here's a poster I made...I'm not sure if it fits your story genre tho...let me know if it doesn't
http://i52.tinypic.com/2q3acnm.jpg
It's PERFECT! Thank you SOOOO much Thip, you're amazing! I love it.
@Merit, hehehe, I don't want to give anything away. But between you and me, you're a little too perceptive. Thanks for reading!
@Vimalee, yay! I'm glad you enjoyed my first one. Hopefully this one is to your liking!
@Katerine, thanks for reading! It can only go up from here, I hope, 555.
Chapter 1 Surprise
Nadech threw a glare, resentful that this boy who was his same age was ordering him around. But being exhausted and soaked and finally really free for once, Nadech didn’t mind Mario’s bossiness. That night, Nadech slept deeply, even with the cool air. Perhaps because it matched the iciness within his heart.
Nadech drew in a sharp breath and was awake. No wonder he’d been so cold throughout the night. His blanket was trailing off the foot of the bed. Sighing, he snatched the blanket back over himself, making a note in his half-conscious mind to lower the air conditioning a notch. Just as he was comfortably covered, his alarm clock went off. His hand whipped out and broke the alarm, silencing the beeping. Peace.
“Good morning sunshine!” Sunlight exploded into the room. “Dude, get up!”
Nadech growled.
“Yeah, yeah, you’re tired, you only got four hours of sleep, you’re probably working past midnight again, but,” Mario, more commonly known as Oh, jumped on the bed next to Nadech, “it’s your own fault so I feel no sympathy. Now don’t make your cup of coffee wait, kay?” he laughed, rolling away from the pillow that Nadech chucked at him. “Yo, get up. Did you forget what day today is?”
“$*^!!?&*”
“It’s your birthday! Whoo! Come on, I got something for you.”
Reluctantly, Nadech opened his eyes to a wrapped box next to his pillow. Sighing, he pushed himself up and sat. After opening the box, he sent Oh a flat stare, holding up his brand new…alarm clock. “Gee, thanks.”
“I thought you might find it useful,” Oh said proudly.
“If it’s my birthday, shouldn’t I be sleeping in?”
“Nobody’s stopping you, but I’ve never seen you sleep in before, no matter how many alarm clocks you go through. Poor little mechanical suckers…Although, it would be nice to have a day off too…” he mentioned intentionally.
“Don’t count on it.” Nadech set the clock on the nightstand and ambled into the bathroom.
-------------
“Happy birthday, P’Nadech!” Kim whisked a tray of eggs, toast and muffins on the table and poured coffee into his cup. “You have to eat up everything today, okay?”
Nadech asked, “Don’t you have class?”
“It’s Saturday.” She shook her head. “You’re so buried in work you’ve lost track of time.”
He sipped the coffee. “Mm, why hasn’t Nok brought the car around yet?”
“You’re going somewhere?”
“To work of course. Tch,” he smiled. Kim was one of the rare recipients of Nadech’s even rarer smiles. “You thought I had a poor memory.”
He usually worked on Saturdays, she knew that, but Kim frowned. “Didn’t P’Oh tell you? Uncle Norachai said you’re staying home today. The party—“
“What party?” he interrupted sharply.
“Your birthday party.”
Scoffing, Nadech pushed back from the table and marched off to his father’s study office.
“I’m not having a party.” He got straight to the point.
“Everything has already been planned. It starts at six tonight and you will be there, greeting every guest. Is that understood?”
“What I don’t understand is why I have no say in this.”
“It’s your birthday. Just sit and relax. You’ve been exhausting yourself lately.”
“Save yourself the trouble. I don’t need a celebration because today is no more special than any other day.”
Khun Norachai sighed as the door slammed. He wasn’t giving up though. Tonight was just the beginning of what he had in store for his son.
“It won’t be that bad. What wouldn’t you enjoy about your own birthday party?” Kim asked with her chin resting on her hands.
“One, I didn’t ask for it. Two, there’ll be a bunch of people I barely know or care to be in the company of. Three, I’m not getting any work done.”
“Boohoo Mr. Workaholic,” she teased. “I think you should have some time off.”
“Pretending to be interested in stuffy snobs all night doesn’t count as time off,” he grumbled. “At least you and Oh will be there…” He glared at nothing in particular. “I’ll save skinning him alive for tomorrow. He was probably a part of this idea.”
“Skinning p’Oh alive would make me very sad,” Kim pointed out. “And something else I should tell you, I’m not going to be able to make it for the party. My research lab partners are meeting tonight. Our deadline is coming up.”
Nadech groaned, making her laugh.
