Page 21 of Baby Love

“P’Spin!” Anya yells, dropping her bag and running to him. I’m shocked at how quickly she’s taken to him.

“Hi, Anya.” Spin hugs her.

“Are you going to watch Dolly and Friends with us, P’Spin?”

“Sure,” Spin says, putting away the broom and sitting down on the couch on one side of Anya while I settle on her other side.

“After this show, we have to do homework, Anya,” I remind her.

“Okay, P’Park.”

Spin either really enjoys Dolly and Friends or he’s putting on a show for Anya. And she loves it. When the cartoon’s over, I feed Anya breakfast and help her with her homework while Spin looks through his phone.

“P’Daeng and Aod posted a lot of pictures last night,” he says to me. “And we didn’t post even one. Khun Lee’s going to be mad at us.”

“We’ll make up for it,” I promise him, pointing to a question in Anya’s book she missed. When she finishes, I send her to her room to change into clean clothes and then take her over to Auntie’s.

When I get back, Spin is tidying up the house.

“Spin, you really don’t have to do that,” I say.

“I like doing it.”

Spin tries on the sweater I told him about and decides to wear it. Forty minutes later, we walk into the studio.

Khun Lee stands up like she’s been watching for us. P’Big and Khun Aat look unruffled as they stand by the refreshment table eating sandwiches. Daeng and Aod sit on the couch talking to Lek, Pear, and a few others.

Judging from the marks I can see on the skin near Aod’s collar, I’d say the kissing at the bar led to other things. Stupid Daeng. He’s going to ruin his relationship with his partner before filming even begins.

“Are you ready to rehearse?” P’Big asks, smiling at us as he wipes bread crumbs off his hands. Everyone nods, and P’Big and Khun Aat begin giving out instructions.

I spend the entire afternoon on two scenes, one of which includes just me and Daeng. It takes every bit of acting skill I have to act like I’m best friends with that guy. My second scene portrays an intense argument between Khao and Boom that leaves Spin so emotional, he slides down the wall, burying his face in his drawn-up knees after it’s over.

I give him space but finally approach him when Khun Lee tells me she wants to discuss Thursday’s photo shoot.

“Are you okay?” I ask, sitting down beside him. When Spin lifts his head to look at me, his eyes are red-rimmed. As though he can’t help himself, he moves a little closer to me, and I put my arm around his shoulders.

“I didn’t expect to feel that scene so strongly,” he says.

“It’s a sign you’re a good actor,” I tell him.

He looks at me with wide eyes. “Really?”

I nod. After a moment, I say, “Khun Lee wants to talk to us about the photo shoots coming up.”

“Okay.”

I stand and then help him to his feet.

Khun Lee is sitting at her desk looking through her calendar.

“Ah, Nongs. There you are. The day of the photo shoot I have scheduled appointments for both of you at the spa for the full treatment to prepare for the cameras. Afterward, I expect you at the studio at least half an hour early. Give yourselves plenty of time for traffic and do not be late. Wardrobe will have something for you to wear. Same for next Thursday for your shoot for Love Lounge with the other SPPT actors who are participating. Both of these photo sessions are extremely important—they’re the first photographs of your ship and therefore will be a crucial first impression on social media. You must be relaxed posing to show you are comfortable and affectionate with each other. Make fans believe in your ship. Understood?”

Spin and I both nod our assent.

“Good. If we don’t have a flurry of talk about your ship after the photos are released, that could mean failure. I hoped you would have posted something from last night. You were together, weren’t you?”

“Sorry, Khun Lee, but we had a little too much to drink while we were out. We didn’t think photos would be a good idea,” I explain.

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