Work Text:
Ripe For The Picking
Wan could never say no to Pleng.
Not as kids. Not in high school. Certainly not at thirty, after ten years of dating.
Smooth jazz breezed through the lounge bar speakers but did little to ease the knot of tension between Wan’s shoulders. Two glasses of white wine had no effect on her sour mood, raising her temperature alongside her temper.
The trigger was in her hands; all it would take was one look for this ridiculous game to be over. Pleng would follow behind her on the walk home with her tail between her legs like an oversized, sad little puppy until Wan finally cooled off enough to give her a treat.
Wan wouldn’t even make her beg for it.
Not much anyway.
As it was, Wan sat in silence, high heel tapping erratically against the bar stool footrest. Pleng leaned bodily against her, the long strands of her brown hair tickling Wan’s neck. She was sporting a devilish smile, the sharp-edged one that almost always meant trouble, fingers elegantly curled around the stem of her glass of red wine. Wan sensed a headache coming on, the dull aching kind that liked to settle behind her eyes and steal her concentration.
She flagged down the bartender and ordered another drink.
“What about him?”
Pleng inclined her head towards the door with an eager glint in her eye. Wan followed her gaze, picking out Pleng’s target from the crowd. He was an older man, maybe around mid-40s, clean cut and decently dressed. He was wearing dark-rimmed glasses and a suit that was a touch too short in the legs. Wan spotted an oddly shaped birthmark on his left hand and a crooked front tooth when he smiled. All in all, perfectly average.
“No.” Wan said after a brief moment of deliberation, savoring the burn of alcohol in her throat more so than putting any real thought behind her answer, “Too short.”
“What?” Pleng chuckled and shook her head before shifting closer to place her hand on Wan’s bare leg. The way she cupped Wan’s knee was possessive, full of intent, the complete opposite of the lofty hold she had on her glass, “Oh. Do you think tall guys have bigger -”
Wan swatted Pleng’s hand away before adjusting the hem of her dress, pulse thrumming painfully at her temples, “Nasty.”
“Don’t be like that” Pleng tilted her head, eyeing Wan carefully, “If you want to leave, we can leave.”
“And have you bug me for four more months?”, Wan clicked her tongue and rolled her eyes before knocking back the rest of her glass, “Try again.”
Pleng slid her empty glass to the side before her itchy fingers were back, tracing up Wan’s inner thigh. Her touch was teasingly light, a maddening drag of nails that raised goosebumps all along Wan’s arms, “You’re the picky one. Maybe I should have you choose. Hm…there.”
Alone in a darkened corner of the room stood a man in a simple gray button down and dark slacks, scrolling on his phone. He was traditionally handsome - olive-skinned, dark-eyed, stylish haircut. His ears were a bit too large for his head and awkwardness clung to him like a second skin but nothing about him immediately set off red flags. Wan chewed on the inside of her cheek as she searched for a worthwhile complaint but Pleng had already read her like a book.
“No words from Wanwiwa? Today must be my lucky day.”
Pleng gave her leg a squeeze before she was on her feet, grabbing Wan’s hand to pull her away from the bar. Wan didn’t drag her feet like a toddler even if the thought brought her immense satisfaction.
“He could be a creep.” Wan said, not willing to concede so easily, “Who clearly has no friends.”
“Isn't that what your friends said about me?” Wan opened her mouth to protest but Pleng was laughing before she could get a word out, “I’m joking! My point is, don’t judge a book by its cover.”
Wan grimaced, “Good thing he’s not a book then.”
“What are you worried about? If he tries anything, you’ll take care of it.” Pleng said with a wink, “I’m in your safe and capable hands.”
Pleng was right; she wasn’t above resorting to violence if it came down to it. Her fuse was short and easy to spark - which was both a blessing and a curse. People knew not to test her unless they wanted to end up on her permanent shit list. Pleng had managed to keep Wan from ruining every friendship she had but Wan would never be a soft touch.
They came to a stop a few feet away from the stranger, close enough to catch his attention. He took a quick step back, a glass of dark liquor held loftily to avoid spilling any onto himself or the floor. He blinked back at them, forehead furrowing in confusion.
“Hi” Pleng pulled out her professional smile - the one she wore for all her performances and magazine shoots - all dazzling white teeth and charisma. Wan could pinpoint the exact moment the stranger let his guard down, shoulders dropping easily. Okay, maybe not a creep but not very bright either - not that Wan could blame him for falling right into Pleng’s hands, “You look like you need some company.”
“Uh. Sure.” He ran a hand over the back of his neck as his gaze shifted from Pleng to Wan and back again, like he couldn’t quite figure out who he should be addressing, “I’m only here for the night so I figured I should check out the area.”
Pleng turned up the wattage on her smile, as mesmerizing as any lighthouse beacon. She laid a hand on his forearm, perfectly friendly and polite, which sent Wan’s skin crawling, “Us too! I’m Pleng and this is my best friend, Wan.”
