33. Chapter Thirty-Three Spin

" I don't know, Baby," Bass says. "A boys' love? Me?"

Bass is walking me back to work after meeting me for lunch, and I suddenly remembered what Pravat said to me at the event about the part that's available in his series.

"Lots of actors who do them are straight. Besides, it's acting," I say.

"I know."

"And it's a great stepping stone for other things."

"I know that, too."

"Then why are you hesitating to go to this audition?" I ask.

"I'm not sure, exactly, to be honest." He scratches his head.

"If it's about Nok, you can put your mind at rest. She loves bl's. I'm sure she'd much rather see you being romantic with a male acting partner than with a female."

He looks doubtful. "Really?"

"Really. But don't take my word for it. Talk to her."

"Okay, okay. I'll call her when I leave here. "

When we reach the front of my building, I turn and give him a tight hug. We're about to go our separate ways when raised voices in the parking lot sends us jogging over to find P'Daeng and P'Gift in the middle of a heated argument.

"You are impossible!" P'Daeng yells, the look on his face pure exasperation.

Crossing his arms over his chest, P'Gift doesn't raise his voice, so I can't hear him, but I can tell by P'Daeng's face that he's getting an earful from the calmer man.

"Oh, really? Well, maybe you ought to look for another partner. I totally understand now why Prince found a way out of your ship."

Bass and I look at each other. When we get closer, I can see P'Gift's face is red with rage.

"P'Daeng," I admonish, "you're outside where anyone could hear you."

"You don't understand how difficult it is to work with this guy! He's unreasonable."

"P'Gift, why don't you come inside with me? P'Daeng needs some time to calm down. Take a walk or something." I say to P'Daeng before I tug P'Gift away toward the building, waving goodbye to Bass.

"That jerk," P'Gift says under his breath.

"I know P'Daeng can be a little abrasive," I say soothingly. I want to ask what the argument was about, but it's really none of my business. To my surprise, P'Gift—who's usually tight-lipped when it comes to his privacy—starts talking.

"He expects too much. He wants us to be friends, and I just can't do that."

I frown. "You can't be friends with him?"

"Not like he wants us to be." We enter the building, and I lead him over to a sitting area where sun pours in from the huge plate-glass windows.

"I'm sorry, P, I don't understand."

P'Gift sighs. "I can't do it again. I can't become close to my working partner like I did with Prince."

He looks so miserable, I feel sorry for him.

"You two seemed very close. I'm sorry about what happened."

P'Gift sits ramrod straight, shoulders back, his slender hands folded neatly in his lap. The only sign of his current vulnerable state is the dampness of his doe eyes.

"We weren't lovers. I know some people believed we were, and we let them because it helped our ship. But we were best friends and really good partners, and I'm so angry at him for ruining all of that by fooling around with Book. He never thinks before he does anything. Now, he may never work in the industry again, and I have to start over with another partner. I miss him. I miss what we had. And I don't want to risk getting too close to P'Daeng." He laughs sardonically. "When we first started working together, I thought I'd never have to worry about that. But the guy gets under your skin."

"I understand what you're saying. But…is it really fair to P'Daeng—and to yourself for that matter—to keep a wall between you, all in the name of being afraid of getting hurt?"

P'Gift turns his sharp gaze on me. "Sounds like you have some first-hand knowledge of this kind of situation."

My face heats. "I got pretty close to my last partner at Hearts, and it was hard to let go. But we were nothing like you and Prince were, although I admit I had a little crush on P'Bang. So, when I came to SPPT, I told myself I couldn't let that happen again, but that's easier said than done with the fanservice and all."

"That's for sure." P'Gift smiles and stands. "Thanks for the talk. We'd better get back to the studio. Our meeting is in fifteen minutes."

When we get upstairs and gather for the meeting, P'Park waves me over to the chair he's saved for me. P'Gift is looking around, probably for P'Daeng, whom I don't see.

Khun Hom calls us to order and P'Gift sits down in the empty seat on the other side of me. I look at him questioningly, and he shrugs as though to say, "Daeng's a big boy. He can take care of himself."