“Only one person for you to escape to tonight. You really are growing up. Well,” she glanced at her watch. “I have to go now. See you later. Oh, and please don’t really skin p’chai alive.”
“I’ll think about it.”
“Stop being a baby,” Oh said, taking a seat next to Nadech on the couch. “What’s the matter with one more night of people kissing up to you?”
“My father’s up to something,” Nadech glowered darkly.
“What do you mean?”
“I don’t know. But I doubt this is the last surprise of the day.”
-------------
Nadech restrained from rolling his eyes as the conversation headed into the subject of the Theppikorn’s daughter, who stood giggling to the side—as were the rest of the bachelorettes spread throughout the room, their eyes on Nadech, batting their lashes and hoping to catch his eye.
“Well, congratulations to your daughter for graduating,” Nadech complimented and politely said, “Please excuse me for a moment, my friend is waving to me.”
Nadech parted the crowd towards Oh. “”If you make me wait longer than five minutes again, I’m going to have to break my promise to Kim,” he threatened quietly, “Which did include not skinning you alive.” The plan was that Nadech was to greet all guest parties but if they tried to start a conversation, it was Oh’s job to pull him out.
“Sorry, I got side-tracked.” Oh’s eyes followed a slim little black dress with swaying hips.
“Khun Nattaporn. Her father owns a five star restaurant chain. She models for LC agency,” Boy Pakorn, another friend of theirs, recited.
Oh smirked in delight as the subject of his study swaggered past with a shy smile. Apparently not all eyes were on Nadech after all. “I think I’ll go introduce myself.”
“Wait for me, maybe she has a friend here too!” Boy followed.
“What about me?” Nadech cursed at his traitorous so-called friends. He could see the hungry bachelorettes getting in pounce mode, so he headed in the direction of his father, where the area was most crowded, then slipped out the door unnoticed.
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“If you get caught, it had nothing to do with me, got it?!”
Yaya scoffed, remembering Margie’s words. “As if I’m stupid enough to get caught when my ass is on the line if I stay here!” She straightened out her male clothing and adjusted her cap, then strapped her bag over her shoulder. It contained her party gown.
It was really her parents’ own fault, forcing her to come to some stranger’s birthday party. She was very much aware of the possibilities that might come up. They were a determined pair, considering the previous five failures—or more accurately, disasters of their match-making. And it wasn’t just any hi-so guy this time, but Nadech Phraisong, who was definitely in the list of top five richest bachelors in the country. She wasn’t about to give her parents any hopes with this guy especially since, right now, Yaya had already found someone, and she had become so efficient at evading these pointless parties that she’d planned on meeting her special person tonight.
Yaya swore at the sight of the night guard prowling the gates. Her eyes caught the marble pillars molded into the gates. They were just calling to her to be climbed, inviting her to make her escape with a little fun.
“Let go of me!”
Nadech’s head swung up in the direction of the commotion. He left his spot on the bench.
“What is going on?”
The guard bowed and roughly pulled someone forward. “Sir, I caught this boy trying to climb over the gate.”
Nadech raised a brow, taking in the skinny framed boy, who kept his head down. “Who are you?”
“I told you,” the surly voice responded, “I work for one of the guests. I was just following an errand.”
“And you thought the best way was to climb the gate?” Nadech asked with all seriousness, watching the boy open his mouth to retort but finding no excuse, bit his lip in a huff. Nadech tilted his head for a closer look.
“Shall I call the police sir?”
“What!?” Yaya shouted in alarm. She coughed and deepened her voice. “I’m not a criminal. I didn’t steal or cause any trouble!”
Nadech’s ears perked up at a rustling sound. “Nok, go back and if anyone asks where I am, tell them you didn’t see me. I’ll take over from here.”
“Yes sir. You’re not going to turn this one in?”
“We’ll see how it goes.”
Yaya wasn’t usually intimidated by anyone but the cold voice of the man in front of her made her gulp. The guard made no effort to avoid bumping into her on his way. “That jerk…”
“Did you get what you came here for?”
“What? Hey, didn’t I say I didn’t steal anything?” She was getting pissed off and cursed him under her breath.
Nadech’s face stayed blank and he said, “Do you talk to your elders that way?”
She sighed. “You’re not my elder. I don’t know you.”
“All the more reason to be polite, if the fact that you were caught on my property doesn’t make a difference to you.”
So he was the owner of this place. “Wouldn’t have gotten caught if I hadn’t held onto that plant. Tch. What kind of cynical villain would plant thorns on their gate…” she mumbled resentfully.
