High Stakes: Between Rivals and Lovers

Signs from the Universe

Charlotte's first agenda of the week is to meet with P'Van, who is in charge of Mew's public relations. She wants to be honest with the team, as honest as she was the night before with Mew. Then she has to go to the mall and pick a nice outfit for her graduation next weekend.

"Sawasdee kha, P'Van." Charlotte greets her senior who is busy going through her iPad.

"Watdi, Charlotte. What brings you here?" Van replies, surprised. In truth, Charlotte is only ever present accompanying Mew if there's a race or media affair.

Charlotte, a little bit taken aback, "I'm here to speak with you, actually." She says, finding a place to sit near her.

Van accommodates her and finds a chair for Charlotte to sit on. They sit side by side and Charlotte glances at P'Van's iPad screen. She was taking all headlines featuring Mew – good and bad – and adding them on a spreadsheet in another tab.

"Your photos with him are cute from your dinner last night," Van comments, shuffling through news articles.

"I really don't like my privacy invaded like that," Charlotte admits, feeling uneasy at the unwanted attention just by being with someone famous.

Van sighs and gives her a reassuring squeeze on the arm. "We're sorry, kha." Van apologizes, "But you know you were Mew's saving grace after that scandal a year ago. It would have seriously affected his standing now." The senior tells her.

Charlotte nods, thinking about how Mew's second-place podium finish two years ago boosted his celebrity status all over Thailand to the point that obsessed fans followed him everywhere, sparing him no privacy. It was when they caught Mew being sweet and intimate with a man inside a club that things blew out of proportion.

"I hate that he has to hide who he is, too." Charlotte confesses. She wants happiness for her friend and right now, because of the demands of a male-dominated sport, he is forced to play boyfriend-girlfriend with his closest friend.

Van nods and sets the Apple Pen down to talk to the woman without any work distractions. There is a reason she's here and the sooner it's clear, the sooner she could resume her work. "So what is it you wanted to see me for?" She asks Charlotte, visibly nervous and twiddling with the strap of her small bag.

"I did something. Yesterday." Charlotte begins, biting into her lower lip. She doesn't know Van well enough to gauge her reaction, but seeing as how she consoled her earlier, she assumed her senior had a soft and understanding heart.

Maybe Charlotte should learn how to be more guarded, as Mew had suggested.

Van nods, a gesture for her to continue her spiel. "Maybe you've seen articles about it but I went out with Engfa Ayutthaya yesterday. Since I saw she was at the University District too, where I was." Van nods in understanding, not interrupting the girl since there was nothing to be said. At least not yet.

"Then it was, I don't know P'Van, I felt really... comfortable with her. I know, I know she's from the other team and one of Mew's main competitors but.." Charlotte fumbles, causing the older woman to smile, not in delight, but because she sees some childlike wonder in Charlotte – as if the younger woman was going through having a crush for the first time all over again.

"I mean, okay. The point is, I was so comfortable with P'Fa that time, when she drove me home after being in the the rain I felt like I needed to tell her. So I told her about Mew... about how we weren't really dating."

Van takes a moment to digest what Charlotte says and sits back in her chair. No, this wasn't good at all. She thinks about all the repercussions this could mean for the team if Engfa plays her cards to her advantage and Mew lost fan support. Lost in her thoughts, she doesn't realize that Charlotte has her hands together in a profuse apology. The older woman grabs Charlotte's hands and looks her in the eye kindly, despite her migraine coming up.