One year later...
"Captain."
Atikom startled, spinning around as Anupap's voice rose softly behind him.
"Yes, Commander." Police Major Atikom smiled sheepishly. "I was just about to leave. This is... er..."
"Sarut," the handsome young man in a dark suit standing nearby completed the sentence.
"When you're done with business, follow me out. I'll wait outside." Anupap turned his back, walking straight out of the restaurant with measured steps.
"Your boyfriend?" Sarut asked with a smile.
"Yes."
"He looks quite fierce. Must be very possessive of you."
"When you have a handsome boyfriend, possessiveness comes naturally. But he's not that fierce." Though honestly, Atikom continued in his thoughts, whenever he saw that impassive expression, he felt cold, his heart racing, his mind scattered…
"I should go. Nice seeing you again, Sarut. Still working in the stock market?"
Sarut nodded, amused by Atikom's fear of his boyfriend.
Atikom smiled and hurried after Anupap, pausing at the door to turn back one last time.
"Uh, Sarut, I'd like to ask a favor. Please don't call me, because I'm afraid he'll..."
"Be jealous," Sarut finished, smiling thinly before nodding.
The young man couldn't believe it. Back then, Atikom had been a fierce, flirtatious tiger, but now he'd become a meek kitten afraid of its owner.
What could transform a person so completely?
Sarut stood watching Atikom disappear from the souvenir shop until he was out of sight, remembering the old days during those few short months they'd dated.
He'd known their relationship wouldn't lead anywhere because the young police officer showed no signs of being serious. He was well aware that Atikom and his close friend Tongrob were players, living day to day for fun, the love-them-and-leave-them type. But the police officer's looks made him unable to refuse. Even knowing their time would be brief, he was willing to capture whatever fleeting happiness he could.
But now he was older, approaching thirty. He wanted to be serious about life, to have a real partner. Truth be told, he was someone who dreamed of true love. If he found someone he truly liked, he wanted to settle down.
Atikom. The first man who made him feel that way, the first man who made him yearn for love, the first man he thought about constantly, the first man who made him feel unlike himself. Even knowing Atikom was a notorious playboy, he still couldn't cut him from his heart.
Why could the human heart be so foolish? Sarut asked himself, Atikom's stern, handsome face floating in his thoughts.
***
Anupap locked the car door as Atikom climbed into the passenger seat, turning to give him the sweet smile he always wore.
Atikom always attracted attention wherever they went. There were always eyes following them—men, women, even teenage girls. Once, while waiting for their flight at Phuket airport, a bold woman had walked straight up to them and said, "Your friend is devastatingly handsome. Can I have his number?"
He remembered freezing for a moment, then telling the woman in a flat voice, "Not friend... boyfriend."
When he'd told Sombat about it later, Sombat had laughed heartily and commented that the woman was shameless. "Blind as a bat. Couldn't she see the Detective was your boyfriend?"
"What are you thinking about?" Atikom tapped his temple gently.
"Captain," Anupap jerked his head away. "You're doing it again—tapping my head. I told you I don't like it."
"You weren't paying attention to me. Sitting together but your mind wandering who knows where." Atikom pouted. "Don't tell me you're thinking about the chubby Sunshine."
"Crazy! How can you say that about Atid? Just because Atid's gotten bigger doesn't mean he's fat."
"Hey, hey, I can't say anything about little Sunshine, can I?" Atikom made a sulky face, leaning back against the seat.
Yesterday, he and Anupap had attended Sombat's company opening. They'd seen Atid there with Pojanee. The young man who'd once been a thorn in his heart looked bigger, more serious and somber than before, more mature despite only a year passing since they'd last met.
Atid had quit the advertising company a week after he and Anupap returned from Krabi. The serious young man had seemed deeply saddened to learn that Anupap officially belonged to him now. He'd told Atid himself, deliberately cutting off the first rival for the safety of their relationship.
Trin had been next. He'd spoken directly with Trin, saying he loved Anupap and wanted to build a life with him. Trin had been so mature and calm that he'd felt like he was asking someone's son to be his life partner. But what Trin had said remained etched in his memory. Anupap's boss was a man of few words, serious, every word carrying clear meaning, so clear he couldn't forget, knowing Trin truly meant what he said.
"Ow..." Suddenly Atikom yelped as the driver twisted his upper arm. "Why are you hurting me when you want to talk?"
"You were spacing out, you have blamed me but then getting lost in thought yourself," Anupap's voice was sharp. "You're probably thinking about your exes right now."
"Hey, don't accuse me! You know I've quit, stopped, ended everything. I'm living like a hermit now. Don't slander me or I'll arrest you for defaming an officer."
"So what's your answer?" Anupap ignored the threat.
"Answer to what?" Atikom raised an eyebrow, smiling dryly, realizing he hadn't been listening.
He'd been thinking about Atid and Trin… the young police officer rationalized.
"See? When I'm talking, you don't listen. And stop tapping my head—I don't like it." Anupap hit the brakes hard as he got too close to the car ahead.
"Careful!" Atikom looked startled.
"I know. I'm not stupid enough to rear-end them."
Atikom turned to look at the stone-faced man. "There you go again. You never let me forget about that car accident."
"You rear-ended my car."
"It wasn't an accident," Atikom deepened his voice, mimicking Anupap, only to cry out when the person being mocked slapped his shoulder with his palm.
"Ow..." Atikom groaned. This time it really hurt, he wasn't faking.
"Stop teasing me. So which restaurant?"
"We just ate. What more do you want?" Atikom meant the lunch they'd just had at Blue Elephant restaurant.
The first time he'd encountered an old flame after not seeing any of his "exes" for a very long time, not since Bank Nitinai, who'd been the most recent.
"I mean this Friday, our one-year anniversary." Anupap sighed heavily. "But if you're not interested, we don't have to celebrate. After work, we'll eat separately and go to our own homes."
"Of course we have to! We must!" Atikom quickly replied. "Aberdeen's—I already made reservations."
"How did you make reservations without asking me first?" Anupap protested.
"Why ask? Even if I asked, you'd just shrug and say 'whatever.'" Atikom protested back. "Then we'll go listen to music at Decarius and go back to my place." Atikom's eyes glinted as he leaned closer to the young man's cheek, whispering, "I have a very special gift for you. I guarantee you'll moan with pleasure until you're breathless."
Immediately, the playful police officer's cries of pain rang out again, followed by complaints about his body being covered in bruises.
***