... I took a quick break to call my sister, asking if she could pick up Sun and Champ.

"Of course I'll go pick up my favorite boys!" she replied over the phone.

"You sure it's not too much? You already took care of them on Tuesday night..."

"Sis... they were almost in bed when you left... I'll be ok. We'll be ok. And after what you did for me with Nong Yoko, I feel like I'm in debt!!"

"What? No, no, no! It was MY WAY to repay you for all the help you provided those last few weeks!"

"Are you kidding? You gave my shop a freaking new look! I'm sure I will sell more shirts because of Yoko's art!"

We argued for a few minutes until she stopped me, saying that she was leaving the building to go pick up Sun and Champ. I thanked her and went back to my desk. I wasn't halfway through my current spreadsheet when my phone started to buzz again.

A🏍️ : Are you ready to be honest with me?

What the hell was going on again? Apo has been so weird lately... Even sort of... mean... I decided to not reply and try to focus back on my screen. But a minute later...

A🏍️ : I'm not kidding Engfa

I was starting to get really confused now...

E🥭 : I'm still at work
E🥭 : What do you want from me?
A🏍️ : Still at work?
A🏍️ : Who's taking care of Sun and Champ?
A🏍️ : The babysitter again??
A🏍️ : Don't you think you should be there with them??

He wasn't leaving me a single second to breathe or think. Fuck. Again with the culpability...

E🥭 : They are with P'Daad...
A🏍️ : Yeah right...
A🏍️ : Like it's her job to educate our children now...

I didn't answer but I was screaming inside. Part of me wanted to throw away my phone through the window... He kept on sending weird angry texts for a while, asking me so many shady questions about my whereabouts the previous weeks. I didn't know what to answer.

A🏍️ : And most important of all...
A🏍️ : Did you really go to New York for work?

At that point, I was lost... and really mad. What the hell was he implying?

E🥭 : Of course!
E🥭 : I told you right from the start that my boss sent me for a seminar at MOMA

I was fuming but I tried my best to get light with the punctuation, not wanting to sound as angry at him. If he was ready to "fuck me up" like he had said when he brought the boys back to me... than maybe my texts could be used in any sort of way against me...

A🏍️ : Then explain THIS!

His last text was a TikTok link. I clicked on it completely unaware of what I was going to look at. The app opened. My heart was beating hard. Suddenly I saw myself on the screen. People were clapping as I was getting down a stage. This was back in New York. In the bar... the rooftop bar. I was walking back to the table, bowing to the people on my way. The person who was filming zoomed in as I got farther. There, Charlotte was waiting for me, tears in her eyes, a soft smile on her face. I watched myself, sitting down near Charlotte, wiping her face gently before pulling her into a kiss. The clip stopped and circled back to the beginning. I watched it a second time. And a third. Then it hit me.

I let go of my phone and got up from my chair so fast. I ran through the hallway to Charlotte and Heidi's office but no one was here anymore. My heart tightened inside my chest. Fuck, fuck, fuck. It was so late already. I rushed back to my office, grabbing my phone to call Charlotte. I needed to warn her... As my phone rang inside my ear, so many thoughts crashed in my brain. Thankfully, she picked up right away.

"Charlotte? Where are you?"

"I'm home with Miles and Mew."

"Fuck!" he was there with her...

Apo and him knew each other a bit... Fuck!

"Can you go outside??" I asked, hoping I could tell her before Apo let Mew know...

"Hmm yes, ok..."

Please. Faster. I needed to tell her. I didn't want Mew to take it out on her.

"I'm outside." she replied softly.

"Charlotte, there's a video of us... on TikTok."

"What? What do you mean? What video?"

"I'm sending you the link... it's a video from the rooftop bar... People were filming while I sang..." I tried to explain, my breath getting ragged.

"I'm putting you on hold to watch it, ok?" she said gently.

"Ok."

No sound came from the phone for around a minute but it felt like damn hours... I could hear my heart beating inside my ears, feel it pounding inside my chest, like it could explode at any given time. Was I having a panic attack? Fuck... if that was how Charlotte was feeling on the regular I really needed to take care of her... That was when my mind went into overdrive. I knew who had recorded me. I remembered New Year's Eve... When that Davika woman talked to me in the ballroom... Win's wife... Win... Apo spent New Year's Eve with Jeff and... Win...

"Engfa?" Charlotte said, waking me from my thoughts.

"You... you saw it?"

"Yes but I..."

"Charlotte, Apo has a coworker named Win. His wife has shares in a few restaurants here in Bangkok and across the world too. She was there in New York, she recorded me. She thought she had recognized me from some dinner I attended with Apo a few years ago..."

"Engfa, I don't get it why are you telling me all of this?"

"I'm scared that Apo will send the video to Mew..."

"But they don't know each other..."

My brain was going fast. Finding tiny bits and pieces of their interactions. I didn't pay much attention of Apo's whereabouts for a while but I knew they had seen each other for sure...

"They do. They met during last year's exhibition... on the opening night. They spent time together at the bar when we were with Nawat and the media... Charlotte, I think they went running together once or twice after that..."

"But Apo doesn't know who I am though?" she asked.

"I don't know... but we're having trouble selling our apartment and Apo is trying his best to make my life harder lately... He has a great memory and I'm afraid he will rapidly put two and two together and send this to Mew to..."

"I... I don't understand. Why did that woman share this video a month later?"

Good question. That fucker... I remembered her smirking during the party... She was trying to check if it was really me that she saw on that stage... Fuck, it was all my fault...

"To help Apo fuck me up. We're still waiting for the settlement of our divorce... Even though this would do nothing against me because Apo already admitted in front of our lawyers that he was cheating on me for months..."

Charlotte went silent for a few seconds. It was all my fault... I shouldn't have gone up that stage in front of so many people... I should have thought about it when Davika talked to me at the party... Charlotte was at risk because of me...

"I'm sorry, Charlotte. This is all my fault, I shouldn't have gotten on that stage back then..."

"None of this is your fault, Engfa." she said, trying to sound ok.

"What if Mew sees it while you're there? Will you be ok?"

That's when I heard her gasp.

"I think he knows... I'll call you back..." she said so low.

Fuck! No!

"Charlotte, do you ne..."

I didn't get to finish talking. Charlotte had hung up on me. The pain in my chest went up a notch. Fuck. With trembling hands I called her again. And again. But she never picked up.

___
Hello to you all. Sorry it took so long to upload the next chapter... Hope you still like the story! This part marks a turnpoint in their relationship. Next chapter will be a part you have never read, so I hope I'll do it well!
I wanted to thank you all for all of your comments. Whether you've been reading my stories right from the start or just discovering them now, all the love you send me is so freaking amazing. I still can't believe it!
Only 3 chapters left... and this story will be fully done...