Fathers and Law: Lom and Fah Book One

Chapter 7

"Are you shocked that I slept with a guy?" Lom raised an eyebrow and waited for Fah's reply.

"Well, yeah. You never told me, and we lived together then. Why didn't you tell me?" 

"At first I didn't know who I could tell. I felt like if anyone found out I liked guys everyone would avoid me. You were always surrounded by girls so I knew you wouldn't understand. It was pure luck that Somchai hit on me in the locker room. After that, I wasn't sure how you'd take it. I didn't want you to hate me or avoid me."

"I wouldn't have hated you. Or avoided you. How could you think I would be like that?" Fah was hurt Lom had had such little faith in him.

"Because we never hung out together and at school, you were always chatting with girls."

"Do you date girls too, or only guys?"

"Just guys. I had sex with one woman – at the brothel that you were at tonight. We had sex but it just didn't do anything for me, and I couldn't, you know, keep the flag flying the whole time. She was nice and said it was common for gay men to try it with the girls there. Anyway, I've never been with a girl since." Lom raised his glass and finished off his drink.

"Oh, wow. I wish you would have told me sooner."

"Why? Would you tell our father?" Lom gave Fah a curious stare. "He knows about me already. He isn't happy but at least he stopped trying to fix me up with girls."

"How did he find out?" Fah couldn't believe Ton would accept Lom being gay.

"One of the guys at work was giving me head, someone saw and told Dad," Lom spoke nonchalantly but his steely look suggested he was still mad about being outed that way.

"Shit! What did he say?"

"Dad said he was surprised and I should have told him before. He warned me never to do it again with anyone from the business and to keep my personal life far from the organization."

"Wow." Fah was sad Lom had gone through all of this on his own.

"You sure say wow a lot. What about tonight? Was it everything you had hoped for?" He wished Fah would have been forthcoming about his brothel visit. Now, it seemed, he wouldn't get any answers unless he demanded them.

"No," said Fah, so quietly that it was barely audible.

"What? Who were you with? If she wasn't any good, we could get rid of her. We don't need anyone taking up a room that can't bring in money." Lom spoke as a business owner, not as a confidante, and that irritated Fah.

"No, it wasn't her fault. It was mine." Fah couldn't meet Lom's eyes so he continued staring at his drink.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, I couldn't do it." Fah felt humiliated answering Lom's questions.

"Oh, because you were in a brothel?"

"I don't think that was the problem."

"Because it wasn't Manao?" Lom prayed this wasn't the reason as he waited for Fah's reply.

"No, that wasn't the problem. I think, maybe, that I'm like you."

"You like me?" Lom looked shocked and stared at Fah. "I'm your brother. Dad would kill us." Although he spoke these words, his mind was replaying that morning in bed with Fah.

"I said I am like you." He wondered what it meant that Lom was horrified when he thought Fah had said he liked him.

"Oh, sorry, I thought of Dad finding us in bed and couldn't stop laughing at the shock it would give him." Fah laughed along half-heartedly. Lom continued, "When you say you are like me, do you mean you like men?"