After we finished eating, I placed the tray on the nightstand and lay down on Chak's chest. He gently wrapped his arms around me and began stroking my hair.
"We have to get ready for work," he whispered softly.
"Just a little longer, please," I murmured, looking up at him.
Chak simply smiled and gently rested my head back on his chest.
A few minutes later, I slowly sat up. Chak walked over to the closet, opened it, and said,
"Pick a shirt for me to wear today."
I joined him and noticed how all of his shirts were neatly arranged by color. As I scanned through them, I asked,
"Where's the shirt I bought you?"
Chak opened a different closet and replied,
"It's right here."
"Why do you keep it separate?" I asked.
"Because it means a lot to me. You bought it for me. I didn't want to mix it with the others and forget which one it is."
"Put it on," I told him. "I want to see you in it."
"And which tie should I wear with it?" Chak asked.
"The one that matches my shirt... or yours," I replied with a smile.
"Let's go pick out your outfit for today," Chak said, taking my hand.
As we walked toward my room, I felt genuinely happy. Just happy to be with him.
When we stepped inside, I opened my closet door. A wave of embarrassment hit me my clothes weren't as neatly arranged as Chak's. He looked inside with a small smile, then pulled out a brown T-shirt with little teddy bears on it. He raised an eyebrow at me.
I wished he hadn't seen that one.
"Chak… um, that's..." I started to stammer, unable to finish the sentence.
But he simply said, "I didn't know you liked things like this. If you like it, then I like it too."
I smiled. A wave of relief washed over me. I'd thought he would scold me…
Chak was still holding my teddy bear shirt in his hands, smiling softly.
"What do you say you wear it tonight when we get to Kit's place?" he said, a playful look in his eyes.
I blushed but nodded. "If that's what you want, then I will."
He then glanced at my wardrobe and pulled out a plain brown shirt.
"Wear this one for work today," he said and closed the wardrobe door.
He went back to his room. I had only put on my pants when my bedroom door opened again. Chak walked in, his shirt on but still unbuttoned. He came closer and said,
"Button this up for me, my secretary."
I grabbed the edges of his shirt and teased, "What do I get in return?"
Chak just smiled. I started buttoning his shirt slowly, one by one, and he kept looking at me the whole time. When I finished, he leaned in and kissed my neck.
"That's your reward," he whispered.
Then he noticed my shirt still lying on the bed. He picked it up, helped me put it on, and buttoned it up for me. When he was done, I leaned toward his ear and whispered,
"Thank you, my Chaky," and gave him a kiss on the ear.
Chak took my wrist and drew a tiny heart on it with his finger.
"Let's pick out a tie," he said.
We went into his room, and he pulled out a bunch of brown ties from his drawer.
"Which one do you want?"
I chose a brown one with black stripes.
"Excellent choice, my artist," Chak said.
Once I tied it for him, we looked at ourselves in the mirror.
"Let's go," Chak said.
I went to my room to grab my backpack and jacket. Chak waited for me at the door. I could smell his scent.
"What about the dishes?" I asked.
"The maid will take care of them," he replied.
We went to his car. As we were driving, I took his hand, and he didn't let go. He stopped at the bus station, turned to me and said,
"Even if I act cold and strict today, don't forget I love you."
"I know," I said and kissed him on the cheek. "See you later," I added and stepped out of the car.
When I arrived at the company, I sat at my desk and started working. Chak walked into the office cold, angry, and arrogant as always but I knew it was just a mask. When our eyes met, he gave me a subtle nod. I felt butterflies in my stomach and got back to work.
I went to the mini kitchen to make coffee for Chak. Before I stepped in, I overheard Ploy and Nom talking.
Ploy:"Did you see the boss in the elevator? He didn't even look at us, didn't say hello."
Nom: "I saw him texting someone. He looked annoyed. It's like he doesn't want anyone near him."
Ploy:"My friend told me he was a different when he was in school."
Nom: "Did you notice Pim is on vacation, and that guy who spilled coffee on boss shirt is filling in?"
Ploy:"Yeah, I saw. I wonder why the boss would allow that. That guy clearly doesn't know what he's doing."
Nom: "I told you the boss doesn't like him. I think he'll be fired soon.
The boss doesn't like anyone. He's always cold, angry, arrogant… He has a cold heart."
I walked in and pretended I hadn't heard their conversation.
"Good morning," I greeted them.
"Morning," they both replied with red faces and quickly left.
I slowly poured the coffee into the cup, trying to shake off the sting of their words.
I knew they didn't understand Chak like I did. He wasn't cold he was protecting us. He hides us.
But with me… he didn't have to.
I smiled to myself and added just a bit of sugar, the way he liked it.
As I stirred it gently, I whispered,
"I see you, Chak… even when the world doesn't."
I took the cup, ready to bring it to him ready to face another day pretending we were just colleagues, while my heart knew the truth.