by J. F. Gump
"I want you to stay at my place where I can keep an eye on the baby." Laht said to Somjit as they entered the cab. When she didn't respond, he gave the driver directions to his condo. "Tomorrow we can get your things from the hotel."
Somjit only nodded. Inside, she was a mass of conflicting emotions. She was depressed about the baby being sick, and exhausted from being awake for the last thirty hours. Still, she was elated because Laht had asked her to stay with him. Despite exhaustion, her thoughts of being with Laht flooded her with a rush of desire. "Khop khun mahk ka," she said, lowering her eyes in deference.
They rode the rest of the way in silence.
Laht wondered if his offer to Somjit was a beginning or an ending. A powerful need burned in him, an urge like he had never felt. He remembered past thoughts of his naked ass humping through a monk's robe. He wondered if she ever had sexual thoughts about him, too. Did she ever touch herself and wish it was him?
By the time they arrived at his address, an unwanted erection pushed against the front of his pants. It waned as he fumbled for his wallet. By the time he exited the taxi, it had softened enough that no one would notice.
Laht carried the baby to his condo and Somjit followed close behind.
Somjit was in awe. She had never been inside the barriers that separated the very rich from the poor. The lobby area of his condominium was like a palace. Being in a place so clean and well kept made her feel like royalty.
They reached his unit and Laht opened the door. The furniture was basic but tastefully so. There were no pictures on the walls or magazines on the coffee table or anything else to make it feel like a home.
Suddenly Somjit realized she was alone with him for the first time ever. "Is the baby still asleep?" she asked to cover the urges gathering inside her.
"Yes, I will lay her in my second bedroom. She's too young to move much, but I'll prop pillows around her anyway. She will be safe like that. The master bath is there if you want to shower or anything." He pointed to the door at the end of a short hall.
Somjit did want to be clean. If she had her way, there were reasons she wanted to smell good. The bathroom was spotless. She adjusted the water to just below scalding and took a long shower. When she finished, she wrapped a towel around herself and stepped into his bedroom. Laht was in bed and asleep, or apparently so.
She considered what to do. With only the slightest hesitation she let the towel fall away and she lay down completely naked. She pulled the sheet over herself and waited for him to move toward her.
"I can sleep on the sofa, if you want me to." he said in the darkness.
She moved closer and put her arms around him, "I want you to stay with me."
"Are you sure you?" he whispered.
"Yes," she whispered back. "I am sure."
His hand stroked her arm hesitantly. "Okay."
She felt his fingers tremble. His caress was awkward and rougher than she expected. She waited for him to touch her in other places, but he didn't. It was as if his hand was frozen to her arm.
After a moment, she slid her hand across his chest and down his stomach. A second later she slipped her fingers beneath the elastic of his underwear and pushed her hand inside.
He tensed and pulled away at her intrusion.
"Are you okay, teelak?" she asked.
"I'm embarrassed," he answered very quietly.
"I have wanted you since the day you saved my life. Tonight I want you more than ever. There is no reason to be embarrassed. This is the way Buddha wants it to be."
"I have never been with a woman before. I know what to do, but I have never done it. I'm afraid I won't do something right."
Somjit rose to her knees. "Don't worry, you will be perfect."
She proceeded to undress him in the faint glow of the light filtering in from outside. Using everything she had learned from Nong, she seduced Laht. She kissed and touched him until he was ready to explode. She rubbed herself into a state of total lust. By the time he entered her, she was already in the throes of an intense orgasm. He finished less than a minute later, but she was completely satisfied. His erection faded but didn't die. They fell asleep still mated together.
When Laht awoke her at nine the next morning, he was already dressed. "We should get your things from the hotel now."
She remembered last night, but kept herself covered in feigned shyness. "What about little Tippawan? We can't take her out in the heat."
"I had one of my nurses to come and help. She will take care of the baby. We can go when you're ready."
After checking to make sure the nurse was properly tending the baby, Somjit showered and put on the jeans and tee-shirt she had worn the day before. She could smell her armpits. She could hardly wait for clean clothes. She waited for Laht in his living room.
When Laht emerged from the bedroom, he was dressed to the max. His fine silk suit was sharp creased and his face clean shaved. He looked handsome.
"Miss Somjit," he said politely formal, "we should hurry," His eyes flicked toward the nurse who was tending the baby. "I have much to do today."
"Of course, sir," she responded, just as formal. "I am ready."
Their first stop was his new office. Laht wasn't due to open for business for another three weeks, but his father had already hired a staff to organize everything and Laht felt obligated to make a daily appearance. He spent some time inside with his staff, while Somjit sat in the waiting room. From there they drove to a store and bought baby things.
At ten-thirty they arrived at the hotel where Somjit had stayed the night before. For no reason other than impulse, they made love in her hotel room. This time Laht seemed more relaxed, more confident. By eleven-thirty, they had checked out of the hotel and were back at the condo.
Laht shooed the nurse off into the bedroom with the baby. Once she had closed the door, he turned to Somjit.
