13. Chapter Thirteen Spin

Chapter Thirteen: Spin

I 'm worried about P'Park. I thought I would be the one struggling now that we've started filming, but it is he who is dragging. On the day of the Love Lounge photo shoot, P'Big takes one look at P'Park and orders P'Pear to do something about his pale face and the bags under his eyes. P'Pear takes his hand and leads him into one of the offices, her bag of cosmetics slung over her shoulder.

He looks much better when I see him again a couple of hours later, but I can tell he's holding on by a thread.

"Are you okay?" I whisper to him as we're led into a room where the five other couples from SPPT are gathered with the photographer.

"Yeah. My sister hasn't been sleeping well, so I haven't been either," P'Park says. I get the feeling it cost him a lot just to summon up the energy to speak, so I don't question him further.

All of the SPPT actors who will be participating in Love Lounge are dressed in navy suits with pink neckties and are posed first one couple at a time, and then all together on a set decorated with Love Lounge advertisements. Prince and Gift are photographed first, and I watch them with interest. Prince is half Chinese and very handsome, while Gift's pale skin and almost feminine features would be better described as beautiful. Their dynamic as a shipped couple is extraordinarily close, and I can see how their fans easily believe they are really involved. I know from the experience of my friends Pravat and Rama that if it's true, Prince and Gift are doing a balancing act between their careers and their relationship. Still, if they are careful, this job is the perfect way to conceal that they're together.

Another shipped couple, Ban and Book, look at ease with each other even though Ban's girlfriend is watching from the sidelines, face devoid of emotion. I can't help but wonder what she's thinking. It can't be easy watching your boyfriend cuddle up to another man.

When it's our turn to be photographed, I glance at P'Park. Beads of sweat stand out on his forehead. Pulling a handkerchief out of my pocket, I gently dab up the moisture. P'Park gives me a tired smile and puts out his hand for me to hold. Like the couples before us, we are posed sitting close to each other and then with me sitting in P'Park's lap. His body feels like a furnace beneath mine, and I suddenly realize that he's not just exhausted—he has a fever.

After the photos with the whole group, I find P'Big and tell him that P'Park is sick and needs to go home.

"Take care of him, please, Spin. We have an event tomorrow, and next week we have the house scheduled for filming. We can't reschedule that."

"I will. What is the event tomorrow, P'Big? Khun Lee never said."

"Prince and Gift are doing a promotion for beauty products at Siam Paragon, and the two of you, as well as Daeng and Aod, will be there to greet fans. If Park is too sick to do it, call me in the morning, and we can swap you with another couple. But you will lose a great opportunity to advertise your ship, so I hope he rallies. Khun Lee says the message boards are full of talk of the two of you since the photos came out from the park. Which reminds me, Khun Lee asked me to tell you that both you and Park need to post more photos. So, please take care of that as well."

"I will," I say, then return to P'Park.

"Come on, let's get you home."

He doesn't even argue, just stumbles along with me.

"Let me have your keys," I say when we get outside. "You're not well enough to drive. You trust me with your car, don't you?"

P'Park nods, sinking miserably onto a nearby bench.

"Wait there and I'll be back for you," I tell him, and jog to the parking lot.

He falls asleep on the way home, and I have to wake him up when we get close to his neighborhood because I can't remember which street he lives on.

When I pull up to the curb, I feel his head with the back of my hand. "You're burning up. Do you have anything for a fever, or should I go to a drugstore?"

"I have something," P'Park says, eyes closed and head resting against the back of the seat. I run around the car to help him out, then prop him against the wall while I try three different keys until I find the one that opens the front door.

"I don't feel well," he says, leaning on me as we step inside the house.

"I know you don't. I'm going to get you comfortable and in bed." I help him out of his shoes and leave them by the door with mine before supporting him to his bedroom. When he flops onto the bed, I go into the bathroom and find the first aid kit underneath the sink. Grabbing a fever patch and an antipyretic, I return to P'Park's bedroom, coaxing him to take the pills with some water before helping him to undress down to his underwear and pressing the patch on his forehead.

"P'Park, I'd like to stay here with you in case you need me during the night. Is that okay with you? I could make a bed on the floor."

"Sleep in the bed," he says groggily.

I'm not going to argue. I can keep a better eye on him if I'm sleeping beside him.

Handing him his cell phone, I say, "Is Anya at Khun Anong's? Do you need to tell her you're sick? I can go over there and get Anya."

P'Park sluggishly dials the number, and I listen to him talk to Khun Anong while I fold his clothes.

"She's going to stay there tonight," P'Park says, dropping the phone onto the bed beside him.

"Okay." I plug it in to charge, then strip down to my T-shirt and underwear and climb in on the other side. P'Park doesn't appear to have a cough or any symptoms other than a fever and exhaustion. Lifting the sheet and using the flashlight on my phone, I peer under the covers at his lower torso but don't see a rash. So, he probably doesn't have dengue fever. I listen to him breathing—his lungs sound clear. With a sigh, I lie on my back and try to sleep, but I'm worried. Finally, I get up, wet a washcloth with cool water in the bathroom sink, and bathe P'Park's arms and legs, chest and stomach, doing my best not to ogle his fine physique. He doesn't even stir.

Remembering what P'Big said about posting more pictures, I unlock my phone and choose a couple more from the photo shoot in the park and post them on Instagram. I notice a lot of people are commenting on how they can't wait for the trailer for Heartbeat , and it fills me with both excitement and trepidation. I don't want to let down the fans .

Eyes heavy, I put my phone onto the nightstand and close my eyes. The photo shoot today went well but took a lot out of me. I sleep lightly, though, waking frequently and checking on P'Park. Sometime after midnight, his fever breaks and he begins to sweat. After wiping him down again, I fall asleep with my nose against his arm.