Risk Taker [Englot]

Chapter 31

Apo texted me on Thursday morning, asking if I could exceptionally take care of the kids on Saturday because his boss asked him to supervise a particular construction site project. He offered to call the babysitter if I couldn't but wanted to talk to me about it since we were coparenting. I was astonished but in a good way. I texted him back that I was ok and got off work.

Having the kids with me on Saturday gave me an idea. I was a bit scared it could be too much but... I needed to stop overthinking and just go on with It! It was already late in the afternoon and I was walking in circles in my office. Finally, my laptop made a "ding" and I almost jumped to look at my screen.

I'm leaving now.
My plan worked perfectly, she's working on the text I told you about yesterday.
Good luck!

Heidi had come to my office on Wednesday to ask how she could help. She knew right away this wasn't work related. I was a little bit embarrassed but she affirmed that she was happy to help. She cared deeply about Charlotte and seeing her doing it all by herself was frustrating for her too. I admitted that I needed to talk with Charlotte but that at this point I didn't know how to. The only place I could see her alone was at work... but it was... at work... and I didn't want to expose ourselves.

Heidi had offered to make Charlotte stay late on the next day, asking for her help on something. Since she would get her son back only on Friday night she wouldn't need to get off work early so she would most probably say yes to Heidi. I thanked Heidi before she left my office, promising that I would help her back with anything that she might need in the future.

Receiving her email on Thursday, like she had planned, made my heart skip a bit. I just had to wait for a little bit. Heidi had assured me that Charlotte had approximately 1 hour to complete what she had asked her. Many people had already got off work so with a little bit of chance nobody would stumble on us... So I just needed to be patient for a few more minutes... My heart was pounding... When it was time I got up and forced myself to walk slowly towards Charlotte's office. I could feel my bloodstream beating inside my head. Why was I so stressed out? My hands were getting sweaty... My throat was dry...

"Hey..." I said, sitting at Heidi's desk to keep a little bit of distance between Charlotte and I.

"Hi..." she said, looking lost in her thoughts as her eyes fixated on mine.

I knew she was dealing with a lot lately. Between ending things with her husband, moving places, figuring out how to act like the mom she wanted to be for her son in the middle of all this... I couldn't blame her for struggling to find her way... The look on her face made my heart ache. I wanted to hug her sadness away... Fuck... I wanted her back. I wanted to spend time with her. Get to know her more and more... I needed to ask her...

"Is Miles going to be with you next week?"

"Yes, I'm supposed to get him back tomorrow evening..." she answered softly.

Perfect. This meant we would have our sons at the same time. I was still really scared to ask... because this could be too much for her right now... But I couldn't help but it was the right thing to do. So I took my chance.

"There's a new playground in Chatuchak Park, near the Insectarium... would you like to come with Miles?"

The look on her face changed so drastically. Her eyes started to shimmer, her cheeks turned a light shade of red and she... smiled.

"Are you and your sons asking us on a playdate?" she replied, her smile turning into a little smirk.

Damn... I missed this attitude. I loved when she would flirt back. It made my heart sore.

"Yes."

We chatted a little bit, my heart was so relieved to be there at that moment. I felt like I had found myself... and her... once again. I got up to leave the room but before I did I walked to her desk and kissed her cheek shyly. I saw her smile and blush some more before I was gone. The next went by in a flash and before I could realize, it was already Friday night. The kids were in bed and I was chatting with my sister on the couch.

I was happy that she was home with us. She had survived the first week since her store opened. The customers kept on coming day after day and she had already done her first reassort of clothes. She was exhausted but really proud of herself, and I was too. We were half asleep watching dramas on the tv when my phone buzzed against my leg.

C🐰 : I can't wait for tomorrow's playdate
C🐰 : I missed you so much
C🐰 : I'm sorry I've been distant

I had so many things to say to her but no wasn't the time.. So I just typed as fast as possible :

E🥭 : I love you

And she replied right away, making me feel so at peace.

C🐰 : I love you

On Saturday morning Apo dropped the kids early. Sun was really excited to go to the park and pressed me to get ready. I was debating what to wear while P'Daad joked that she was going to come along with us. I was scared at first because she insisted that she needed to meet Charlotte more than the quick encounter at the door. I finally understood that she was messing with me when she started to tell me some of the questions she wanted to ask her. I smacked her arm as she took her purse and left home to go open her store.

I settled for a cute dress and took Champ's scarf and a large blouse to have him take a little nap later. We had decided to meet around 10am but we got there a little bit early. Sun dragged me along the park to the playground, while I was trying to keep up, having wrapped Champ in a scarf around me. He was starting to get quite heavy but having him against me was the way he could fall asleep the fastest and really get some energy back.

Sun was getting familiar with the new modules on the playground when I saw Charlotte and her son coming towards us. The tiger-flies in my stomach roared softly. I smiled and waved at them.