"I have made a decision. I'm taking some time to help with the baby. I'm not officially on the hospital staff until the end of the month, and my practice isn't scheduled to open for a while. The staff my father hired is bored just sitting around, so I have given them two weeks off with pay. They are happy to have a holiday."
"Are you sure, teelak? I feel guilty, like I am interfering with your future."
He pulled her close and placed a sniffing Thai kiss on her cheek. "You are my future. Everything else can wait."
"You are too nice to me."
"I could never be too nice to someone I love."
Later, Laht called his father and explained everything about Somjit, Nuang, and the baby. Isara sounded tense during their conversation. Laht figured his father was coming to grips with him taking up with a common Thai. In the end Isara agreed to help find Nuang.
Chapter 33
Surat awoke when the morning sun touched his eyelids. For a moment he didn't know where he was. He rubbed his face to shake off his drowsiness. Suddenly he remembered; he was at the hospital and waiting for the couple with the baby.
He left his taxi and hurried inside. The woman at the information desk looked familiar. After a second he realized she was the same woman who had been on duty the night he had come looking for Nuang.
"Excuse me. I am looking for someone."
The woman's eyes flashed recognition. "Your wife still hasn't returned, if that's who you're looking for." She punched at her computer keyboard. "And your bill hasn't been paid either. The cashier is just down the hall." She pointed to her left.
He ignored her comments and her tone. "I am looking for a woman and a baby who came here last night."
"Your wife?"
"No, not my wife, but my baby."
The woman eyed him warily. "Just so I understand: You are looking for a woman who is not your wife, but who has your baby." Her expression was cold. "This it's none of my business, but I want you to know I don't approve of men having mistresses. And I certainly don't condone men making babies with anyone except their wives." Her unforgiving stare drilled holes thro
ugh him.
"You don't understand," he sputtered. "The woman isn't my mistress." He thought quickly, "She is my babysitter."
"You mean you got your babysitter pregnant? That’s disgusting."
"No, my baby was ill and my babysitter brought her here."
The woman's face softened, but not much. "I know the woman you mean. She left here over two hours ago. She probably went home. Maybe you should look for her there."
"Do you have her name and address?"
"I'm not allowed to give out that sort of information," she replied tersely. "Besides, I think you would know her address already if you are who you say you are." She pushed a button on her desktop and glanced at the front door. "I don't know what your game is, but I think you should leave."
Surat looked over his shoulder and saw a security officer headed in their direction. He turned back to the woman. "Thank you for your help," his words were polite but his tone sarcastic. "You’re right, maybe I should go now."
"Is there a problem?" the security man asked.
Surat turned to face him. "No problem," he said, as evenly as he could. "I was just leaving."
Outside, Surat cursed himself for falling asleep. If he had been awake, he would have seen them leave and he wouldn't have made a fool of himself with the hospital lady.
He glanced at his watch. If he hurried, he had time to go home and clean up before checking in at work. He wanted to take the day off but couldn't afford to take the risk; his boss still wasn't over the unauthorized-use-of-a-company-vehicle thing. He started the taxi and went home
After a cursory washing and quick change of clothes, Surat reported for work. If anyone noticed his haggard appearance, they didn't mention it. His bossed assigned him to the airport circuit.
At his first opportunity Surat drove to the hotel where he had taken the man and woman the night before. He put on his friendliest smile as he approached the receptionist.
"Sawasdee krup," he said with humble politeness.
"Sawasdee ka. May I help you?"
"Last night, I gave a woman a ride in my taxi. She had a young baby with her. By accident, she left some keys on the seat. I have come to return them to her. Do you know the woman I mean?"
"Yes, I do," the girl smiled. "She checked out about fifteen minutes ago. I'm sorry you missed her. It's most honorable of you to return her things."
Damn the luck, Surat thought to himself. It was all he could do to keep the smile on his face. "Can you tell me her name or where she's gone?"
"Sir, I am not allowed to give out that sort of information. But, if you want to leave the keys, maybe she will come back when she realizes they are missing."
"Never mind." His smile faded. "I’ll go to where I took her last night. Maybe she will be there. If she's not, I'll bring the keys back here." He turned and left the hotel lobby.
Surat spent the rest of the day and most of the evening making airport runs. After dropping off each customer, he would drive through a different section of Chiang Mai hoping for a glimpse of the woman or the man. By the time the evening flights had stopped, Surat had given up ever finding them. For the second time in two months, he had lost his wife and his baby. His mother-in-law was right, he was a loser.
Chapter 34
Pajeeka Wasiwat was a patient investigator. Four days had passed since her meeting with Lieutenant Viboon, and her patience had finally paid off. It was a good thing, too, because the information from her friend in Bangkok hadn't amounted to anything.
Viboon had called earlier and asked her to meet him at six o'clock that evening. His tone had been polite but his words were terse. They agreed to meet at a restaurant near the police station.
On the way Pajeeka stopped at the bank and withdrew money from her business account. She arrived at the restaurant at five forty-five.
She took a table and asked the waitress to watch for the lieutenant. She knew it wasn't proper to select a table on her own, but it was her nature to bend the rules of etiquette.