Wan bristled at that but it was part of the game; no better way to bait a fish than by using an attractive lure. She didn’t like the idea of playing into the dirty fantasies of random men but she could tolerate being ogled for one night. Pleng slipped an arm around her waist, petting her side like she was a nervous horse.
She hated how well it worked.
“I’m Ek” he pressed his palms together respectfully, clearly oblivious to what he was getting himself into, “It’s nice to meet you both.”
His eyes slid over Wan for a second time, head to toe and back again, not nearly subtle enough to avoid her notice. Pleng’s fingers twisted in the fabric of her dress and Wan deliberately unclenched her jaw.
“Are you here for work?” Pleng asked.
“Yeah. What about you?”
“It’s our honeymoon”, Pleng said without a hint of sarcasm, completely straight-faced, because she enjoyed torturing her poor girlfriend, “What do you do?”
“Do you need his life story?” Wan asked, already growing tired of small talk. There was no use in pretending this exchange wasn’t going to end one way, “I’m getting another drink.”
“Good idea.” Pleng steered both Wan and Ek towards the bar, keeping a tight grip on them both as if they were in danger of escaping, “My treat.”
Ek stumbled alongside Pleng, trying to catch Wan’s eye the entire time. She pointedly ignored him, more worried about how much alcohol she needed to consume to black out this whole evening.
Pleng could have her fun. Wan would do her best not to implode in the meantime.
(***)
Sometime later (it could’ve been an hour or forty minutes, Wan lost track somewhere between her fourth and fifth vodka shot), the three of them were huddled out back in a dingy alleyway so that Ek could have a smoke.
The evening air was tepid but still a welcome change from the building press of bodies inside. Wan was superheated, more alcohol coursing through her veins than blood. Pleng was plastered to her side, pink-cheeked and giggly, riding the high of a decent buzz. Ek had opened up considerably thanks to the steady stream of drinks Pleng kept plying him into finishing, his tongue as loose as his limbs. Wan wasn’t particularly interested in the bar he owned back home or his love of boxing but his chatter helped to crowd out the rising tension.
Ek was slumped against the brick wall and a dumpster, not so much smoking as letting a cigarette burn away in his hand. He was smiling at nothing in particular, lost in his own world.
“Khun Ek” Pleng called, lolling her head onto Wan’s shoulder, “Are you having fun?”
Ek took a quick drag of his half-burned cigarette, exhaling a cloud of smoke that briefly obscured his flushed face, “Yeah. I’m having a lot of fun. Really fun.”
Genuine fondness radiated from his cheesy grin, enough that Wan found herself smiling too. Pleng let out a quiet “mm”, nuzzling her face against Wan’s shoulder like a needy house-cat. Wan placed a hand on her head, feeling a lot less prickly and far more grounded with the clean scent of Pleng’s perfume enveloping her.
“That’s good” Pleng murmured, eyes glassy and bright under the hazy glow of streetlights, “And what you do think about us?”
The question needled at Wan’s raw edges, an unwanted reminder of where things were heading. Ek scuffed his shoe on the concrete, mouth twisted in thought. Wan watched him like a hawk as she carded her fingers through Pleng’s hair, unable to help herself. Maybe the force of her gaze alone would be enough to erase Ek from existence, put an end to this once and for all. Ek eventually looked up, either too drunk or too dumb to sense danger when it was staring him in the face.
“You’re both great.” he said with a wave of his hand, “Thanks for hanging out with me.”
“No, I mean, what do you really think about us?” Pleng asked again, eyebrows raised in challenge, “Who do you think is cuter?”
“Pleng” Wan pinched Pleng’s hip but Pleng remained undeterred.
She left Wan’s side and got right in Ek’s space, her stilettos putting her at eye level with him, a hair’s breadth away from kissing distance. Wan found herself bereft, instantly chilled. Her immediate impulse was to grab Pleng and get her back to their room, tell her how much her insides burned.
Pleng was hers and no one else’s. They had grown up together, shared secrets and heartaches as well as baths and beds. They were best friends, lovers, sisters - as close as two people could be. Being forced to witness how easily those bonds could be ripped apart left Wan drowning in a river of her worst fears. Without Pleng, who would she be? How could she be?
“Huh?” Ek dropped his cigarette to the ground, snuffing out the dying embers with the heel of his boot while Pleng breathed his air. The tips of his ears had gone very red, “Well…you’re both pretty. Of course.”
Pleng lifted her chin in challenge, smiling prettily, “But if you had to choose, who would you pick? There’s no wrong answer.”
Ek let out a breathless laugh before he looked over at Wan. His expression was totally open, as plain as if he’d cracked open his own rib cage to show his bleeding heart. Wan had been the subject of that kind of look before, many times, each one more uncomfortable than the last. Wan had spent her teenage years dodging crushes, lovestruck boys popping up again and again like the heads of a hydra.
