Page 32 of Baby Love

“You have an early casting call,” P’Big tells me and Spin. “I suggest you bunk down here for the night.”

When I call Auntie, she says, “I figured as much and have already tucked in Anya on the couch. Don’t worry about it.”

“Thank you so much. I am so grateful to you, Auntie.”

“Nong, don’t you know I would be lonely without your sister here with me? I rarely see Pear, she’s so busy working. Anya is a joy. Stop feeling bad every time you have to leave her with me.”

Her words settle me a bit, and by the time I walk into one of the darkened rooms set up with beds for the cast and crew, I see Spin is already fast asleep. I lie down next to him and sigh, eyes heavy and limbs sore. When, after a few minutes, Spin rolls over in his sleep and snuggles into me, I wrap my arm around him. I can’t help but smile as I drift into a deep, dreamless sleep.

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.

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