Mia’s new gang consist of three guys from London and two Swedish girls. The guys are too young for me to relate to on any serious level, and they’re a bit arrogant for my liking, but the girls are sweet. We all gather on the sand near a bamboo torch.
“Here, try this,” Mia says, shoving a drink in my face.
I take a big slurp and pull a face. It kind of tastes like mango, but also something else a bit gross that I can’t put my finger on. “What is that?”
“A happy shake!” she squeals and then downs the rest of it herself.
“Uh, so what exactly is in a happy shake?” I ask.
The three guys look at each other and laugh delightedly. “You don’t know?”
“No. Should I?”
“They’re also called ‘shroom shakes,” one of them helpfully points out.
My blood runs cold. “As in magic mushrooms?”
“Yep.”
I stare at Mia. “You’re taking magic mushrooms?”
“It’s cool,” she says, unconcerned. “I got it from a legit place. They know how to prepare it properly.”
“How do you know?” I start to feel panicky. I don’t think I drank enough to suffer the effects myself, but Mia has just recovered from a stomach bug. She might have a bad reaction. And we don’t really know these people she’s hanging out with. What if they try and take advantage of her? “Mia!”
“What?” She pouts. “Don’t go all mama bear on me.”
“But you were sick yesterday! Don’t you think you should have given your body time to recover?”
“It’ll be fine. Don’t stress. In fact, you should have one too. Then we can hang out together and go crazy.”
Does my sister not know me AT ALL?
“No, Mia. I am not going to do hard drugs with you in a country that still has the death penalty.”
“Pfft. You don’t get the death penalty for drinking a smoothie.”
“With mind-altering drugs in it!”
“Gah. You’re such a party pooper. Maybe I shouldn’t have contacted you.”
I throw up my hands in exasperation. “Thanks, Mia. So this is what I get for wasting several hundred dollars to make sure you weren’t lying dead and alone in a hotel room?”
She rolls her eyes. “You’re always thinking the worst. That’s something you need to work on.” She looks at the others and ignores me. “How about we go mingle?”
There’s a chorus of “yeahs” and they all start moving deeper into the crowds on the beach. I want to leave Mia to fend for herself, but I also don’t want her to get into any trouble. I don’t trust those London boys, and I worry that if they don’t look after her, she might accidentally wander off into the ocean and drown.
I sigh and tag along, a few metres behind.
It’s going to be a long night.
***
Three hours later, I am worn out and wishing I was back in the Bangkok apartment. But even that thought is tinged with a little sadness when I think about Daniel.
I still struggle to believe it, but I can’t help wondering what his deal is. It’s very possible that Kannika is jealous and wants me to suffer, but then what about what Gan said regarding Daniel’s long-term single status? And that internet article? Isn’t there some theory about the most obvious explanation being right ninety-nine percent of the time?
Mia is dancing wildly beside me and laughing like a hyena. The London boys seemed to have indulged in the same kind of drink, and they’re all acting like they’ve been possessed by demons.
I used to smoke a little pot when I was younger, but I was never a big fan of drugs. And I was always scared of anything mind-altering, worried that my brain would go into some sort of permanent psychosis.
Mia has no such qualms. I am sometimes envious of how she doesn’t ever let anything stop her from having a good time. Of course, that could just be her coping mechanism, but from my perspective, it looks like a pretty good approach.
Mia drifts over to another couple of guys nearby and strikes up a conversation with them. They already seem to know each other, so I assume she must have met them before she got sick. After what looks like a deep and meaningful exchange, Mia comes back to the group, beaming.
“I was just talking to Jake and Malcolm,” she tells us. “They’re heading out on their yacht tomorrow for a few days and have invited us all to go along!”
The guys immediately pepper Mia with questions about the facilities on the boat, while the girls excitedly talk to each other in Swedish. I don’t know how to react, especially after my last boat experience. Several days on a yacht with a bunch of strangers—is that really what I want to do?
Mia then seems to focus on me, and her expression turns apologetic. “Oh, I forgot to ask if you wanted to come, Chloe. I think it’s going to be a tight squeeze already, but I could go check with Jake and Malcolm if there’s room?”
I don’t even know how to react. I should be used to this by now, being treated like an afterthought. But I’m so offended by her complete disregard for me YET AGAIN that I laugh.
“Forget about it. Have a nice time.” I walk off, ignoring her calls for me to come back.
I am done.
TWENTY-ONE
After a restless night’s sleep in the bungalow, I wake up and take a leaf out of Mia’s book, packing my bag and leaving while she’s still dead to the world. I’d heard her return in the middle of the night, but I deliberately ignored her, even when she softly called out my name. And yes, I know her lack of consideration could be partly due to the magic mushrooms, but I no longer care to make excuses for her.
As soon as the sun peeps over the horizon, I head to the ferry terminal and wait for the first boat of the day. It takes a bit longer to arrange a flight back to Bangkok, but I finally arrive late on Friday afternoon. I feel depressed about pretty much every single aspect of my life right now.
On the upside, Rosie will barely have noticed my absence. I wearily turn my key in the lock of my apartment and open the door.