"Hello, I'm Miles!" the little boy said to me, looking very cheerful.

"Hi, Miles, I'm Engfa. I remember you, you've grown so much!"

"Hello, baby!" he said, waving at Sun.

"I'm not a baby!" my son said, looking upset.

"This is Sun, my big boy!" I explained.

"I'm almost four!" Sun added.

"Wanna play with me, Sun?" Miles asked, offering his hand.

I knew Sun was really happy that a bigger boy was asking him to play. He turned to me to check if it was ok with his big doe eyes. I touched his head gently, nodding to give him the permission to go play. He didn't wait for more approbation and started running along Miles to the slings.

"Can I see baby Champ or are you completely naked under that blouse?"

I turned to Charlotte, laughing at the question. She was so quirky. I unwrapped my blouse to let her see Champ who was snoring against me. Her smile was so nice as she looked at him. She didn't have a poker face. You could read her every feeling right away. And the way she looked at my son was nothing but pure gentleness.

"I'm sorry I didn't ask you for help this past week. I shouldn't have kept you away from me." she said, with a guilty pout.

"Don't worry, Charlotte. I know you had to deal with it your own way."

"But I missed you though. I think I made it more difficult for myself than I should have..."

"I'm here now." I replied, trying to reassure her.

"I know you must have been worried, even if you didn't say. I could see it in your eyes at work... I shouldn't have hung up on you when Mew arrived outside when he saw the video... It made you think that I had taken a risk even though I didn't. You know I'm not a risk taker..."

Aww... my heart...

"I was worried, yes. But I managed. And I don't think you're not a risk taker. You do think way too much though. You should trust yourself more. You took a chance on me and it was a risk. I'm a woman, I'm your manager... But yet we are here together. Our lives have changed so much since november..."

Charlotte took my hand gently in hers and threaded our fingers together. That simple gesture made me feel so many things.

"Mom! Can we go to the Insectarium?" her son said eagerly.

"Mmm not today but we can find a day to visit later." Charlotte answered patiently.

"I love bugs!" my son added.

"Engfa, what are you hiding in your shirt?"

"Miles! That's not something we ask a lady!" his mom said, blushing.

"Don't worry. Come here, Miles, I'll show you." I told him, inviting him to get closer.

He approached me, intrigued, as I unwrapped my blouse.

"That's baby Champ... He doesn't know how to talk..." Sun said to his newfound friend.

Miles looked at Champ who was starting to fidget, thinking deeply.

"Mommy says that I can't have a baby brother because I would have to share my Lego with him..."

I chuckled as I saw him and Sun leaving again to go play.

"Miles, wait for Sun! And play carefully!" Charlotte yelled.

I laughed. I was really happy to have asked Charlotte on this moms date. It was good to be there with them all. Champ made a few noises so I started rocking him, singing to appease him.

"I love your voice. I wish you could sing to me everyday... I... I look at the TikTok video every night before I go to sleep..." Charlotte confessed.

Oh... This made me feel all sorts of things again... but the words stayed stuck in my throat. So I chose to mimic what she had done just before and I took her hand back in mine, interlacing our fingers once more.

"I... Mew hasn't said anything to me since last Thursday... I told him that I wanted a divorce and to share Miles' custody but I haven't heard back from him... I'm afraid of losing Miles because of the video. Do you think it's something lawyers could use against me?"

I understood what she was feeling right now as I saw the tears crept into her eyes. I knew she was fighting to hold them back. I started drawing little circles on the back of her hand as I told her everything I went through with Apo. I would have liked to have someone tell me what could happen before going into the procedure of getting divorced. I tried to be reassuring yet honest with the doubts that I had been through myself. I had just given Charlotte my lawyer's info when she gasped and stood up suddenly, pulling me with her.

"What's happening?" I asked, looking around us, worried for the boys.

Her face softened and she kneeled down in front of me, still holding my hand.

"Engfa Waraha, I love you. Now that I have OFFICIALLY broken up with my husband... will you OFFICIALLY be my girlfriend?" Charlotte asked.

Oh wow. The tiger-flies inside of me went crazy. She just swept me off my feet. I smiled so brightly. I pulled her up and pecked her lips gently. It felt so good and so right.

"Hi, girlfriend." I said, feeling the blush on my cheeks.

I could have kissed her more. Like all day. But seeing her squealing and getting shy made me calm my tiger-flies down. We sat back down, both smiling like dumb dumbs. I just felt so happy. We stayed there, talking and watching our kids play, like it was just a normal thing to do. I fed Champ his lunch and I knew that Sun, and most probably Miles too, were going to be hungry. And soon enough...

"Mom, can I have some of Champ's biscuits?" Sun asked.

