Pilot
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Author's Note: Hello everyone, this is a new story. I hope you will enjoy it better than you did the last one. In the meantime, this story is shorter than the last and hopefully happier. Read and enjoy and don't forget to vote on it if you liked it. thanks : )
Chapter One
I haven't been in Thailand for nearly eight years, yet when I stepped through the gates of the airport it was like I never left. This is home. Hearing my mother tongue been spoken around me brought a fresh smile to my face, different from the one I gave when our company decided to do a merge project with a company in Thailand and I was selected to personally supervise it.
I can't remember why I never came back home in all those eight years. Chicago was nice and where my life is but this place, these faces and this language all brought nostalgia racing to my throat.
"Kongpob, don't just walk ahead."
I turned to Ariel as she pulled her bag along with her. I had offered to take her's with mine but she refused and I must admit that I did walk a little ahead from her. Guiltily I smiled and said, "I'm sorry Ariel, I just didn't realize how much I have missed it here."
My English has gotten really good after all this time in Chicago. It was definitely better than my Chinese. I couldn't wait to speak Thai again.
Ariel rolled her green eyes but a smile was breaking through. "It's alright baby, I know you are excited to be home. I know how much you've missed it here. But usually, when I tell you to come back you never want to."
Yeah, I can't remember why I never wanted to. I remember the feeling, a feeling that there was nothing for me here in Thailand. But I have no idea what the cause of that feeling was. My family was here.
Speaking of my family, I spotted my mother coming with my name held up high and a welcome home placard in my father's hand. "Kongpob!" she hugged me and kissed my face. Her smell brought another nostalgic tear to my eyes.
"Oh my baby," she said still hugging me. My father patted my back and from that gesture, I could feel how much they've missed me. We talked regularly over the phone and my mother never stopped telling me to come back home. She really hates my staying in Chicago.
"Hello." Another thing she hated—okay, didn't like much—was my girlfriend Ariel. Ariel is a born and bred Chicago girl, and she has had very few conversations with my mom and they have been... almost civilized. This time she was trying to be as nice as possible, just like we talked about and even used the right way to great my parents. The wai was perfect but my mother only had a blank expression on her face.
I pulled away from them and wrapped an arm around Ariel. "Mom, dad, meet Ariel. " I said. I sneaked a glance and found Ariel smiling the type of smile she used on difficult clients; extremely sweet and polite, and she hasn't lowered her hands yet. From my parents perspective, I saw how they would take in Ariel's fair skin, slim figure with the little bit of dyed green hair and the line of earrings on her ears.
"Nice to meet you," my father broke the silence. "How does it feel to be in Thailand?" His English was as good as I expected. I smiled in appreciation.
"Really nice," Ariel responded in Thai earning her a raised eyebrow from my mother and a smile from my father. "Kongpob has been teaching me and I can hear and speaking a little."
"That's good," my father nodded. I could see that he liked her. That was what I wanted. Ariel and I have been together for nearly a year now and I am serious about her, hence why I am bringing her home.
Seeing my father's approval put me at ease but my mother's expression was still blank and we were all starting to notice that she hasn't said anything yet. "Mom," I said with as much pleading I could do with my eyes.
She sighed without finesse and said, "Welcome to Thailand," then in Thai said, "it's going to take more than a few thai for me to accept that you are good for my son."
"Mom," I said, my exasperation mirroring my father's.
"What?" she shrugged off my father's hand that had reached out to... I don't know, restrain her. "You are my baby, I am not going to let some foreigner take you away."
She is convinced I didn't come back to Thailand because of Ariel even though I already decided to live in Chicago long before Ariel and I ever thought about going out.
At once we left the airport and though Ariel kept asking me how my mother felt about her, I kept deviating from answering outright. We weren't staying in Thailand for very long, we would be back in Chicago and it wouldn't matter what my mother thought at all.
We were convinced to staying in my family home even though I was ready to get a separate place on rent, but both my parents would not hear of it. My mother would tolerate ten Ariels just to keep me close.
The next day Ariel and I showed up at the company. We were expected. The work was estimated to take at least three weeks and then we would go back to Chicago. Since things looked organized I imagined we wouldn't spend as long. The only problem was that the chief supervisor who was actually the head overseer of the project seemed to be running late.
Ariel and I were seated in the conference with other members of the project and a brunette delicate-looking woman was pacing outside. I could see her through the glass frame as she tried her phone and held her forehead.
