A Book Called Desire

IV. The Bar

Kai is sitting in a bar with his friends, Klahan and Dom when a group of five young men enters it. This establishment is theirs, all 6 six of them, bought it from his previous owner, a kind old man.

It was shabby then but they like to hang out there. All pretenses are off, no need to put your guard up. When the old man wanted to retire, they bought it with a hefty sum. They put it back to life and now it becomes an 'it' place to hang out.

His lips automatically tilt with a smile when he sees Macau's face. Dressed in all black, that kid looks ... beautiful and sexy. Kai's eyes linger on the Mac's ass that perk up in the tight jeans he wears and it elongates his feet. Quite a few eyes in the bar are watching him, and Kai notices.

"Oh, that's my brother," Dom says. "Your boy too. But you know that already since you eyeing him the fucked out."

Klahan moves to get a better look at Kai's face. "Just grab him by the hair to the corner and fuck him for real already. Jesus, Kai. You're scaring me, man!"

Kai pays no mind. "Decha is friends with him?"

"Mh," Dom hums to agree. "Since late elementary, I think. They used to fight with each other a lot. Then be friends. Then fight again when they were in high school. It got really bad. But they solved it, I guess, seeing that," Dom points to the group.

"Oh, why?"

"Decha was being shit. Macau came out as a bi to him and he threw a fit, calling him names and shit. I think at that time, Macau had feelings for him. Maybe he confessed, that's why Decha went nuts."

Kai hums. He sees Decha flanging his arm around Macau's neck, both are laughing at something Macau says. He doesn't like that one bit. But from Macau's face, whatever feeling he has for Decha is long gone.

But, first thing first.

He calls the manager. "You see that kid over there, the one in all black?"

"Yes, Khun."

"Pace his drink. 15 minutes for the second, 30 for the next, 45, 60, and so on. If he orders something harder than whiskey, tell me."

The manager nods.

Both of his friends laugh. "What?" he shouts.

"Controlling little shit!" Klahan says. "I feel sorry for the kid."

"I'm not forbidding him to drink. I just want him to drink moderately or he'll become an alcoholic and that's my shit to clean."

"Mm hmm, ok. What label are you guys on now, really?" Klahan taunts. "You're not even his boyfriend."

"Yet," Kai adds.

"You don't even do relationships!" Dom tells.

"There is a first time for everything."

"Your first time is with a Theerapanyakul?" Klahan asks, shaking his head in disbelief.

"His family's name doesn't define him."

"Have you looked at that family history? Full of psychotic people, Kai."

"We are best friends with one."

"Yeah, his direct brother who, I can tell, will be glad to cut your balls if you mess with his brother!"

Kai closes his eyes for three seconds. "Why do people always assume I will mess him up?"

"Kai, look at your history!"

Kai doesn't say anything to refute that. Yeah, so he has a bad rep in romance. So what? As long as Mac doesn't object, they're fine. "Let's move closer."