Like a row of silent soldiers, the mannequins stood vigil along the wall. Sri examined each one, making a slight adjustment here, picking off a tiny thread or bit of dust there. Her sharp eyes zeroed in on a part of a pha-biang. The sash had a slight tear at the shoulder where a securing pin was located. It appeared that someone had pulled it, probably a small child.
Sighing, Sri picked up her kit of hand-spun silk threads, and, selecting the proper color and needle, swiftly repaired the cloth until the damage was barely noticeable. After final inspection, she collected her stuffs back into her repair kit, a small rolling suitcase specifically stocked for this museum.
She trundled back to the main office and parked the suitcase in its slot on the wall divider.
"Any problems, Khun Sri?" The older woman adjusted her glasses to look owlishly at the younger woman. Sri shook her head. "I repaired Number 9; all the others are fine."
The curator nodded. "Kapkun, Khun Sri. Thank you for your assistance. When are you leaving for your show?"
Sri felt a shiver of excitement. "In two days. I want to get there ahead of time to make sure that everything arrives and is ready in time." Although only a small part of the international fashion showcase, she wanted to be sure the crowd could see her creations to the fullest. She picked up her bag, and wei'd before leaving.
"Good luck, dear!" The woman called out to the figure hurrying away.
Sri walked into the cavernous banquet hall at the International Convention Centre. The curvilinear roof flowed along one wall until it met the wooden parquet floor, giving the feel of a boat keel. The other wall was all glass, giving the visitor a spectacular view of the seashore. Sri looked at her tablet, which contained the plans for the catwalks and viewing areas. There would be approximately eight separate designers participating in this show. In two days, the space would be filled with glitter and noise, beautiful clothes, media, and most importantly, representatives from various department stores and countries. She hoped they would appreciate her designs, which were modern and clean, but distinctly Thai. She walked over to Sala 211, which would be a shared staging area, and started planning the location of all her items in her designated area.
She was almost done when her phone gave off a soft chime. She smiled when she saw the name, and answered it.
"Dean. Good evening." Her smile slid off when she heard the faint but distinct sounds of a nightclub through the earpiece.
"Hey, babe. I just wanted to tell you that I'm flying in tomorrow for the big bash." His words were slightly slurred, and Sri knew that he had broken his promise yet again to her to straighten out his lifestyle. She resisted the urge to admonish him; it would do no good while he was drinking. She knew this well from their two years together, although it seemed to have worsened.
"Everything is under control, Dean. It's not necessary that you be here." Despite her feelings for him, his unpredictable mood swings and behavior were straining their relationship. Sometimes helpful and knowledgeable, sometimes off-putting. She used his costume jewelry in her lines, but never his fabrics or accessories. They always appeared a little shoddy, and he was vague where they were manufactured. She wanted to know the shops and individuals that supplied her textiles, and she would never budge on that.
After a few interminable minutes, she finally disconnected the phone and sighed. Recently Dean had been pressuring her to agree to a more physical connection, but she didn't feel comfortable about it. With her refusal, her boyfriend had become distant, and she no longer trusted their time together.
Just then, her phone rang again. She looked at the screen, this time lighting up her face. "Hello, my sister. Did you make it safely here?"
The voice on the other side sounded calm, almost too calm to be her sister. "Yes, I'm in the city. I'm going to take in a few sights and meet you at the hotel later, okay?"
"What's wrong, Roni?" Sri demanded, feeling something strange. The connection with her twin sister felt like there was a problem of some sort. She also knew that her younger sister wouldn't admit to anything unless she was under torture. True to form, her sister glossed over.
"Nothing, Nosey. There's a delay in securing my wheels, so I'm going to go to the markets at Les Rambles and get something to eat. I'll be at the hotel later."
Sri wasn't appeased, but she knew she would have to wait until they were face-to-face. "Okay, then, I'll see you soon. Don't forget that I have an appointment with a potential buyer this evening. I've left a hotel key under your name at the front desk. Don't go anywhere dangerous, okay? You don't know the language here."
