4
The surprise
Chris left for work early this morning. Normally, at AppTalk, we can go to work at anytime, up to our convenience. Sometimes we go in at 11 a.m. Sometimes we go in in the afternoon. Never once... does Chris go to work before 8 a.m.
I want to know why, but I don't dare ask...
Since when have I ever used the word 'not dare' when I'm with the arrogant-looking woman? I thought about it and realized that it was since we got back together. Maybe it's because I still feel guilty for what I did. I hurt her badly, and I promised that I would not be sulky again. I want our relationship to move forward like it should.
But I'm me... Aontakarn. I'm a woman who's very jealous.
Chris has been acting strange. She's been too merry, and she left home early. If it were the old days, I would just think that it's good that she's so lively. But now that I've returned to AppTalk and met the new hire, Cate, I'm unstable. Add to that what Earn said to Puth.
I have a lot of doubts right now.
But I keep telling myself that Chris is not one to sway. She's always shown me that she doesn't have eyes for anyone else. She loves only me. Though I hurt her badly, she forgave me, and we're back together. So, for there to be a third person...
All the logic tells me to trust Chris, but my heart doesn't go with my head. I have to read the news today. I am very moody as I walk into the broadcast building. I don't talk to anyone. But I'm not a talkative person in the first place. As I'm scanning the news that I have to announce and listening to the brief from the team, Kai, the other announcer that I sought help from, walks over to greet me with a smile.
"Karn."
"Hello, Kai." I raise my hand to pay respect to him and try to look as normal as I can. I greet him with a smile. "You're here so early."
"I'm here to meet the team. It's good that I see you. I want to tell you that I got the information you asked for from me. I'll call you tomorrow."
"Really?" I stop paying attention to the news I have to announce. My heart is pounding.
"Don't forget to treat me to a meal. It wasn't easy to obtain the information."
The senior staff winks at me coolly. When I see that, I wink back, and Kai puts his hand over his chest.
"You're killing me with your wink."
"I can also kill you by blowing you an air kiss."
"My wife will surely kill me. Don't charm me,
please."
Kai walks away, leaving me, who was worried about something earlier, smiling. I pick up my phone to update Chris about the information I'm about to get, but when I see our latest chat, I'm frustrated again.
Why should I tell her? She's probably so happy that she no longer cares about me.
Argh. Damned. I promised myself that I would not sulk easily. Why am I being like this? Despite my best efforts, my doubts resurface whenever I think about them. What is Chris doing? Why did she leave home so early this morning?
I decide to send her a message because I have a hunch that something is going on with her.
Aontakarn : Chris, what are you doing?
Think Chris Kitkat : I'm driving to work.
I look at the time on the top right corner of my phone and frown. It's I p.m. She left home early this morning, so how can she be driving to work right now? That doesn't make any sense.
Aontakarn : Where did you go this morning?
Think Chris Kitkat : I had some errands I had to do.
Aontakarn : What errands?
Think Chris Kitkat : An important one.
Chris is normally very straight-forward. If I ask something, she will immediately answer if she can. She will not leave me with any doubts or uncertainties like she's doing right now. I was trying to act normal, but I'm really not okay at this point. Yet I don't want to get too emotional because I have to announce the news soon. In the end, I chose not to ask any more questions. I put the phone down and try to digest the news I have to announce so that I can announce it well twenty minutes from now.
But that's that... I can't do it.
I pick up the phone again and call AppTalk. Earn is both the accountant and receptionist. She picks up the phone and greets me with her clear, pleasant voice.
[Hello, this is AppTalk.] "Earn, it's Kant" [Yes. What's up?]
"Has Chris been to the office today? I can't contact her."
[She hasn't come in yet.]
Think Chris Kitkat : I'm driving to work.
I bite my lips tightly, but I try to sound normal.
"What about Cate?"
[She hasn't been in either... Oh, here they are.]
"Don't tell Chris that I called."
