Bad Guy My Boss (ENG)

Chapter 11

Mark felt a little strange about finding himself completely unemployed. It was a mix of relief and disappointment. On a whim, at 9 pm, he decided to take a week-long trip to visit Chon-natee in Krabi, hoping to shake off the boredom before seriously looking for a new job. Once the idea hit him, he called his dear friend, booked a flight, packed his bags, and even dropped Sammer off at a pet-friendly hotel near his condo.

The next day Mark arrived around 1pm, waited about fifteen minutes for his luggage, and then saw Chon-natee waving and smiling at him from a distance.

"Hey, man." Chon-natee greeted with a pat on the back, clearly happy to see his close friend.

"Been waiting long?"

"I just got here. Are you hungry? I'll take you to this fantastic restaurant." The local host offered, playfully twirlingt his car keys, clearly in a good mood.

"Just a little bit. Don't you have to get back to work? If you're busy, go ahead. I can handle myself."

"My job isn't too demanding right now. I've already delegated tasks on site. I just need to make sure the contractors follow specs. Let's go to lunch, it's getting late. I've been waiting to eat with you."

"Let's go."

With that, Mark dragged his luggage to his friend's truck and then sat in the passenger seat to head to the restaurant Chon-natee's mentioned. As soon as they got in 1 the car, Mark asked to roll down the window, letting the wind hit his face as he took in the scenery outside.

"How's the ocean breeze? Smells good, huh?" Chon-natee asked with a smile, amused by his friend who kept the window down the entire ride and stared out like he was in a 90s music video.

"Can you stop bothering me for a second?"

"I'm just messing with you. Don't be so sensitive."

In about half an hour they arrived at a medium-sized restaurant by the beach. It had a natural atmosphere and simple but adequate decor. It was packed with Thai and foreign customers, a popular spot for tourists. They chose a table with a clear view of the sea and began ordering food from the waiter who brought the menu.

"How long are you staying?"

"I'm not sure. Maybe a week or two days"

"Great. I'll have a friend to eat with. In fact, you could stay with me, you know? The company has a room in a two-star hotel, nothing fancy but clean, with a distant view of the sea."

"Wouldn't your company mind if you brought a stranger to stay?"

"That sounds fine to them. They wouldn't mind, especially when they know you're with me."

"Even then, I'd feel bad. My old office didn't even allow friends, associates, or family to stay there."

"It's different here. We're all like family. No one is going to complain." Chon-natee boasted and then took a nice sip of his seafood tomyam, looking delicious.

Mark looked out at the beach and took a deep breath of the fresh air he hadn't experienced in a long time. The deep blue sea and gentle breeze cleared his mind, making all his worries seem trivial. He didn't regret leaving Bangkok on a whim.

"What's there to do around here? Give me some local tips, Madam Host." Mark, feeling a little more relaxed, ordered a cold beer as he asked his friend, who couldn't come with him because he had to get back to work.

"There's plenty of work. What kind of trip do you want? Something relaxing or something extreme?" By extreme he meant the red light district, where they used to go during their student days. But since he started working, Mark had stopped doing that. With a demanding job and no personal time, and not really enjoying wild escapades, he only allowed himself to occasionally break up the monotony.