"Chai chai, yes yes. I will be careful, Mom." Her sister chuckled before the line went dead. Sri shook her head at her incorrigible sibling before turning back to the task at hand.
At the Hospital Clinic i Provincial de Barcelona, Roni tucked her phone back into a side pocket on her black backpack, and looked at her bandaged arm. The doctor had determined no stitches were needed, but closed it using steri-strips. He explained they would fall off naturally after about a week; in the meantime, the bandage covering the wound needed to be changed regularly.
Now she was just waiting for her ersatz hero to pick up the supplies and pay the hospital fees. She was annoyed at Khun Ken's insistence to pay for everything, but at least it gave her a chance to catch up with her sister and defuse any potential fallout from her misadventures.
Roni surreptitiously watched as he walked towards her from the cashier's office. His long legs, lightly dusted with hair, had well-defined muscles which showed that he was physically active. Almost involuntarily, her eyes traveled upwards, past the grey t-shirt that clearly outlined his chest, before colliding with those dark eyes. Although his face was impassive, she felt his amusement at her blatant perusal.
She stood up before he reached her bank of chairs. The man towered over her, easily 180 cm to her 171 cm, and she felt she needed every advantage possible. Smiling slightly, she accepted the white paper bag.
"Kap kun, Khun Ken," she began, "I appreciate your help. Enjoy the rest of your time in Barcelona." She turned to head for the exit, when he reached out and caught her elbow.
"Aren't we going to Les Rambles to find something to eat, Khun Charonsri?"
Ken looked down at the young woman, her eyes wide with surprise for only a moment before they changed to cool indifference. When he helped into his car to go to the hospital, she seemed small, almost tiny, and so much different from the avenging fighter that took on a mugger.
Now, with a more self-assured mien, she clearly was a confident individual. Her well-worn jeans hugged curves that were surprisingly generous. His body stirred when he remembered how the firmness of her waist felt beneath his hand. But now, her prickly exterior was even more intriguing. He wanted to spend more time with her, and, after overhearing the end of her conversation with her mother, he came up with a plan.
"Call me Roni. Everybody does. And don't you have someplace to go?" The voice was smooth and musical, with a husky tone at odds with the woman's appearance. She reached down to pick up her battered duffel bag, but he already anticipated her actions. Ken reached the bag several seconds before she did, and caught the flash of irritation in her eyes as he straightened up with the handles in his hand.
"I have a dinner meeting but no plans for now. Why don't we go eat and explore together? I can drop you off at your hotel when we are done." Expecting her reaction, he simply turned and headed for the exit. He heard a single, distinct Thai curse, and smiled when the sound of boot heels hurried behind him.
He had already put her belongings in the trunk when she caught up to him.
"Hey, khun, do you really want to chauffeur me around Barcelona for the afternoon? After all, we are only strangers stuck together because of a situation." Her puzzled look was adorable and took him off guard. She was so unaffected and natural, did she not know how striking she was?
"It's not often I meet a fellow Thai in a different country. I think we can enjoy each other's company a bit longer, unless there is someone waiting for you?" The last ended on a question, and Ken held his breath for the answer.
She nodded. "There is, but that person won't be available until later tonight, so there is nothing pressing right now."
Ken felt a stab of disappointment. Of course a woman like her would already have someone. Still, she didn't seem unwilling to spend time in his company, and that was enough to lift his spirits a little. "Then let's go see the sights."
Les Rambles is a series of streets in Barcelona, once a sewer-filled riverbed, and now a long avenue of fountains, religious sites, flower markets, artsy stores, cafes, and food stalls.
Roni loved the colors and movements along the avenue. She flitted wherever her heart took her, followed by her companion, who never complained when she suddenly turned into another shop or down a side street. At the Plaça Reial, they finally sat down at a pub and ordered the local cuisine. The waiter brought out a basket of pa amb tomaquèt; she grabbed the first piece, drizzled a bit of olive oil from a nearby decanter, and popped it into her mouth.
