S. F. - 45

***

New.

"Never forget what I told you, okay? You should not use your hand too much for the meantime. It's already healed but you should still be careful with it."

Tay grinned as he continuously nodded his head. His hand had completely healed but I couldn't help but be worried especially that his parents already gave him heads up to return to work.

"Yes baaabe. Don't worry, okay? I spent months doing almost nothing. I'm pretty sure this is perfectly healed."

"I know, but it still worries me that's why you should be careful, okay?"

"Give me a hug then," he plastered a huge smile on his face as he spread his arms.

"Tsss.. Just a hug?" I chuckled as I closed the distance between us and wrapped my arms around his waist.

He didn't say anything. Instead, he started showering my face with quick kisses.

"I'll be careful. I promise. Come on. Kiss your bf," he pouted his lips with his eyes closed.

I broke into a wide grin before pressing my lips against his and I could feel him smile in between our kiss.

"Hmmm. I think I just changed my mind about going to work," he beamed at me.

"Tsss. Let's go. We're gonna be late. Come on," I hit his chest lightly and dragged him towards the door.

"Owwwwhh. We can be late. We're the CEO's anyway."

I sighed frustratingly as he intentionally walked slowly behind me.

"Tsss. You don't wanna be a bad example to your employees, right? So come on or I'm going back to my unit if you won't heed my words."

"That's what I'm saying. We should be good examples to our employees if we want them to be more productive. Come on. Let's go," he replied and went ahead of me, dragging me out of the room instead.

***

"Can I just bring you to the office with me?"

I rolled my eyes as Tay whined on his seat. We'd been in front of his company building for ten minutes but he still hadn't gotten off the car.

"Come on, Tay. We'll see each other later. Stop whining and get going already."

"Okay. Fine."

I snickered as I watched him grab his bag from the backseat with a sulking expression on his face.

During the time that we'd been together, I saw most of Tay's sides and that definitely included him being a childish one. And it kind of surprised me considering how strict and stern he was when he was still my professor.

I leaned closer and gave him a quick kiss on the lips so he'd stop sulking already and my attempt proved to be effective as he cracked a huge smile on his face.

"Stop sulking already naaa. I'll cook dinner for you later so you better do a great job at work, okay?"

He nodded continuously and gave me a peck on the cheek. "I'm off, na. I love you."

"I love you, too."

I grinned as I watched him look back at me continuously as he went inside the building causing him to slightly trip along the way.

"Tsss. Who would have thought I'm gonna be this in love with you, Tay Tawan."

***

Tay.

"Welcome back, Mr Tawan!"

I chuckled as the company staff greeted me the moment I stepped in the building. They even had Welcome Back balloons and some party poppers.

"Thank you, everyone. I'm so glad to be finally back," I smiled at all of them.

"Welcome back, Sir," my secretary approached me. "As much as I don't wanna cause you any stress on your first day back at work, but you have a meeting with Mr Jiranorraphat in 15 minutes about the new product that we will be collaborating on."

"Okay, thank you. Every one, thank you for the warm welcome, but let's all get back to work, shall we? By the way, lunch is on me."

I chuckled as all of them exclaimed in delight before heading back to their posts. I immediately went to my office to prepare for the said meeting.

"Aaahhh. I miss my office," I exclaimed as I sat on my chair. "But I miss New more."

I grabbed my phone to call New and ask if he had already arrived. I was still in the middle of scrolling through my contacts when someone barged in my office.

"Long time, no see, Mr Vihokratana," Jane grinned as she stood in front of me.

I frowned as I looked at her for I was expecting her father to come.

"Jane? What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in States?" I furrowed my eyebrows at her as I got up from my seat and approached her.

"I actually just came back the other day and as soon as I heard that you're coming back to work, I asked my father to let me handle this project. And luckily he agreed!"

Jane was one of my batch mates in college and her family and mine had been partners for a long time. The last time I heard, she was in States pursuing her MA's.

She'd been expressing her love for me ever since college but I always made sure to let her know that I was not into her. But well, some are just born to be hardheaded.

"So... shall we begin? Please take a seat," I gestured her the couch before sitting across her. "By the way, about the advertisement for the new product, I've already chosen a company to do it. We can se—"

"Oh, come on. Can we not jump into the formalities immediately? I mean, it's been years since we last saw each other. We can you know, talk about some personal things first, about us."

"Excuse me. Here's your juice, Miss," my secretary placed a glass of orange juice in front of Jane.

"Please, don't let anyone in while we're talking, okay?" Jane smiled sweetly at him.

He quickly glanced at me asking for my approval and just slightly nodded my head. We were gonna talk about business anyway so it would be best to avoid any disruptions.

"So, you're still available?"

"We're having a meeting right now, so I guess I'm not," I chuckled jokingly. I knew  what she meant but I wanted to stir the discussion away from any topic that would lead to our personal lives.

"Oh, come on. You know what I mean."

"Jane, I told you already."

"Yeah, I know. But feelings could change, right? I mean you may not have feelings for me right now, but we can get to know each other. Feelings can gradually develop if we want to."

I moved towards the end of the couch as she got up and sat beside me but my effort proved to be useless as she scooted closer and trapped me on the edge.