The sound must have alerted Rosie, because she yanks open her own door.
“You’re back already.” Her statement makes it sound like she isn’t surprised.
“Yeah,” I say, ready for a lecture about dropping everything to look after my sister. “You want to come in?”
“Nope. I want you to come with me. You’ve obviously been dealing with a lot lately, so we need to go and get drunk.”
“I don’t really feel like…”
She holds up a hand. “I don’t want to hear it. We’re going out and that’s final.”
The last thing I want to do after a day of travelling is head back out, but I don’t have the energy to argue. I leave my bag inside the door and then close it again. “Alright. I am at your mercy.”
She looks at her watch. “Actually, it’s still a bit early to go to a bar, so let’s do something different instead.”
“What kind of different?”
“You’ll see.”
Rosie takes us into the city to the MBK Mall and then over to a beauty salon where she talks to the woman at reception in Thai.
The woman leads us out the back, and I start to wonder what Rosie has signed us up for. As I look around, I see small wooden benches surrounding several tanks of water. When I inspect them a bit more closely, I notice they are full of fish.
“Rosie, where did you bring me?” I ask slowly.
She beams. “To a fish spa.”
“Hang on. You mean where the fish are supposed to eat the dead skin off your feet?” I almost gag, saying the words out loud.
“Yup.” She slips off her shoes and puts her feet into one of the tanks. She pats the seat beside her. “Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it.”
I look dubiously at the water, which is lit with a fluorescent tube. “Is it sanitary?”
“I think they’re banned in a few states back home,” she admits. “But I don’t think it’s been proven that they cause any harm.”
&
nbsp; “Why were they banned then?”
“I don’t know. Probably because the US bans everything. Come on. Live a little!”
I stand there for a moment, frozen with indecision. I do want to expand my horizons, but what if I’m risking hepatitis? Or worse?
Rosie giggles as the fish swarm around her toes.
“Come on, Chloe!”
I reluctantly take off my shoes and sit beside her, lowering my feet an inch at a time into the warm water.
Actually, this isn’t too bad. It tickles for a second, but then settles into what feels like soft vibrations against my feet.
Despite her being a bit unpredictable, I feel like the woman sitting beside me might be my only friend in the world.
“So…” Rosie starts. “Tell me everything. And trust me when I say I’ll be able to tell if you don’t reveal all.”
I decide to start with the easy stuff and fill her in on the disastrous trip to Koh Pha Ngan to see Mia.
“You know just because she’s your sister, it doesn’t mean you have to drop everything the second she summons you.”
“Actually, that’s kind of exactly what it means. Mia can be selfish, but she’s really only ever had me to rely on.”
“And yet she treats you like shit. She sounds very ungrateful to me. And she’s abandoned you multiple times now!”
“I know,” I sigh. “I should have known better. But don’t worry, I’ve learnt my lesson. I’m not going to give in so easily in future.”
“I’m glad to hear that. So, is that all that’s been going on?”
I pull a face to show that no, that’s not all, but I’m not even sure where to begin.
“What? What else happened?”
“I broke up with Aaron.”
“Good.” She looks satisfied, like at least one thing in my world has gone the way she finds acceptable.
I then take a deep breath.
“Don’t tell me there’s more!” she says.
“Yep.”
I then tell her about what Kannika said, and realise it won’t make any sense if I leave out the moment Daniel and I shared.
She seems particularly happy when I relay the entire situation. “He totally has a thing for you!”
“How can you tell? Did you not just hear what Kannika told me?”
“Yes, but it’s Kannika! Don’t you have more faith in what you know personally of Daniel? I think she must be jealous. What if she was watching you that night? Do you know for a fact that she wasn’t still at the lab?”
She has a point. I can’t guarantee that. But I’m sure I would have noticed if she was lurking about, spying on me. After all, I could tell when an actual PI was tailing me.
“I’m pretty sure she wasn’t at the lab. And what about when Gan said he’s never seen Daniel with a girlfriend? That could mean he’s a player. Plus, I saw this article online and the journalist said the women he’s dated won’t reveal why they broke up. It all sounds a bit off to me.”
“I don’t know, Chloe. Like I said, you should make your own judgment based on your interactions with Daniel.”
I rub my fingers in circles on my temples. “Yeah.”
“So what are you going to do?”
“I don’t know. I was supposed to fly home tonight, but I changed my flight in case Mia ended up in hospital. So now I’m here for another week. Although, I suppose I could change the flight again.”
“No! Please don’t do that! I’ve been talking to this guy I know back in the States, and he wants to take samples of my stuff to this tradeshow coming up. He should be able to get a whole bunch of buyers right away, so I’m going to need you to help me get some samples ready to send off by Friday.”
“Oh, wow! Actually, Daniel mentioned something about that the other day. That’s great news!”
“So you’ll stay?”
“Yeah, OK.”
“And just you wait. I’m betting Daniel will reveal his true feelings soon enough.”
I blush. I don’t know about that.
And I don’t know how I’d feel if he did.
