Page 59 of Baby Love

I text my sister, asking how she’s doing.

I’m fine, P. But we need to talk soon. Don’t worry, nothing’s wrong. (Blue heart)

The couch dips when someone sits beside me. I look up and see P’Daeng.

“Is something bothering you, Spin? You look upset.”

“No, I’m okay,” I say.

As with most touches, I find P’Daeng’s hand on my thigh comforting.

“Has your father been bothering you again?”

“No. I haven’t heard from him at all. Are you okay, though? I heard about Aod,” I whisper.

“Sure, don’t worry about me. I’m flexible. What Aod did was really stupid.”

I glance around to see if anyone around us heard. “Be careful, P’Daeng. We aren’t supposed to talk about it, remember?”

Giving my leg a pat, P’Daeng smiles. “You’re so cute to worry about me. Okay, I won’t talk about it.”

P’Park walks out of Khun Hom’s office and immediately heads our way.

“We’re filming this afternoon. The scene at the cafe and the one in the parking lot,” he tells me.

“Okay.” I stand, dislodging P’Daeng’s hand from my thigh.

P’Park and I leave to meet P’Big and the staff downstairs in the lobby. On the ride to the shoot location, P’Park seems distracted. I wonder how he reacted to Khun Hom’s proposal. What if he chose not to sign the contract? I doubt SPPT would pay off my father for just my signature.

Touching P’Park on the arm, I ask, “Is everything all right?”

“Khun Hom told me she offered you the contract and you agreed to sign. I did the same.” He looks out the window of the SUV.

“I hope you agreed because it’s the best thing for you,” I say.

“Of course.”

After a few seconds, P’Park turns to look at me. “It’s none of my business, but will you tell me what you and Daeng were talking about?”

Surprised, I say, “He just asked me if something was bothering me. He wondered if I was upset about everything that happened or if my dad was threatening me. And I asked him if he’s okay about Aod leaving and P’Gift taking his place.”

P’Park nods, but I notice the muscle in his jaw clenching as he turns back to the window. I don’t know what to say. I understand that P’Park thinks that P’Daeng only wants to hit on me, but so far P’Daeng hasn’t done anything to give me that impression. I’m not going to be unkind to him. He did tell me I’m cute, but I get that a lot. It doesn’t necessarily mean he’s interested in me.

Then I remember his hand on my thigh.

I love touch and affection so much, maybe I didn’t realize it was meant to be more than that? He did keep it there for a long time.

I worry about this for the rest of the drive, but when we arrive at the coffee shop, I’m soon too busy to think about it. The simple scene takes several hours to film, and when we finally wrap up, the staff packs the equipment into the van and we hop back in the SUV and head for the parking lot where the next scene is to be filmed. This one takes even longer, and by the time we’re finished, it’s getting dark.

Later that night, at P’Park’s house, I’m lounging in bed looking at my phone when P’Park comes out of the bathroom, looking incredibly hot in black pajamas and his hair damp from the shower. I know I’m going to miss sleeping with him when I move back to my apartment. Being close to someone in bed, even if we don’t touch, is comforting and, well, intimate. It’s also a completely different feeling from the one I got when P’Daeng rested his hand on my leg.

I’ve found myself bonding with P’Park, which is a good thing for our ship, but what about for my heart? I vividly remember how devastating it felt when I realized that P’Bang and I would no longer be working together. I know my feelings for P’Park are what has helped me to get over that hurt so quickly.

Not wanting P’Park to see the blush suffusing my face, I turn to plug my phone into the charger as P’Park climbs onto the other side of the bed.

“I have something I need to tell you,” I say when we’re settled.

“What is it?” he asks, turning on his side to look at me.

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