I quickly hang up and crumple the paper in my hand before I'm startled because the paper has cut me. I lift up my finger and put it in my mouth to get rid of the blood before I clench my hand into a tight first. Why did all my suspicions have to be right?
She left home early in the morning.
She answered my question vaguely.
She went to the office with Cate.
After I try to calm myself down, my phone rings. It's showing that Chris is calling me. If I were to guess, Earn told her that I called and told her not to tell Chris that I did.
Right. If I say 'don't tell her', it means 'tell her immediately' for some.
And yes... I don't answer the phone but instead put it on silent mode because I don't want to become any more moody before announcing the news. During the period of two hours, I calm myself down, compose myself, and finish my job of announcing the news professionally. Yet all that I've done has gone to waste when I see the arrogant-looking woman waiting for me in the lobby with a broad smile on her face.
I hate her...
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
"It's nothing."
"Meaning it's something."
"…"
"Are you sulking?"
"No!"
I lost all my patience and yelled at her uncontrollably. Everyone in the lobby turns to look at us. I'm both shocked and embarrassed, so I hurriedly walked out of the building. Chris grabs my wrist and drags me with her.
"Let me go."
"No. Someone is suking; I have to try to reconcile with her and explain myself."
"I said that I wasn't sulking."
"You know that I don't like it when someone lies to me. Do you remember that we broke up the last time you lied to me?"
When I'm reminded of that, I panic and think of when Chris called me when I was with A. As a result, I became timid.
"Okay. I'm sulking."
"Why are you so cute?" Chris laughs until her entire body shakes. She continues to drag me along with her. "Why are you sulking?"
"Where have you been today?"
"I told you that I had some errands I had to do."
"With Cate?" I can tell that my mouth was shaking when I said that, though I tried my best to compose myself. "I understand. She's beautiful."
"So what if she's beautiful?"
"You shouldn't have come back to me. You should just hook up with her. You're always together."
"Are you jealous?"
"Yes."
"Nothing is going on."
"Everyone who's cheating says that. Nothing is going on. And if they are asked too many questions, they will pretend to get mad." I bare my teeth at Chris, drawing up the situation that Chris is about to cheat on me. "If it's true, you don't have to do that. Just break up with me. I will leave."
"You will call into a radio show to try to reconcile with me again."
"Where are you taking me?" I twist my wrist in an attempt to escape her grip, as I am becoming increasingly furious. Chris stops walking and lets me go. Just like that.
What's this? She's not going to even try to stop me? I'm sulking!
We're in the parking lot. I don't know why she brought me here. I look around, confused, but refuse to ask anything. I just stand quietly as I sulk.
"…"
"Aren't you going to ask why I took you here?"
"Why?"
"I want to show you this!" Chris sweeps her hand toward a red car. It's the latest release. I look at it with confusion. The arrogant-looking woman has to explain it to me. "This is my new car."
"Huh?"
"I went to get it this morning. I wanted to surprise you."
I drop my jaw. I look at Chris, then the red car, repeatedly, so many times that I'm becoming dizzy. When my lover sees that I'm at a loss for what to do, she laughs merrily.
"It's good that I successfully surprised you. You're so adorable when you're all confused like this."
Chris pinches my cheek out of cute aggression. "MY little Awww."
"You bought a car? I didn't have a clue."
"If you did, it wouldn't be called a surprise."
"You left early this morning to pick up the car?"
"Yes. The auspicious time is 9:09 a.m."
"Why did you go with Cate?"
"Cate's friend sells premium cars, so I asked her to help me out. I got a lot of freebies, including insurance, the bumper, a taillight, an alarm, a rubber foot mat, and ladders..."
Chris is showing off this and that, like someone who's very proud to get a good deal. I twist my face even more. Seeing that, Chris gradually lowers her voice and twists her face as well.
"Aren't you happy? I bought a car so that I could go see you more often. I emptied my bank account to buy this."
"…"
"I intend to pick you up and drop you off every day."
