The next morning, First's slumber was disrupted by Earth's gentle shake.
"Wake up, First. You'll be late for work," Earth said, his tone somber.
First groggily opened his eyes, noticing the girl from the previous night beside him. He sat up, rubbing his temples. The events of last night came flooding back to him - the pool party, the drinks, and the girl's warm curves against him.
"Time to go," First said, nudging the girl awake. She stretched, yawned, and smiled at him with a sleepy gaze.
"Thanks for last night," First handed her a wad of cash. "Take a taxi home."
The girl accepted the money without hesitation, dressing quickly. "No problem, handsome."
With a brief goodbye, she left, leaving the two alone. He swung his legs over the bed, his mind already straying to work and Khao.
"P'Earth, has Khao come back?" First asked.
Earth's expression turned to displeasure. "No, he hasn't."
First's face fell, annoyance and slight jealousy warring within him. It felt like Khao had been with Podd for weeks now. First was getting impatient. He made a mental note to call Khao again later.
"Okay," First said, moving to get ready for work.
Mr. Jensen appeared with breakfast, his usual warmth subdued. "Good morning, gentlemen. Today's schedule is packed."
First and Earth exchanged silence, the tension palpable. As they finished breakfast, Earth spoke up.
"Let's get going."
First nodded, grabbing his briefcase. They exited the house, the car awaiting them outside. Earth took the wheel, First staring out the window, his thoughts consumed by Khao.
◕◕◕
The drive to work was quiet, broken only by Earth's soft humming. First's mind drifted to their usual banter and easy camaraderie. He missed Khao's bright smile and his... body.
As they arrived at the office building, Earth greeted the employees, exchanging warm smiles and nods. "Good morning, everyone."
Earth then peeled off, heading towards his office as CFO. "I'll review the quarterly reports," he said, before disappearing into his office.
First went to his shared office with Khao. He pushed open the door, expecting an empty room. Instead, Khao sat at his desk, already working.
First's expression faltered, surprised. He didn't bother to greet Khao, instead strided to his desk and focusing on the papers in front of him.
Khao felt a sting from the cold reception. He tried to shake off the feeling, maintaining his professional demeanor. But his heart ached at the distance between them.
After a while, Khao rose from his seat and walked to First's desk, sitting down.
First looked up, his eyes narrowing slightly. "What is it?"
Khao's heart twinged at the curt tone, but he kept his voice light. "It's about your schedule. You'll work on the paperwork this morning. We have a meeting in an hour, and a business dinner tonight with Mr. Lee from Lee Industries."
First's gaze lingered on Khao before returning to his papers. "Got it."
Khao's eyes searched for a flicker of warmth, but First's expression remained impassive. He returned to his desk, attempting to focus on his tasks. However, his gaze kept drifting to First, hoping he would break the silence or flash his naughty smile.
But First remained engrossed in his papers, his brows furrowed in concentration. Khao fidgeted, his mind racing. Why was First behaving this way with him?
Khao's eyes scanned First's face, then dropped to his neck. His heart skipped a beat as he spotted the hickeys lining First's skin. He quickly looked down, his mind reeling. First had gotten those hickeys from someone –someone he had been intimate with.
A pang of unease settled in Khao's chest, but he pushed it aside, thinking of Podd's warm smile. He had Podd, and things were going well. It didn't matter what First did.
Meanwhile, First stole a glance at Khao, missing their usual banter. His eyes lingered on Khao's profile, then drifted to his neck, noticing the hickeys.
First's fists clenched, his mind flashing to Podd. It seemed Khao had been intimate with Podd. Jealousy burned in First's chest, but he quickly pushed it down. He shouldn't be jealous; Khao was never his.
He gritted his teeth, focusing on the papers in front of him. The tension between them was escalating. Khao's thoughts drifted back to First, wondering about the hickeys.
First's gaze flickered to Khao again, their eyes meeting briefly. For a moment, they just looked at each other. But quickly averted their gazes.
◑◑◑
The two spent the day talking professionally with tension. As the meeting approached, Khao stood up. "I'll get the conference room ready."
First nodded curtly. "I'll be there in a minute."
Khao left, his heart heavy. Why had things gotten so complicated between them? He wanted to remove those hideous hickeys on First's neck. And First kept looking at his shirt, probably noticing it belonged to Podd.
First took a deep breath, composing himself. He had to get his head in the game. He couldn't let his personal feelings get in the way of work. But as he walked to the meeting room, he couldn't shake the jealousy crippling his heart.
The meeting went smoothly, First's usual charisma shining through. But as the day went on, the tension remained. Khao and First made plans for the business dinner, their words stilted and brief.
As the sun began to set, First went to his car. He had to get ready for dinner. He slid into the sleek car, his mind already drifting to what lied ahead. Earth and Khao appeared. As Khao approached the car, he could see First already inside, gaze dark and brooding. Earth bounded over with smile.
"Hey you two! Ready for this fancy dinner?" Earth asked cheerfully as he slid into the driver's seat.
Khao forced a smile and climbed into the passenger seat beside First. "Yeah, I think I'm all set. Just need to change into my suit."
First grunted in acknowledgment, not even glancing up from his phone. Earth started the car, music filling the awkward silence.
Khao's phone buzzed and he saw it was Sea calling. He glanced at First before answering.
"Hey phi, what's up?"
"Hey Khao, just thought I'd check in. How's the new job going?" Sea's warm voice came through.
"It's going well, really well actually. I'm learning a lot."
"That's great to hear! I'm so proud of you. Lila says hi by the way."
"Thanks man, I'm glad things are going smoothly. And hi to Lila and the little one," Khao said with a small smile, placing a hand on his stomach.
"Will do. Oh, and that reminds me – the baby shower will be held in the upcoming two weeks."
Khao said, excitement striking him. "Okay, I'll be there for sure. Love you."
"Love you too, little bro. Talk to you soon."
Khao hung up, glancing over at First who was still studiously avoiding eye contact, jaw clenched.
Earth drummed his fingers on the steering wheel to the beat, either not noticing or not caring about the palpable tension. The rest of the drive passed in silence, the men lost in their own thoughts and the heavy unspoken feelings between them.
_______________________________________