They were agitated to have us in their company. Sunlight Plastics hasn't been intentional for very long and was not use to working with a foreign company so therefore probably nervous. I could have told them all to relax and feel free. The company I work for which belongs to Ariel's father was big in the international playfield but we... well, I am pretty humble.
Beside me, Ariel sighed. I turned and offered her a smile which she returned, telling me she was not annoyed. Yet.
"I'm sorry, "the delicate brunette returned, "our director is running a little late but he would be here..." before she could finish the uncomfortable speech the glass door opened. He stepped in carrying a bag over his shoulder like he used to.
I stood to my feet as if in slow motion as I stared at him. He hasn't changed at all. His hairstyle had changed, swept-back showing his extremely handsome face and round cheeks.
As if being flooded, memories came rushing through me. I thought I would get pulled down by it.
"P'Arthit," I heard me in my memories calling this name with many emotions: love, laughter, joy, lust, and need, sometimes anger. A ball so big rose to my throat. I could feel me in my memories pulling his hand, tugging his collar and anything on him to drag him close so I could kiss him. I was falling further and further into my memories and I had nothing to pull me back up.
"Kongpob." My name was like a shout from a deep tunnel. I blinked and saw P'Arthit's own startled expression. "Kongpob," my hand was being tugged insistently. I looked down at Ariel and she had a concerned frown on her pretty face.
"Are you alright?" I looked at P'Arthit and swallowed. Was I okay? I didn't know. I felt disconnected. I haven't thought of P'Arthit for so long. Wait, when was the last time I let myself think about it. I don't remember. But the memories are drowning me now.
I opened and closed my mouth finding my failing voice and sense.
"I'm sorry," his voice was more nostalgic than anything I have felt since stepping into Thailand. Nothing prepared me for how much it would hit me. He trailed off at the sight of me then he looked away, cleared his throat. "Uh... I am sorry that I got here late. There were uh, some things I needed to take care of. Please accept my apology." He lowered his head in a polite bow. The girl next to him said something then helped him take off the bag from around his shoulders.
I was tugged again and Ariel looked at me in askance. "I am sorry, "I said slowly. I needed to shake off this shock. This was business; I've got to be more focused. "It's fine we are not angry at all. We are the representatives of Celamic international, I am Kongpob and this is Ariel."
It took a moment too long for P'Arthit to respond. I don't think he knew why I was standing there till I said it. I didn't know that I would be meeting P'Arthit either or I would have prepared myself for it. Right now I was completely floored and I couldn't even put my words together to talk let alone fall into the discussion we needed to have.
"Right," P'Arthit finally spoke. His colleagues who would take part in the project were also giving him strange looks. "Sorry," he shook his head, "I am a little out of sorts today. My name is Arthit, I am the director of Sunlight company and will be heading this project as we agreed."
So we were going to act like we didn't know each other. I started it so I don't know why it left a bad taste in my mouth when P'Arthit did it.
"Kongpob," I was tugged again and I looked at Ariel holding my sleeve. "Do you want to sit down now? You look ridiculous."
I realized I was the only one standing aside from the secretary. "I would like to start this meeting right now, but there is something that has come to my attention and so I have to go."
Ariel stood without question.
"I hope that you will forgive us for cutting this meeting short."
"No, we should be asking for forgiveness," an elderly member of the company spoke to me and I looked away from P'Arthit to smile at him.
"I will send you some information on the project sir, please feel free to inform us for a good time to reschedule this meeting." The secretary lady spoke with an appealing voice.
I nodded and Ariel followed me out of the room. I could feel her stare even as she cooperated with me. When we were in the rental she opened her mouth. "What was that about?"
I glanced at her and smiled tightly. "Just someone I used to know."
"Who? The head of the project?"
I nodded, "we went to school together. "It shouldn't come as a shock that I haven't told Ariel about my past with P'Arthit. My first excuse was that I have tried to put it behind me. P'Arthit and I were lovers eight years ago and then when I left or Chicago we drifted and our relationship ended. It was that simple. But there was the not so simple part. I couldn't deal with thinking about P'Arthit when I did I feel like my chest his being ripped apart. So I told her I dated someone but never corrected her about the gender and I wasn't going to. This was for the best. But it could be a bit of a problem now seeing as my past was going to be staring us in the face for three weeks.