"No but we're going to go eat when I'm done cleaning. Ok?"

"Let me help." Charlotte offered, taking a few things to the trash.

"I'm hungry too." Miles said, looking at his mom walking away.

"Here. Take this both of you. You keep it for later." I said to Miles and Sun, giving them mango candies.

"Oh, thank you Mommy!"

"I love candy! But mom doesn't like when I eat too much..." Miles said.

"That's our little secret." I winked at him.

Charlotte came back and we picked up our stuff before saying goodbye. I was a little bit sad to have to part with them. It felt really good to be together. My heart was beating fast, looking at them waving. The smiles on their faces gave me a feeling of hope.

"Engfa!" Miles said, running toward me.

I kneeled down, getting to his level.

"Could we come here and play again another time with Sun? Please?" he asked.

"Sure, if your mom says yes." I replied, looking back at Charlotte.

She nodded.

"YES! See you soon Suuuuun!" Miles yelled, running back to his mom.

I smiled, looking at them and I blushed when Charlotte blew me a kiss before turning around. Damn. We went to grab some food at a local street vendor that I liked and rode the bus towards Auntie Daad's store.

"I guess this morning date at the playground went well." she said to me with a smirk.

"Yeah..."

"You can't stop smiling!" she teased, making me hold my cheeks, feeling self-conscious suddenly.

Apo came back around 4pm to get the boys. He seemed less stressed out than the week before, more open to talk. I didn't know if it was because I had helped him today or if he was back to being normal... He said that he would take care of the kids until Monday and drop them to daycare and school himself. This attitude was pleasant yet it got me a little bit anxious.

On Sunday, P'Daad and I went to send Nudee off at the airport. To say that I was sad was an understatement. Even my sister cried a little. We promised that the 3 of us would go out together as soon as Nudee would be back in Thailand. I spent the rest of the day at home, texting with Charlotte. Now that she had left Heidi's flat and got a new place to stay with her son she said that she would invite me to spend the night when he would be back with his dad.

And a week later, I came to Charlotte's new apartment for dinner. We cooked dinner together and spent the night in each other's arms. I was in awe with every little thing I discovered about her every night I went to her place. I felt myself calling more and more in love with Charlotte. The weeks went by and she invited me each time our sons were with their respective dads... so I spent half the month sleeping with her next to me.

On the weekends I felt confident enough to hold her hand in the street but I forced myself to keep my distance at work. The thing was... the more we spent time together the harder it was for me to handle her presence at work. I got flustered each time she would look at me too intensely. My mind would make me relive the moments we shared the night before and it was getting harder for me to act like a real manager. I felt like I was always on edge, unable to think about anything else but her. I was afraid to cross paths with her around the museum because of what she would do to me... or even what I would do to her...

I thought about what Nudee had told me the last time we hung out together... Maybe I should really start to look at potential other jobs... in different places... So I did, for a few days... I looked around... but nothing really appealed to me... I also thought about going to HR, to tell them all about Charlotte and I. I was afraid that they wouldn't approve... yet if they didn't I felt like I could take the blame and go find another job. I needed to sit down with Charlotte to talk about it first. I was sitting in my office thinking about when Nawat came in.

"Can I sit down?" he asked, looking quite serious as I entered his office.

"Yes, of course." I replied, baffled.

It was really rare to see our boss in one of our offices. And unlike most times, he wasn't absorbed into any other task on his smartphone or a bunch of papers. He was looking directly at me. I was scared that I had done something wrong... Did he know about Charlotte and I already?

"BACC called me. They are expanding. They're going to open a few off-site exhibitions..." he started to explain.

I didn't know why he was telling me this right now... in my office... when we would have our weekly meeting tomorrow...

"They are looking to hire a new team manager... Someone who would be in charge of public programs around all those off-site exhibitions... I wanted to tell you before they would reach out to you directly..."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that I know that you've been here for only a couple of years but you already outdid yourself at MOCA. I know your type Engfa, you need a new challenge. So I'm here to tell you that if they reach out to you in a few days... I won't stop you from accepting their offer."

I was in shock, I didn't know what to say...

"I... I mean..."

"You remind me of myself when I was younger, you know..." he said, getting up.

My brain wasn't braining anymore. Me? Leaving MOCA for real? To go work for BACC?! Wow. This couldn't be real... But what about Charlotte? I needed to ask before he was gone.

"If... If they do reach out... and if I get the job... Do you already have someone in mind to replace me?" I asked.

"Mmmm... I have two potential candidates in mind, yes."

Damn...

"I tell you what, if they do reach out, tell me about it. I'll write a letter for you if you need any extra support for the interview." and with that he left my office.

What the hell??

__
Hello everyone !
One more chapter to go and it's over for real...I don't have much time to write these days... and maybe I'm a little scared to put an end to this story... Hope you still like it!