"I feel stupid."
"Huh..."
"I feel silly. I've been behaving like an idiot. I was imagining things the entire way we walked here because I was jealous." My voice starts to crack because I hate myself "I told myself that you wouldn't stray, but I still acted like an idiot because I was suspicious. And look at this... You're my lover, but I've never suspected that you would do this? This is a big matter. This car is expensive. But I didn't have a clue. Sob."
I cry like a little child. Chris, who was all merry a moment ago, quickly dashes in to hug and console me. She's like an older sister trying to console a friend's younger sister, but she doesn't know how to.
"You couldn't have known. I intended to surprise you. And you weren't being silly. I was being suspicious."
"But I promised that I wouldn't be like this. I'm a terrible lover."
"You should be yourself. I love you because you're you, Awww."
I hug Chris tightly. I'm overwhelmed. The arrogant-looking woman tries her best to console me. The more I think about it, the angrier I become with myself. I've never been a cute lover. I always make her feel bad, including her surprise about this new car that she bought so that she can pick me up and drop me off.
"You will surely dump me if I continue on like this."
"Never."
"But you broke up with me last time."
"Oh... you're bringing that up." The arrogant-looking woman leans away from me and scratches her head. I hit her shoulder with my fist softly. I'm trying not to smile through my tears.
"I'm not bringing it up to make you feel guilty or anything. I'm just telling myself to stop behaving like this because surely no one can stand it. If Karakate gets back out, she will break up with me because I couldn't keep my promise."
"What did you promise me?"
"I promised that I wouldn't be an idiot."
"I don't remember that. And as long as I don't remember it, it means that we haven't made a deal. You can continue to be silly. It's cute. And I enjoy trying to make up with you because we always end up making out when I do."
"crazyyyyyyyy."
"Most importantly, we can't break up. I don't know how to flirt. And I like sex a lot. No one would be able to handle me except for you."
"Who told you that I could handle you?"
"Me."
"Why must I?"
"Because you like sex a lot as well."
The arrogant-looking woman gives me a sly smile and points her head to the car as she says that. 1, who am wiping away my tears with the back of my hand, look at her, confused. I don't know what she's trying to hint at.
"Huh?"
"I chose this car because the backseat is very spacious."
"Ah-huh."
"Don't you want to give it a test?"
After looking into her eyes for a while, I start to understand what she's getting at, so I smile a little.
"Savage. Is this how you will try to reconcile with me?"
"I will try to reconcile with you my entire life because I get you every time I do." The arrogant-
"Because you like sex a lot as well."
The arrogant-looking woman gives me a sly smile and points her head to the car as she says that. I, who am wiping away my tears with the back of my hand, look at her, confused. I don't know what she's trying to hint at.
"Huh?"
"I chose this car because the backseat is very spacious."
"Ah-huh."
"Don't you want to give it a test?"
After looking into her eyes for a while, I start to understand what she's getting at, so I smile a little.
"Savage. Is this how you will try to reconcile with me?"
"I will try to reconcile with you my entire life because I get you every time I do." The arrogant-looking woman approaches me and sweeps her finger from my jawline to my collar bone. "So?"
"So, what?"
"Will I get you?"
"Only because you bought a new car. But... not in the car. It's hot." I say this teasingly. Chris hunches her back. She probably has very strange ideas since she got the car, but I closed her window of opportunity.
"Gosh."
"But if it's on the roof or hood, I may be okay."
"Savage. I should have gotten a truck."
"Let's turn this in for one."
"Too late. It has to be the hood, then. It may be a bit slippery, though."
"It's okay as long as I'm lying down."
We giggled and made up after I knew what was going on, and Chris tried to make up with me in a way that only she could do.
I also get to go back to being the Aontakarn who likes to sulk because Chris doesn't want me to lie to her. Trying to be someone else is hard for me. I have to let it go.
I will try to be better and sulk less. But to turn into a totally different person is too hard for me to do.
This is who I am... after all.