"Okay, so why did you have to make an excuse to get out of there." Ariel cannot be said to be a person who leaves things untouched. Even as uncomfortable as she could see me getting the more she wanted to know.
"We didn't end things so well," I gave the half-truth.
"ow? That is not good. You are about to work on an important project together. Remember we can't afford to fail here. My dad has already been threatening to get your promotion revoked, failure would only give him a perfect excuse."
"No one is going to fail. It's been years, nothing that I can't deal with. We won't fail."
Ariel can be a little competitive but she really wanted me to find favor with her father hence why she heavily recommended me for this project, in the hopes that I would do her father proud and make the insufferable man like me and respect me as his daughter's man. But I already knew nothing short of changing my ethnicity would make Mr. King accept me.
I touched her hand in a comforting gesture but my mind was starting to drift. I pulled it back from touching that... topic. I didn't want to think about P'Arthit, at all. Just the thought of it is threatening to send me into a panic. I thought I was over him but why was my heart beating like this. I gave off a calm exterior but nothing about me was calm. My composure was as fake as my mother's smile to Ariel.
ARTHIT
I sat down on my chair feeling like an extension of myself. Puna realized how spaced-out I looked. She wasn't one to point things out and would simply work around them but she asked in that tentative unsure way.
"Arthit, are you okay?"
I looked at her. "What makes you think that I am not?"
"You look," she gestured with her hands at my face, "a little dazed. Are you okay?"
I didn't reply because I was looking within myself. How was I feeling? I just saw Kongpob after eight years. He looked good too, like his old self. Age hadn't touched him and he was happy, healthy. Maybe the color fled his face when he saw me but anyone would be just as startled to see their ex-lover. I used that word carefully. I never really gave that label to what we were but what else could Kongpob have been.
My life.
I smiled at the foolish thought. He can't be my life since I learned how to live without him when he left. I guess shock is what is racing through me. I never thought I would see Kongpob again.
"Arthit?" she was looking extremely worried and when Puna was worried she twisted things. Right now our portfolio was about to suffer it. I took hold of her hand and smiled. Holding her hand that was always cool cleared my thoughts.
"Puna, I'm fine. " I said. "We have a lot of work to do. Just make sure that you get the meeting rescheduled as soon as possible. I don't want to delay this project any more than necessary."
"Of course."
"And maybe tonight you would like to come over?" I made the suggestion despite feeling with certainty that I didn't want company tonight. Not even Puna's. So it was with relief that I released her when she denied.
"I have a lot of work on my plate, "she said, "I wish I could."
I nodded along and let her out of my office with just a smile. I tried to return to my work for the day and to focus the best I could but I kept getting distracted. I wondered why Kongpob was back in Thailand and why here, why Sunlight company. Did he plan this? No, he looked as surprised as I did. Then what? Was it just a coincidence? If so, how were we going to work around each other?
Anyway, this was something that needed to be hashed out outside of this deal. This project was too important for any old history, that shouldn't even matter, to screw up.
So I went over to meet Puna again. She was at her desk answering a call. I waited after nodding to her. It wasn't something I planned, the thing with me and Puna. Work and dating just didn't seem like such a good idea, but she was smart, and not too forward. She was a really comfortable person to be with and I liked how my entire focus and self-worth wasn't tied up with her. It wasn't a passionate relationship but I didn't need passionate. I've had passionate and all it did was hurt me.
She finished her call and her smile that came too easily turned to me, "Arthit?"
"Do you have the contact information for the ... representatives?"
"Yes, I already called to reschedule. They will be here tomorrow."
That was good but..." can I just get it anyway. We are going to be working together for the next three weeks, I don't want to have to go through you every time I want to talk to them. You don't need the extra work."
She seemed to be a bit hesitant. Her head tilted right and left then she nodded, "okay, if that's what you want."
I took the card that she found in her folders and held it to me. The logo of the company was a bright red phoenix. I turned without another word and went back to my office. I settled behind my desk and placed the card on the table. I was hesitating, I knew that.
It was the smart thing to do to sort out our personal problem before we get in here and do some work together. But Kongpob hasn't called. Maybe I was the only one having problems with this. Maybe Kongpob didn't care about our past.
I looked out the glass window behind me, trying to hold down on what I knew was irritation tingling my jaw. Why was I irritated? It's only natural to forget something so old. I guess I should forget too. I mean I have forgotten. In that case... I put the card away and began to work again. This time I stubbornly pushed through the distraction.
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