Yaya finally looked up at him full in the face. Once she got over the initial shock of how godly handsome he was, her face turned into a scowl. She snatched her hand away.
Standing straight, Nadech said, “I’ll give you one chance. Let me see your bag.”
Grimacing, Yaya refused, “No! I didn’t steal anything!” Shiet, her id and everything was in there. Even if he believed she was a boy, he would think she stole someone’s wallet and clothing. Actually, the clothing would take a lot more explaining than the wallet, seeing as she was a boy at the moment.
“That’s not the behavior of an innocent person. Hand over the bag.”
“No!” She tried to run. Yaya didn’t make it two steps when he had reached out and held onto the bag. “Let go!” She tugged hard.
He jerked the bag out of her grasp making her stumble backwards. “Augh!” Her voice lost all trace of false roughness.
Nadech’s eyes widened as long silk hair was freed from the cap.
Lying in a heap on the ground, Yaya swore. What now? She scrambled to her feet, except—
“Whoa!”
The fool had probably twisted her ankle, Nadech thought.
“Get away from me! I don’t need your help!” she struggled in his arms while balancing on one leg.
“If you keep lying, I’ll be forced to do something neither of us will like.”
“Hey!”
He swept Yaya off of her one-legged stance so she was perfectly fitted in his arms. How humiliating! Yaya glared up at the monster.
“Trust me, I don’t do this out of concern for you.”
“Ah, there you are! I knew Nok was lying. Nadech, there’s someone you should—eh?” Oh was at a loss for words, eyeing the scene in front of him with awe. He shook his head once, then grinned. “And who might this be?”
“This?” Nadech swiveled his gaze to Yaya like he had no idea why it was so unusual to be carrying a stranger. “This is my present.”
“What!? You disgusting jerk!”
Oh snorted. Did she really just call THE Nadech Phraisong ‘disgusting’?
As they made their way back to the house, Oh asked, “So how were you lucky enough to be delivered such a…an interesting gift?”
Nadech shrugged, ignoring the pitiful creature who continued to protest with passionate frustration.
“If you don’t put me down this instant,” Yaya muttered darkly, “I’ll…”
“Empty threats don’t scare me,” Nadech conversed casually.
“Miss, I think it’d be best if you didn’t get on the wrong side of this guy. I say this out of concern for you, but you’re at a big disadvantage right now,” Oh advised.
Yaya made a pained face, annoyed. She couldn’t even use her parents as her usual threat because they would not be on her side if they found out what she’d tried to do.
“May I ask what your name is?” Oh offered a warm smile.
“Save the pleasantries for later. Someone’s coming.”
“Did you find him?”
“Yeah, but he has an emergency to take care of,” that was the other guy, Yaya could hear him.
“Really? Does he need our help?”
“You know,” Oh rubbed his chin in serious consideration. “I think he actually found something he might have difficulty overcoming. That’s why I think he should handle it himself. Come on, a certain lady is waiting for me.” He hung an arm over Boy’s shoulder and they walked into the room.
Nadech glared to the side. He could tell Oh was making fun of him. But now that he actually thought about it, he couldn’t figure out why he had this woman, who climbed gates and cross-dressed, with him. She was obviously hiding something and his curiosity was piqued. Besides, now he had an excuse to not be present at the party.
“How long are you going to stand here?” she demanded. Yaya was irritated by the silence that insisted on her defeat. For once, should she have tried to bear it out for her parents? Was this the night her no-fail streak ended?
Nadech almost smiled at her complaint, like a child on time out. “If you’re bored, you can start at the beginning. What were your intentions?” He climbed the stairs steadily.
She blurted out, “To depart without my—anyone noticing.”
They stopped at a door, which he pushed open with a foot. Yaya glanced over the room warily. Nadech placed her at the foot of the bed.
“So, you are a guest?”
“Yes.”
“Just so you know it would not have bothered me at all if you had left openly, or indeed if you had simply not come. In fact,” he sat in a recliner next to the window and crossed his long legs, “having all these people here is precisely what bothers me.”
Yaya raised a brow, then blinked. “So…so this is a party for you?”
“Correct,” his smile reached his eyes, but with dark humor. “Some birthday.”
How could she have missed the obvious? After all, he had told her he was the owner of the place. The Phraisong family had only one heir. Nadech Phraisong. Yaya couldn’t believe her luck. All she wanted was a quiet evening away from her parents’ social expectations, yet now, here she was with the one person that was the cause of all her problems!
-------------Author's note
Golly, that was a long chapter. Wouldn't be surprised if you took a nap before finishing it. Thank you so much for reading! Have a look at the awesome poster Thip made for me!
jjinxx
