The Big Pretense

Chapter 16

A/N: The image above does not belong to me. It belongs to the person who uploaded it on the internet.

Third Person POV

Podd sliced the thawed beef into thin strips while Preeda rinsed the broccoli florets in the colander.

Podd insisted on cutting the red onions and crushing the garlic cloves and so Preeda took care of cutting the red and yellow bell peppers into strips.

Soon, between Podd and Preeda, they were able to make a delicious lunch of stir fried beef and broccoli with jasmine rice on the side.

"So what made you decide to go into an acting career?" Podd asked Preeda as they ate, facing each other at the table.

"Oh I have always wanted to be an actress even before I became a teenager. I imagined myself on the big screen acting opposite a very handsome leading man," Preeda replied.

"And did you have a handsome leading man in mind?" Podd asked with a teasing smile.

Preeda's cheeks turned red. She had to think quickly of someone. She couldn't let Podd know about her big hopeless crush on him.

"Max Nattapol," she replied quickly without thinking.

A/N: The image above does not belong to me. It belongs to the person who uploaded it on the internet.

"I see," Podd said, a pensive look creeping onto his face. "He is indeed a very good looking actor."

"And he has an excellent acting ability," Preeda added.

Come to think of it, Max Nattapol was indeed very good looking and had an excellent acting ability.

"I believe, though, that he is very much involved with someone right now," Podd tried to supply the information to Preeda.

"That's okay," Preeda remarked. "I am a very patient person. All things come to those who wait."

Podd laughed a little awkwardly.

"Good luck with that," he said, before gathering his empty plate and utensils and bringing them over to the kitchen sink.

Preeda took her last forkful of beef and stood up from the table as well to bring her used dishes to the sink.

"Leave them here," said Podd, "I will take care of washing them for you."

"Oh no, no," Preeda wouldn't hear of it.

"But you did the cooking so it's just fair that I do the washing," Podd insisted.

"You did the other stuff as well," Preeda said, "let me at least help out with the washing."

"Okay, if you insist, I will do the soaping and you do the rinsing, how's that?" Podd asked.

"Fair enough," Preeda remarked.

Preeda was on the side of the sink where the soap dish was. Podd reached from behind Preeda to get the sponge. At the same time, Preeda reached out to give the sponge to Podd. Podd's large hand landed on Preeda's dainty one.

Preeda was taken by surprise and sucked in her breath sharply.

For some reason, Podd seemed unwilling to let go of her hand. He kept his hand on Preeda's and Preeda turned to give Podd a questioning look. Podd turned as well. Their faces were just inches from each other.

"Ahemmm..." Gulf said, entering the kitchen noisily.

Mew followed suit, carrying a large brown paper bag with the Mumbai Spices logo printed on either side of the bag.

Podd and Preeda quickly moved apart.

"I... we... were just helping each other wash our used dishes," Preeda explained.

"You don't have to explain anything to us," Mew said with a knowing smile. "We didn't see anything."

"You didn't see anything because we weren't doing anything," Podd said with a laugh.

Gulf took some bowls and plates and utensils from the kitchen cabinet and drawer and laid them out on the table. Mew transferred the Indian food that had been newly delivered to him onto the bowls and plates while Gulf opened the fridge and took out a large carton of orange juice and poured them into two tall glasses.

Preeda and Podd tried to finish their dish washing task as quickly as they could, feeling somehow that they were intruding into the blissful world of the two lovebirds Mew and Gulf.

Podd grabbed a dish towel from one of the drawers and started to wipe dry whatever Preeda had finished to rinse. In his hurry to grab the plate that Preeda had just finished rinsing and was being placed into the dish rack, Podd again accidentally grabbed hold of Preeda's hand that was holding the plate.

Preeda quickly let go of the plate and it slipped from Podd's hand and dropped to the floor, breaking into large and small pieces.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," Preeda cried, dropping to her knees to pick up the broken pieces.

In her haste, she knelt on one of the broken pieces and she gasped in pain as she felt it pierce her knee.

"You're bleeding," Podd declared, scooping Preeda up effortlessly in his strong arms and carrying her to the living room where he gently set her down on the couch.

Mew and Gulf both looked up from their plates and stared at Podd.

"I will come back to clean up the mess," Podd said as he stepped out of the kitchen with Preeda in his arms.

"Stay here. Don't move," Podd said to Preeda before going into the bathroom and taking out the first aid kit from one of the cabinets there.

"This might sting a little," Podd warned Preeda as he removed a piece of gauze from the kit and sprayed some of the wound wash solution onto it.

Preeda sucked in her breath sharply as Podd gently dabbed the gauze on her broken skin to clean off the blood.

"I'm sorry," Podd said, "the sting is just temporary."

Podd then took out a small tube of antibiotic ointment from the kit and used one of the sterile cotton tips to apply some of it onto Preeda's wounded knee.

After doing so, Podd took out a mini adhesive dressing and gently placed it over the wound, pressing just a little on all four sides of the dressing to make sure that it stuck to her knee.

The gentle caring was too much for Preeda to handle and before she could help herself she watched in horror as a big tear fell from her eyes and plopped on the back of Podd's hand as he gave the finishing touches to the dressing.

Podd had been kneeling in front of Preeda and when he felt the teardrop on the back of his hand, he looked up at Preeda's face.

Podd found himself reaching up to gently touch Preeda's cheek.

"Ahemmm!" it was Gulf's voice once more as he stepped into the living room.

Podd quickly withdrew his hand and closed the lid of the first aid kit.

"You don't have to go back to the kitchen to clean up the mess," Gulf announced, "Mew and I have cleaned it up for you."

"Thank you, I appreciate it," Podd said as he started going back to the bathroom to return the first aid kid.

"Let me carry you to your room," Podd heard Gulf offering Preeda.

The first aid kit crashed to the floor as Podd rushed back to the couch saying to Gulf, "It's very kind of you to offer but I will be taking care of her. I feel responsible for the accident and the wound that she sustained from it."

Gulf felt his wrist getting seized and held tightly by Mew.

"What is this bloody game you're playing, Gulf?"