Khun Hom begins to read a statement about what's coming up for SPPT Productions in the next year. I would be nervous about the future of our ship if P'Park and I hadn't signed those contracts. As it is, I can relax and listen. P'Gift's arm is brushing mine, and I feel him relax when Khun Hom calls out "DaengGift" as a continuing ship. It's a good thing that, despite his annoyance at his partner, P'Gift still wants to work with him.

I see P'Daeng slip into the room. When he spots us, he settles in an empty seat behind us.

A few seconds later, my phone vibrates with a text.

Has she already said my name?

Yes. You and P'Gift are together. P'Gift seemed relieved.

I hesitate and then type out another text message.

Give him a break, P. He's still hurting from what happened to Prince.

My attention is suddenly pulled back to what Khun Hom is saying. Something about a new addition to SPPT…

My mouth falls open when I see who is standing at the front of the room with Khun Hom.

"Let's welcome Bang Suramongkol to SPPT!" Khun Hom says, and everyone applauds.

"Wait a minute," I say, "P'Bang's left Hearts Entertainment?"

When the last of the announcements has been made, I stay in my seat. I should probably personally welcome P'Bang to SPPT, but I feel frozen to the spot.

"Did you know Bang was switching companies?" P'Park asks me.

Shaking my head, I say, "I haven't talked to him since I left Hearts."

"Let's go and welcome him, then we need to get back to Anya. She's probably worn out poor Kiet." P'Park stands and holds out a hand to help me up.

P'Pear was released from the hospital and is staying with her grandmother, but P'Park doesn't want Kun Anong to have to watch his sister at the same time if we can find an alternative. So far, it's worked out that either Kiet or Cushion can stay with Anya while we're at work, but we'll have to figure out something better soon.

I walk across the room with P'Park and we wait until P'Bang finishes talking to another actor. When he turns, he smiles at me, and I'm surprised not to feel the jump in my heart I would have felt almost a year ago. I smile back.

"Nong! I've missed you." He pulls me into a hug. When I step out of it, P'Park wraps his arm around my waist, pulling me closer to him.

"Good to see you, P'Bang. I didn't hear anything about you changing companies," I say.

"It was sudden. I asked to be released from my contract."

"Oh. Well, I'm sure you'll like SPPT. I do." I wonder if something's going on over at Hearts Entertainment. First someone dropped out of Pravat's series, and now P'Bang has left the company.

P'Bang looks at me and then at P'Park. "I asked if I could be partnered with you but quickly found out you two have a five-year contract. That was fast."

"Nong and I have a very successful ship," P'Park says a little sharply.

Quickly, I nod and add, "I'm sure you'll find a good partner soon, P."

"We'd better go," P'Park tells me.

"Talk to you soon, Spin," P'Bang calls as P'Park tugs me away.

"Do you wish you could be partnered with him?" P'Park asks when we're alone in the elevator.

"What? Of course not! What a question," I say, wrapping my arms around P'Park's waist and squeezing him briefly before the doors open and I have to step away.

He seems happy with that, and I'm a little amused that he's jealous. But I don't tease him about it.

"What do you think about next year's lineup?" P'Park asks me on our way to my apartment. Outside the car, a torrent of rain is battering the streets of Bangkok. P'Park flips his windshield wipers on high.

"Well, we have two series. Can't be unhappy about that."

P'Park nods. "True. I think P'Big's directing the first one."

"That's not a bad thing. I like P'Big, don't you?" I look at his profile as he concentrates on driving through the downpour.

"Yeah, I do. He's just so intense about the work schedule. I wish he'd let up a little."

"That's true." P'Big just about killed me with the hours he worked us near the end. I didn't think anyone could be worse than P'Sun, the director of my series with P'Bang. But I'm familiar with P'Big now, and it'll be nice to work with him again .

When we enter the apartment, leaving our dripping umbrellas in the hall, Anya jumps up from where she's coloring at the coffee table and runs to us, hugging her brother first and then me.

"Was she good?" P'Park asks Kiet, who stands up from where he was sitting on the couch.

"A perfect angel, as always," Kiet says.

P'Park frowns down at his sister. "I know how she can be." He tweaks her nose, making her giggle.