Her knight for the day calmly took a small piece of the bread and nibbled. She wondered what it would take to surprise him. Or make him smile.
"Have you ever been to Barcelona before, Khun Ken?" she asked. He nodded, still chewing thoughtfully.
"Approximately two years ago, I was here for an international conference for a week." Well, that certainly sounded a bit stuffy, Roni secretly snickered. His eyes sharpened at the mirth she tried to hide. "Have you ever visited here?"
"Yes, about five years ago, when I studied for eight weeks at the Guttman Institute. That's a hospital for neurorehabilitation and spinal cord injuries. I'm a physical therapist at a hospital in Bangkok."
His eyebrows raised. Aha, Roni, thought, so that's his startled look. It was boyish and charming, making him even more interesting. Roni wondered if he had a significant other in his life, but promptly dismissed the thought. They would probably never meet again after today. Despite the information he wrote on his business card, she had no intention of seeking him out. The rest of her time here would be spent with her sister.
"That must be very rewarding."
"Rewarding. And hard. And sometimes sad. But I really enjoy what I do. And being a CEO, you must be good at what you do. You are even good at rescuing damsels in distress."
He looked over his glass of water, those warm eyes steady. "I don't think you were ever in distress, Khun Charonsri."
Roni's heart felt a little flutter as he continued. "As you said before about your employment, it can be rewarding, and hard. And even, sometimes sad." He put down the glass, but left his hand on the burgundy tablecloth, almost in invitation.
Roni felt as if a connection had been forged; she felt unsure and almost shy. What was she feeling? Before she could answer, the beaming waitress stopped by with their orders. Once their steaming bowls of fideuà, arrived, they ate companionably in silence, and Roni dismissed those fleeting feelings.
"That was excellent," the young woman sighed as they stepped back into the light. Noticing the shadows, she checked her watch in alarm. "Oh, I have to get to the shop before it closes!"
Ken also looked down at his watch, amazed that they had spent the better part of three hours together. The time seemed to barely pass for him. Charonsri was a fun companion, and had a childlike pleasure in their stroll through the tree-lined markets. No wonder she was strong and capable during the morning's incident. Working in a physically demanding job must hone her muscles.
"Where should I take you now?" he asked, and she rattled off a nearby address. He handed her into the car and negotiated the narrow streets of El Raval towards her destination.
"Just drop me off here," Roni commanded, looking out the window. Ken obligingly pulled to the curb in front of the Renaissance Hotel Barcelona.
"Are you sure this is the correct hotel?" he asked. The hotel was one of the 5 star establishments along the Carrer de Pau Claris. With her scruffy belongings, this woman didn't look like she belonged in a place like this. Or could afford to stay here, for that matter.
"Yes." She firmly said, "Please pop the trunk so I can get my things." He pressed the button on the dashboard as she was opening the passenger door. He barely made it out of the car before she had pulled her duffel out of his trunk. He stood in front of her for a moment, indecisive. Now that she was in a hurry, he wanted to keep her with him a bit longer.
"Where is my business card?" he asked, and Roni pulled it out of her back pocket and handed it to him. His fingers tingled as his mind registered the warmth of the paper. Pushing that aside, he quickly wrote his hotel information on the back. "I will be in town for two more days. If you need anything, please let me know." He gave it back, their fingers brushing. She calmly took possession and tucked it back into her pocket. Did she feel any of the sizzle between them?
"Kapkun kaa, Khun Ken. It's been…" her eyes danced for a moment, and he was caught by her smile. "…interesting." He gave a nod and stood there until she entered the revolving door. Through the glass, he saw her head to the reception desk. With a final glance, he climbed back into the car to head to his hotel and prepare for his dinner meeting.
Inside the hotel, Roni chatted in English with the receptionist, looking at the reflection in the shiny brass wall behind the check-in desk. When she saw the car finally drive away, she thanked the woman for her directions, left the hotel, and headed out the short distance to her real destination.