Viboon arrived fifteen minutes late, his face tight. He carried a thin folder in his left hand. He murmured a brief hello, took his seat, and ordered Singha beer. He put the folder on the table, but didn't offer it to Pajeeka. She waited for him to speak.
In a minute his beer arrived in a pitcher with a large chunk of ice frozen to the bottom. He poured himself a glass and drank half. "Please excuse my bad manners. I've been very busy the last few days, but I think I have fulfilled your request."
He picked up the folder and handed it to her.
Pajeeka fingered it for a moment and then flipped the cover open. The first page listed the members of the Bongkot family starting with Supit and Nui and followed by their six children from youngest to oldest. A footnote at the bottom of the page stated that Nui and Supit were living separately but were not legally divorced. The subsequent pages contained short bios of their children.
Pajeeka skimmed the pages on the Bongkot family, except for the one on the woman named Nuang. She read Nuang’s page carefully. She wanted to see how close it came to what she knew as fact. Most of it matched with what she had learned on her own. The report ended with Nuang running away with her baby. The lieutenant must have had contact with the Bongkot family to learn that tidbit of information. The page on Math was conspicuously blank.
"I'm surprised, Lieutenant Viboon. From our conversation the other day, I thought you would have a lot of information on the woman named Math."
The lieutenant squirmed uneasily in his seat. "I have a separate report on her. It contains some information Khun Isara might prefer to remain confidential."
Pajeeka pursed her lips in annoyance. Isara had already told her that anything she learned was to be kept secret. She forced a smile back to her face.
"I understand. I appreciate your concern for my boss's privacy and well being—I defer to your judgment. By the way, I don't see anything in here about the Duansawang family. Couldn't find anything?"
Viboon cleared his throat, "Look, I don't understand everything that is going on here, but I do know that if Isara Horungruang is interested in this, there's either money involved or it's extremely personal. I found few facts about the Duansawang family and fewer still about Surat. But I heard plenty of rumors that could be true. I made a list of them so Khun Isara can check them out if he wants. I put the Duansawang report together with the one on Math."
"I trust you will deliver those reports to my boss at your earliest opportunity."
He smiled. "I have delivered them already. If I can be of further assistance, please contact me." He stood to leave.
"Wait." Pajeeka rose to her feet. "I owe you 30,000 baht."
"I can't take it."
Pajeeka was confused, "Why? It's not illegal and it's what we agreed. What about your father's new motorcycle?"
"This has nothing to do with legal or illegal. My father's old motorcycle will have to last a while longer."
Pajeeka had never met anyone who wouldn't take easy money, especially if they had earned it. "I'll hold on to it for a while in case you change your mind."
"You can keep it. I won't change my mind. If you get a chance to read my reports, you’ll understand. Please enjoy your holiday." He walked away without waiting for her response.
Pajeeka looked at her watch. It was six thirty-five. She was sure Isara had already left the office for the day but she called anyway. The automated phone system answered her call. She keyed Isara's extension and got his voice mail. She exited that and dialed her own mailbox. There was one message. It was from Isara. It was short, sweet, and weird. "Come to my office at seven in the morning. I'm sending you on a pre-holiday holiday."
What was a pre-holiday holiday? It sounded suspiciously like an out-of-town assignment. No doubt it had to do with Lieutenant Viboon's private report. She wondered if Isara would let her read it. Most likely he would just tell her what she needed to know and turn her loose. That was his typical mode of operation.
She called the wai
tress to the table and ordered dinner. She studied Viboon's report as she ate. She memorized each detail he had written. She paid special attention to the two pages on Nuang. She would give the report to Isara in the morning, when he told her about her pre-holiday holiday.
Pajeeka was waiting when Isara arrived at his office at seven o'clock. He led her directly to his office, not wasting a second on pleasantries or small talk. He took his seat behind his desk and motioned her to a chair.
"I'm sending you to Pattaya on a short assignment."
"You want me to find Nuang?"
"I want you to find a woman named Anya Duansawang." He handed her an overstuffed envelope. "This is all the information I have. It's not much, but since you're familiar with Pattaya, I think it's enough."
She chastised herself for her wrong conclusion. She took the envelope, "Are you sure the woman is in Pattaya?"
"A private source said she is there. If she is, I want you to find her and set me an appointment with her."
"Is this a rush job or just something to do at my leisure during my pre-holiday holiday?"
Isara smiled, "You know me better than that. I don't like to waste time. I’ve booked you a flight leaving for Bangkok at ten o'clock. A car and driver from Thai Limousine Service will take you to Pattaya. I have also reserved you an executive suite at the Amari Orchid Hotel. Find the woman, set up my appointment, and then call me. After that you can relax and have fun at my expense. When I'm sure I don't need your help anymore, I will send you on holiday wherever you want. Anyplace within Thailand that is."
That answered her question very clearly. It was a rush job and he wasn't being stingy about it. She glanced at her watch. "If I'm going to catch a ten o'clock flight, I must hurry." She stood to leave.
"In your spare time, find the woman from the temple. The one named Nuang."