"P'Kiet's fun. He plays with me," Anya says.

"I sense that means I'm not fun," P'Park teases.

"You can be, P'. Sometimes," Anya assures him. "But P'Kiet let me text my friend on his phone. Kop wants me to spend the night with her tonight. Can I, P? Na na na…"

"Spend the night? You're too young for that!" P'Park objects.

Anya straightens. "I'm eight. Lots of my friends have overnights with each other."

Anya's birthday was a week ago. P'Park and I took her and Kop to Safari World. P'Park looks at me, and I shrug. I personally don't think she's too young to spend a night at her best friend's house.

"You know Kop's parents well," I say.

P'Park sighs. "Okay. I guess you can. But I need to talk to Kop's mom."

Anya jumps up and down with happiness. "Thank you, P! Let me have your phone, and I'll call her."

Anya's friend picks her up half an hour later. Kiet's gone home, and P'Park and I sit alone on the couch, my head on his shoulder and our hands clasped between us.

"Sometimes I can't believe how much my life has changed in the past year," I say dreamily.

"In a good way, I hope," P'Park says .

"Of course in a good way." Turning my face up to him, I press my lips to his, and the thrill I always get when we kiss runs down my spine.

"I didn't like it when Bang said he wanted you back as a partner," P'Park admits.

Placing my hand on the side of his face, I say, "Don't worry. I don't want anyone but you by my side." Biting my lip, I shore up my courage. "I love you, P'Park."

P'Park's smile brightens the room. "I love you, too, Nong. So much." He kisses me again, so deeply and possessively, I nearly lose my breath.

"I want you to promise me something," he says when we pull apart.

"What's that?"

"I want you to reconsider moving in with me and Anya. Please."

"I'll think about it," I promise.

I want to move in with them, but I don't want to make any hasty decisions. Our relationship is too important to me.

"I'll admit something to you, now," I say.

P'Park pushes my hair from my eyes. "What's that?"

"I might have been a little jealous of P'Pear," I say.

His brows go up as he says with exaggerated surprise, "You were ?"

"Oh, shut up." I try to shove him off me, but it's no use—he's too big.

We laugh and wrestle, falling off the couch onto the floor and not getting up for a long while because we get distracted kissing. I wonder if P'Park and I could make our own little family at his house with Anya. The thought is both exciting and comforting. I won't make any quick decisions, though. It will be better if we ease into it over time. But I do know that I can't see myself with anyone but P'Park in the future. What I feel for him is worlds away from the crush I had on P'Bang. I love P'Park, and I want to be with him for as long as he'll have me. I suddenly realize I should reassure P'Park about P'Bang.

"I realized something when I saw P'Bang today," I say.

P'Park turns his head toward me. "What?"

"That I don't feel anything for him anymore except for friendship. I don't get that little flip in my stomach I used to get when I had a crush on him."

P'Park smiles. "Good. I don't want you to get that flip with anyone but me."

I smile and kiss him.

Eventually, we get up off the floor, turn out the lights, and take turns brushing our teeth at the bathroom sink. When we are in our pajamas and snuggled up in my bed, I tuck my head into the crook of P'Park's shoulder.

"Are you worrying about Anya?" I ask.

"How did you know?'

Laughing, I say, "Just a guess. She'll be okay. Kop's mom said she'd call if there was a problem." I pat his tight stomach.

P'Park sighs. "I know. I just can't help but worry. Other than when she's stayed next door at Auntie's, this is the first time she's been away from me for the night."

Wrapping my arm around his middle, I squeeze him. "You're a good brother."

"Am I a good boyfriend, too?" P'Park asks, voice lowering an octave.

Suddenly shy, I nod against his chest.

"Good. Because I don't want you to ever regret agreeing to date me."

Chuckling, I say, "I'll never do that. "

P'Park smiles, his eyes shining in the dim light coming from the nightlight.

Dropping my head to his chest again, I close my eyes. I never could have guessed how comforting it could be to sleep wrapped in the arms of someone I love. Someone who loves me back.

As P'Park's fingers comb through my hair and his heart beats steadily against my ear, I barely notice the thunder rumbling in the distance.

THE END