***
On Saturday, Rosie and I get started on the samples. We discover we’re running low on ambergris, which has a soft, ocean-like scent necessary for Rosie’s fragrance, so I get Kitty to help me place an emergency order that should arrive on Monday.
On Sunday, I opt to spend some time on my own. I really need it, so I’m kind of glad the perfumery isn’t open again until tomorrow. I go to Lumpini Park and wander around the edge of the water, trying to regain some sort of equilibrium. I don’t blame the location for my inability to de-stress, because the tree-lined banks and shady patches of grass are exactly what I envisaged, but I struggle to make any progress. In the end, I give up and head back to the apartment, buying some junk food to stuff my face with along the way.
I head into the perfumery on Monday, ready to help Rosie again with her samples. I know Daniel won’t be back from Pattaya until later, which means I probably won’t see him today, but I have no idea what to do about Kannika.
When I walk through to the back room, the scent of ambergris is almost overpowering. I guess that means my order has arrived. It’s strange though, because I shouldn’t be able to smell it if it’s sealed up in canisters.
Unfortunately, Kannika is the only one in. That’s odd enough in itself, because she usually waits until the latest possible moment to show her face each day.
But then I see the box in the corner. It looks crumpled and soggy, and obviously very damaged.
I hurry over, and my heart sinks as I realise what must’ve happened.
“Did you see this arrive?” I ask Kannika.
She shrugs. “I don’t know.”
“How can you not know?”
“We get so many deliveries, I can’t be expected to keep track of them all.”
“Yes, but this seems to be the only one today.” I open the box and peer inside. It looks like someone ran over everything with a truck. All the canisters are dented and burst open.
“Does this often happen?” I continue.
She glances over and shrugs again. “Sometimes.”
“So what do you do? Call the delivery company? The supplier?”
“Whatever you want.”
Kannika walks away, whistling to herself.
There is something off about that woman. I have a very strong feeling she destroyed my shipment on purpose, but to what end? I know she doesn’t like me personally, but is her desire for vengeance really so blind that she’d be willing to jeopardise the finances of her workplace? That seems a bit extreme.
When Kitty arrives, I get the material supplier’s number from her. But when I call, the supplier tells me they are now all out of ambergris.
I ask Kitty if they use anyone else, and she gives me the number of two other suppliers…but they also have no stock. I then go online and search for other material suppliers. I scour a few US-based sites that offer express delivery.
And then I find one that has exactly what I need. Except I need to phone to register for an online ordering login, and it’s still Sunday there. I do a quick calculation in my head and work out I’ll have to wait until 11pm Bangkok time to call them at 9am their time.
I can do that. 11pm is easy.
Kannika will not win.
TWENTY-TWO
I have no idea where Rosie is today. I can’t even call her to check, because she doesn’t have a phone. And Kannika has disappeared, perhaps satisfied that she’s wreaked enough havoc. Even though I don’t think she’s in the shop, I don’t trust her, and I feel like I need to hang around until we close, just to make sure she can’t sabotage anything else.
The day drags. I find myself yawning every five seconds, and I think it’s because I know I’m going to have to stay up almost until midnight.
I help Gan out with some stuff on the perfumery website, and I try my hand at another perfume of my own that doesn’t turn out too badly, but I feel restless. I can’t do
much on Rosie’s perfume, I’ve got one eye out for Kannika, and I’m feeling nervous about seeing Daniel again tomorrow.
At 6pm, everyone leaves for the day, and I figure I should just hang out here until 11pm when I can phone the supplier.
I tidy up, ensure the front door is locked, and turn the sign to closed. I don’t have anywhere else better to be, and if Kannika has a key to the perfumery, I want to be here to catch her out if she tries to sneak back in.
I retrieve a bottle of water from the fridge out the back and then make myself comfortable on the couch. I open up an e-book on my phone and settle in for a few hours.
At 8pm, I hear rattling at the back door lock. I’m instantly on high alert. Is it Kannika? I feel my heart start to race at the impending confrontation. What if she turns violent? I mean, she hasn’t shown any physical aggression apart from that time she elbowed me in the back, but you never know what people might do when cornered.
The door opens, and in comes…Daniel.
My heart rate accelerates to a gallop. I don’t know why I didn’t expect him to drop by here on his way home, but it makes sense. He probably wants to offload some of his materials first, rather than take them back to his house.
I stand up, unsure how to announce my presence.
He finally notices me and his face lights up.
“Chloe! What are you doing here?”
“Uh, you mean still in Bangkok, or in your perfumery at 8pm on a Monday?” I half-joke.
“Both.” He seems really pleased, which makes me really pleased. Until I remember the unresolved issue of whether he’s a player or not.
“Well, I ended up having to go see my sister down in Koh Pha Ngan and I wasn’t sure if I’d make it back in time, so I rescheduled my flight for another week.”
“That’s great! I bet Rosie is glad.”
“Yeah, she is. Although you wouldn’t know it today. She’s gone MIA.”
“How odd. Does that have anything to do with why you’re here tonight?”
Perfume Therapy Page 17