After we finished eating, Kit looked at Taeng and asked,
"Shall we go wash the dishes?"
"Let's go," Taeng replied instantly, and the two were already stand up heading to the sink like it they are the couple. Their synchronicity made me smile.
Soon after, a playful argument began.
"I'll wash, you dry," said Taeng.
"No, I'll wash, you dry," Kit insisted back with a raised brow.
I sighed and leaned against the edge of the table, amused.
"The dishes won't wash themselves if you two keep arguing," I said, laughter soft in my voice.
They both turned to me at the same time and said almost in unison,
"It won't take long, we promise," then exchanged smiles like a secret was hidden in their glances.
"You know what, Kit," Taeng said gently, nudging him with an elbow, "go ahead and wash, I'll dry."
"Deal," Kit smiled, rolled up his sleeves, and got to work.
I watched them from afar, my heart full. Everything about them felt effortless—comfort woven into every word, every glance.
Then, out of nowhere, Kit splashed a bit of water at Taeng with his hand.
"Stop it, Kit!" Taeng exclaimed, though he couldn't stop laughing.
But he didn't hold back—he grabbed the sprayer and splashed right back.
Water danced between them. The air filled with laughter, mischief, and the sound of water hitting glass. Their joy was contagious.
I turned to Chak and caught his smile—subtle, soft.
He was enjoying it, too.
"Why do I feel like this is going to take a while?" I said with a light chuckle.
"Let's go to the living room," Chak suggested, his voice warm.
As we stood up, Kit suddenly wrapped his wet arms around Taeng.
I caught the faintest blush on Taeng's cheeks as he whispered,
"Did you forget we have an audience?" glancing at us.
Kit quickly let go, his grin sheepish.
"Just keep doing the dishes," Chak said, winking, before heading toward the living room.
I followed, settling into the couch as the sound of splashing faded into the background.
Chak picked up the guitar and began strumming a soft melody—slow, soothing, like a lullaby for the soul.
The notes filled the space between us, wrapping around my thoughts.
I watched him—fingers steady, gaze gentle, like he was trying to say something without words.
He kept glancing at me, his expression tender. It felt like he was playing just for me.
I was so mesmerized I didn't even notice when he stopped.
"Want to give it a try?" he asked, pulling me back to reality.
"Huh? Sorry, what did you say?"
He just smiled, reached over to brush a strand of hair behind my ear, and whispered,
"You're captivated by my playing, my artist."
I felt my cheeks warm.
"It's true my Chak " I murmured.
He set the guitar down and pulled me into a slow, careful embrace.
"I love our evenings without pressure. I can't wait for you to come back... so I can watch you work again. See your eyes light up when you're focused."
I looked up from his arms.
"No one at work can know we're more than boss and employee."
His expression softened.
"I promise, no one will find out. Though... Kit, Rattan, Samchai, and Noon already know there's something more between us."
I sighed and nodded.
"Then they'll have to sign a silence contract. At least until we're ready."
"Whatever you want," he said, holding me tighter.
Just then, Kit and Taeng appeared—completely soaked.
"That was quite a dishwashing session," I teased.
"You can say that again, Little One," Kit chuckled and turned to Taeng with a fond look.
Taeng casually pulled out his phone and started typing.
"Who are you texting?" Kit asked.
"My boss. Telling him I'll be a bit late tomorrow."
"Where do you work?" Chak asked.
"At LF Lab. I'm a product developer—new flavors, new concepts."
Chak and Kit exchanged a meaningful glance.
"No need to text Yang. I'll handle it," Chak said smoothly.
Taeng looked surprised.
"How do you know my boss's name?"
Kit chuckled.
"I can't believe you work for our company... just in a different building."
Taeng and I shared a glance of disbelief.
"You're serious?" I asked.
"For real," Chak confirmed.
"What a coincidence," Kit added.
"It really is," Taeng said, putting his phone away.
"I go there two or three times a week," Kit said.
"I can't believe I've never seen you."
"You forgot," Taeng said with a playful smirk.
"We've met. Once in the elevator. Another time during the praline tasting. You said the one with white chocolate, vanilla, mint, and lychee was amazing."
Kit snapped his fingers.
"Now I remember! That was you."
I yawned, unable to hold it back anymore.
Chak caught it immediately.
"Let's head to bed. Tomorrow's a big day."
We all stood up and made our way to our rooms, the house falling slowly into silence.
As I lay in bed, the sound of a door closing gently in the hallway caught my ear. Whispers—probably Kit and Taeng. I smiled in the dark, heart full.
Just as I was drifting off, a familiar warmth wrapped around me. Chak.
"Don't worry about anything. Whatever tomorrow brings, don't be afraid," he whispered in my ear.
"Goodnight, my artist."
"Goodnight, my Chak," I whispered back, then softly added,
"Today is today, tomorrow is tomorrow... I'm just happy to be here with you now."
He smiled—a smile I could feel even with my eyes closed.
"I'm happy whenever I'm with you," he whispered again.
As we lay there in the quiet of the night, the weight of the day slowly lifted from my shoulders. My thoughts wandered back to the evening's events—the laughter, the playful splashes of water, Chak's gentle guitar playing—and I realized how lucky I was to have this, to be in this moment with him.
His arms tightened around me gently, and I knew that, whatever happened, we would face it together. A small, contented smile tugged at my lips as I finally closed my eyes. Tomorrow could wait. Tonight was ours.