Fifty Two
“How dare you not tell me!” Ploy growled and pointed a finger at them who was still in bed. Then she placed her hands on her hip, “what are you doing in Pream’s room? What are you doing in Pream’s bed?” She demanded.
Pream laughed, “should we be asking what you’re doing in the room belonging to a wife that has a husband?”
Still surprised with the barging in Gun lazily sat up to lean against the pillows. “Okay.. this is just too many questions. Let’s get to the important one first, and the not so important ones can be discussed over breakfast.”
“Why didn’t anyone tell me Can’s rich?”
Pream opened her eyes widely, “he’s rich?”
Gun mirrored her reaction, clearly surprised as well.
“Stop with that innocent look Gun, you aren’t surprised one bit.” Ploy barked.
He held his hands up innocently against the headboard. “I’m truly surprised.” He saw the side eye from Pream. “I’m surprised genuinely-- that he told her he’s rich.”
“I have amnesia, I’m sure there’s a reason why we didn’t tell you.” Pream grinned sheepishly. Both Ploy and Gun made a face at each other. “Don’t pity me,” she laughed, “I like that I can’t get in trouble for this.”
Ignoring her friend for the time being, Ploy pointed a finger at Gun, “why would he buy a restaurant for me? Who would do something as stupid as that?”
“I’m still trying to figure out why he told you.”
“He didn’t.” Ploy gritted, “your real poor relations told me.”
“Mo?” Gun asked even though he knew already.
“Who is Mo?” Pream asked and looked back and forth at the two. “There was never any mention of Mo before.”
“My cousin, she’s been out of town.” Gun automatically replied.
Waving her hands at them, “hello! Back to my problem!”
“I don’t see how it’s a problem,” Pream crossed her arms, “a rich guy buys a restaurant and makes you a manager with the best shift ever.”
“I live with this guy!” Ploy stomped her feet, “they’ll think I’m sleeping with him.” She frowned, “I could kick him out! I should kick him out, he’s rich enough to move out into fancier digs. And to think I felt sorry for him for living in that ghetto apartment.”
Gun snorted, “you might as well move into his place and never see him.”
“Huh?” Pream asked.
“His house is larger than mi…” He saw Pream shaking her head and looked over at Pream.
“What. House.”
“Why are you mad at me?” Gun asked defensively, “ask the liar!”
“I will!” She stormed back out of the room and shouted as she headed towards the stairs, “GET DOWN FOR BREAKFAST! NO DILLY DALLYING!”
Pream looked over at Gun as he rose out of bed, “so. Why didn’t we tell her that Can is rich?”
He rubbed his neck uncomfortably, “His ex seems to only like money.”
“So he pretends to be poor?”
“Not really, he just doesn’t flaunt it.” Gun smiles, “he does huge. anonymous donations all the time.”
Rolling her eyes, “well gee, I’m glad the free food from our kitchen is helping the poor.”
“Sarcasm noted.” Gun laughed and gave her a quick peck on her cheeks before dashing out of Pream’s room.
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ---------- Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ
Pream watched Ploy stab her sausage and bacon. Gun wondered if the stabbing is metaphorical to her stabbing Can, mentally wishing him ill-will.
“You’re yelling at us right now…” Pream started, “how did Can take his yelling?”
Gun snorted, “probably cower under a desk until she stopped berating him.”
“I didn’t yell at him yet.” Ploy muttered stuffing a large chunk of omelet into her mouth. “I came to get closure from you first before I literally kick him out of the condo.
“Do you really want to do that though?” Pream asked.
“I already quit the restaurant.” She said over a mouthful of food. “I could kick him then throw his stuff out of the condo.”
“What about rent?” Pream asked next, “with you not working anymore, there goes utility, even if I won’t charge you rent-- not to mention food.”
Gun nodded his head, “let’s face it. You’re going to be out of money driving back and forth from here and your condo, you wouldn’t even be able to commandeer leftover food in tupper wares to go anymore.”
“I could go back to my old jobs.” Ploy shrugged.
“But from what you told me, you had to have 2 jobs to keep it together.” Pream said worriedly, “I don’t think I want you to be doing that anymore…”
Gun agreed, “why don’t you just kick him out and still work at the restaurant. No one knows he owns it but his lawyer and us.”
“Mo and Akarat does.” Ploy mumbled.
“Who is Akarat?” Pream asked.
“Don’t change the subject Miss Amnesia!” Ploy snapped.
Pream frowned, “you have a guy who willingly and anonymously help you out without realizing it. What are you going to do, repay him back his money for freely giving?”
“What? I worked my butt off for it!”
“So… why did you quit then?” Pream asked. “Is it that hard to forgive him? He did a lot of work, just to now let you know that he really and possibly truly cares for you.” She started ticking things off her finger, “moved in to help you pay utilities when he has a house. Let’s you drive his car when you only have a scooter on rainy days. Bought a restaurant so you would only have one job. One job where you have the perfect hours to do what you want evenings and weekends. He went along playing poor… and budget shops with you when he could easily just buy it with a snap of his fingers. He could be living lavishly with servants waiting on hands and foot… come to think of it, he’s waiting on you hands and foot.”
Ploy dropped her spoon onto her plate, “wait until you find out when someone’s lied to you for so long! How would you react?”
Pream raised her eyebrows at Gun as he uncomfortably looked away and cleared his throat, “more water please.”
Rolling her eyes at him she continued reasoning with Ploy, “he’s done so much to make you happy. And from what I’ve seen, you are always so happy.”
“Would you forgive someone for deceiving you? Making you feel bad and seeing how they’re probably so much better than you that they felt a need to hide it?”
“If I were in your shoe, I probably wouldn’t be able forgive him as quickly.” Pream smiled, “but it was a selfless act. He did it for you, the only thing he gained out of it was an annoyingly loud and abusive little girl.” She grinned seeing Ploy’s jaw dropped. “I mean, you’re complaining about a guy who is giving his all to you.”
“I can’t believe you’re taking his side!” Ploy exclaimed annoyed.
“I’m not taking any sides-- I’m in the middle. I’m neutral like Switzerland.”
“Well, this is Bangkok, and there’s no such thing as neutral.”
“What if Gun lied to you like Can did to me?”
Pream shrugged, “he might have for all I know, I can’t remember… remember?”
Glaring at Gun as she asked her friend, “so you’re telling me if Gun deceived you like Can is deceiving me now, you’d forgive him?
“In a heartbeat.” She said smiling without pause.
“Well then…” Ploy’s eyes glittered mischievously, that it scared Gun a little and he glanced quickly at Pream who was looking down at her plate to slice her breakfast. He shook his head no rapidly and pointed his fork at her.
Pream chanced to look up with Gun forking the air. “What’s going on?” She stared at the fork still in mid air. It was kind of comic to her as she looked at Ploy who was now grinning. A bit evilly, she might add when her grin looked almost like a smirk.
“I was just… trying to grab the bacon in the center plate.” Gun lied.
Pream looked at the fork, “is there something wrong with your arm?”
“No, I just felt a spasm in my arm.” Gun said placing the fork on his plate to massage his right arm.
She frowned, “you spasmed your right when you were using your left arm?”
Gun cleared his throat, “both.” Then switched arms.
“What’s going on?” Pream asked, “you’re acting weird.”
“He’s just scared that you might find out about…”
Gun muttered, “damn it.” He had purposely knocked his fork down to the floor.