"I have someone I like already, so please let's get down to business," I immediately stood to go back to my table but she was quick to grab my arm and pulled me back to the couch.

"You're lying. I know you're not with someone right now."

"Miss Ramida, can we just please talk about business?" I tried to control my temper as I carefully pried her hands off my arm. As much as I wanted to blow my top and remove her hands forcibly, I held my frustration in for I didn't wanna hurt her.

"Have lunch with me."

"Miss Ramida, I've got a lot of things to do so I don't think I'll be eating lunch."

"Come on. Just one meal. Aren't you gonna give me that favor?"

I took a deep breath as I grabbed her hands that were still clinging unto my arm.

"Taaaay. Have lunch with me naaa, or dinner would be better. Which restaurant do you want so I can set up the reservation?""Jane, can you please let go of my arm?"

I was in the midst of prying off her hands when the doors opened revealing New whose brow immediately shot up upon seeing our position.

"Oh, come on. Doesn't your secretary know how to obey orders?" Jane exclaimed frustratingly, her hands still on my arm.

"New, what are you doing here?" I nervously asked as I continued to pry off Jane's hands but they were tightly wrapped around my arm that I could feel her nails digging into my skin.

"You left your lunchbox in the car," he nonchalantly replied as he showed me the lunch I asked him to prepare this morning.

"Oh, sorry I forgot about it," I glanced at Jane. "Uh, Jane my arm."

"Who are you? And who gave you the authority to barge in just like that?"

I nervously swallowed as Jane shot New a dangerous glare.

"Uh, Jane, he's New. My-" I immediately introduced New but my words were then cut off.

"And who are you to cling unto Tay like some ugly gecko?"

I choked on my own saliva as New blurted out those words and I tried so hard to stop myself from laughing.

"Huh? Excuse meee?? Are you saying that I'm a gecko?"

"Well, considering how you hold on to him, you definitely are. Or do you prefer an octopus? I guess the latter suits you better."

That's my boy!

"How dare you insult me?? For your information, I'm Tay's close friend and soon to be girlfriend!"

I shot an eyebrow as immediately looked at her. Who told her that?

"Excuse me?? Future girlfriend??"

"Well damn yeah!"

"And who told you?"

"Uh, New, Jan—"

"Well, we're definitely gonna get there anyway."

I jolted when Jane pulled my arm tighter, her eyes still glaring at New.

"Huh, then damn you bitch, because before you become his girlfriend, you're gonna have to walk over my dead body so get your hands off my boyfriend before I drag you out of this rooom!"

"Wait? What? Oh, come on. You're being ridiculous. Do you think he would actually be with someone like you?? Tay? Why is this asshole claiming you??"

"Uuh, he's claiming me because I'm his. I'm his boyfriend," I grinned at Jane before glancing at New whose nostrils were flaring.

"Seriously??? Come on. You're kidding, right?? You just wanna ward me off that's why you're conniving on this."

"No, I'm not. New's my boyfriend. You can ask mom and dad if you don't believe me," I smiled at her sincerely.

"Ugh! I hate you both!" she immediately grabbed her bag and stormed out of the office after giving New one last glare.

"Hi, babe," I nervously looked at New who  was already glaring at me.

"Babe your face," he snarled and threw the lunchbox at me before heading towards the door.

"He-hey. It's not what you think, okay?" I immediately caught the lunchbox and placed it on the couch before grabbing his arm.

"Seriously, just how many women do you have??"

"I don't like her, babe. Okay I admit, she sort of confessed to me way back in college but I don't like her. I already told her that. She's just stubborn."

"I don't like that bitch."

I chuckled as I pulled him into the couch and made him sit on my lap.

"Ohhh, my baby's jealous," I muttered as I wrapped my arms around his waist and hugged him sideways.

"Who said I'm jealous??"

"You were so ready to fight her earlier. You look cute even when you're angry."

"Shut the fuck up."

"I'm sorry, babe. I promise, nothing's going on between us. Her father's the one I'm supposed to meet today but she showed up."

"Tsss. Why don't you like her? She's pretty enough though not that much."

"Ohh, I only like one person. And he's kinda territorial so I don't wanna mess with him."

"Tsss. You have so many women ready to be at your foot. Why would you want to be with me?"

"They're not like you."

"Why?"

"They're not like you because no one can ever make me this happy like you do."

"Tsss. Stop flattering me."

"Hmmm. I'm not."

"Tay."

"Hmmmm?"

"Something's poking my back."

"Hmmm.. Don't mind that."

"What do you have in your pocket? Do you have something hard in there?"

"Hmmm. Just, nothing," I grinned as I hugged him tighter.

I chuckled when I felt him tensed and immediately got up.

"Seriously, Tay?? In the broad daylight??"

"What can I do? I miss Newwieeee. We hadn't done it in 5 days already."

"My goodness, Tay Tawan. You're unbelievable!"

"Wanna do it here? We can lock the door."

I chuckled as he frustratingly ran his hands through his hair and shot me a dangerous glare.

"I'm going back to my office. Ugh! Why are you always in heat?!" he exclaimed and headed towards the door.

"I love you, babe! Take care naaa!"

"Whatever horny asshole! I love you, too!"  he snarled before storming out of my office.

"I'm so in love with you, New Thitipoom."

***