Distant Signals: The Love Between Us

Chapter Thirty-Three

From the moment Kongpob agreed to go shopping with him on Saturday, Arthit's perception of time became skewed from anticipation. Each minute dragged on for what felt like hundreds, and sleep evaded his attempts to capture more than a few hours of it at a time. That is, until Saturday morning, when he should've been awake and getting ready to spend the afternoon with his boyfriend.

At nine o'clock on Saturday morning, a bright stream of sunlight peeked into his bedroom and onto his pillow, causing Arthit to scrunch up his nose and pinch his brow in annoyance. He groaned, rolling over to escape the sun, and covered his head with his covers.

Thirty minutes later, his phone alarm went off and he haphazardly slapped his hand on top of it, pressing the button to silence the damn thing before drifting back into his dream. In it, he was sitting between Dream-Kongpob's legs with his back pressed against his chest as they read a comic book together.

Another fifty-five minutes passed. His phone chimed twice, alerting him to new messages, and Arthit lazily groped for the device without opening his eyes. Grumbling, he tugged his phone off the charger and brought it to his face, pressing the button to check the time. Arthit squinted at the brightly lit screen, reading the 10:22 a.m. displayed in large numbers at the top.

Wait, 10:22 a.m....?

"Fuck!" Arthit scrambled out from underneath the covers and dashed for the shower, his heart pounding. Frantic, he showered, brushed his teeth, fixed his hair, and got dressed in record time—17 minutes, to be exact—and then rushed out the door to catch a motorbike taxi. Somehow, he managed to make it to the mall with seven minutes to spare, and he grinned, feeling victorious.

And yet, despite arriving over five minutes early, Kongpob was already there waiting for him when he arrived at their meeting spot. Arthit rushed over to him. "Oh, come on," he said. "You've got to be kidding me. I rushed here. How come you're here before me?"

Kongpob smiled. "I just got here, too."

Arthit made a face and exhaled loudly through his nose, not believing Kongpob for a second, but he didn't argue with him and accepted the lie without complaint.

"By the way," said Kongpob, "what are you looking to buy?"

Oh yeah. In his haste and excitement to see Kongpob, he'd nearly forgotten about the excuse he'd used to ask him out. Arthit turned in the direction of the escalator and said, "Follow me."

On their way to the store, Arthit discreetly gave his boyfriend a quick once over and blushed when he noticed a small group of young women doing the same. He glanced down at his clothes, then at Kongpob's. His boyfriend had worn a tan button-down and dark jeans—a casual outfit, to be sure, but also stylish and sharp—whereas Arthit had chosen a plain white t-shirt and his usual pair of jeans. Should he have dressed nicer?

Self-conscious, Arthit walked a little faster and darted into the same shop they'd visited a few weeks ago. Kongpob followed him as he slowed down and began meandering through the aisles.

Technically, he reminded himself, this wasn't an official date. Did it matter if he didn't dress as well as Kongpob?

Arthit sighed and started looking at the products displayed all around him. He had no idea what to buy for Tum and Fon, nor did he know what to get for Puen and Sarah. But that was why he brought Kongpob, right?

"Oh, right," he said, stopping midway down the aisle to turn around. "P'Tum called and told me that P'Fon is two months pregnant."

Kongpob's eyes widened. "Really?" he asked, his expression bright with excitement.