Each one of them had been swiftly and cleanly cut down before they could get close enough to strike. Wan’s affection was reserved for women, one woman in particular, and that was as vital to her makeup as her DNA. Nothing would change that.
“I can’t choose.” Ek lied, sheepishly sidestepping Pleng, “Like I said, you’re both…really…yeah.”
Pleng followed after him, pouting, “Come on, say it! I don’t care. It won’t hurt my feelings. Wan’s always turned heads. Boys love her.”
Disgust curled sickly in Wan’s stomach, knotting up her intestines and sitting rank and acidic at the back of her throat. Pleng was kidding but her easygoing tone did little to lessen the sting. Wan stepped in between the two of them, blocking Pleng’s path.
“Pleng” she snapped, the whip crack of her voice cutting the air like thunder, “Cut it out.”
Pleng stuck her bottom lip out even further, unfazed by Wan’s fractious mood, “You’re right, it doesn’t matter. Listen, Khun Ek, I have a favor to ask you. Hear me out and, if you’re not up for it, we can go our separate ways.”
Wan exhaled sharply, bracing herself, before she turned around. Ek merely watched them both, amused if a little unsteady. Pleng continued on, liquid courage helping push her past her usual hesitation.
“I’ve never had sex with a man before.”
Ek started to laugh but it quickly tapered off into silence once he realized Pleng was serious. Wan expected him to bolt, he had a sort of scared rabbit way about him, but instead he cleared his throat and choked out a, “so?”
“So, I want to know what it’s like. I know, that's weird. You probably think I’m nuts.”
“I don’t think that.” Ek blurted out before running a hand through his hair to brush his bangs back from his forehead, “...You want to have sex with me?”
Pleng nodded, “If you’re cool with it.”
Wan felt like a stranger in her own skin, observing the world rotating around her without actually taking part in it. Pleng had speculated about how this would go but listening to Pleng’s imaginings and witnessing the conversation play out in real time were two vastly different experiences.
“It’s just…I fly out in the morning. 6 AM.” Ek took a glance at his wristwatch, “I’ll have to be at the airport by-”
“It won’t take all night.” Wan chimed in, eager to speed this along. If they wrapped this up within the hour, she’d be ecstatic, “Pleng’s game. I’m game. Are you in or not?”
Ek coughed once before he wet his lips and said, “Sure. Okay. That’s…yeah, okay.”
“Seriously?” Pleng clasped her hands together and laughed, bouncing on the balls of her feet like a hyperactive child, “I knew you were cool. Where are you staying? Our room’s not far from here.”
“About twenty minutes away.”
“Perfect. Are you good to walk?”
“Yeah, I’m good.”
Wan tuned out the rest of the conversation as they started the short trek to the hotel.
The lump in her throat was harder to ignore.
(***)
Wan made sure to establish ground rules as soon as they were safely inside their suite.
“No looking, no touching and no requests.” Wan stated plainly while she dug through her suitcase, pulling out the leather restraints and a heavy blindfold to add alongside the usual necessities - namely lube, condoms, some wet wipes and towels from the bathroom, “If that doesn’t work for you, you can fuck off.”
“Wan”, Pleng scratched her nails along the back of Wan’s neck, soothing away her barbed edges, “Be nice.”
“I’m not nice.” Wan turned towards the couch where Ek was sitting, watching the pair of them without comment, “Clothes off. Leave the underwear.”
Ek jumped to his feet, quickly doing what he’d been told. His eagerness would’ve been deeply satisfying if Wan had any interest whatsoever. Right now, she was more concerned about logistics. Everything needed to go smoothly - if not for her then for Pleng. Pragmatism came naturally to her; a strict set of rules was easy to follow, the one way to ensure consistent results.
This wasn’t so unlike prepping a patient for surgery.
Once Ek was stripped down to his boxers, laid out on the bed, Wan secured his wrists and ankles to the mattress. She tested the give on the leads, made sure they were tight enough to keep Ek from pulling free. Wan touched him as briskly as possible, perfunctory and impersonal. Ek stayed pleasantly quiet while she worked, even if his attention made Wan want to scream. She was happy once his eyes were covered, no longer on display for him to drink in. If she tied the blindfold a bit too tightly, Ek didn’t mention it.
“Stay here.” Wan said, as if Ek could run off.
She didn’t wait for him to acknowledge her, hurriedly going to meet Pleng in the bathroom. Pleng was leaning against the counter, waiting. The minute the door clicked shut behind her, Wan crowded Pleng against the wall and kissed her hard. Pleng responded beautifully, opening her mouth for Wan’s searching tongue as she reached up to let Wan’s hair down from its bun. Wan was starving and only Pleng could satiate her.
She yanked Pleng’s dress away from her shoulders and let the white chiffon pool on the floor like water. It was easier still to unhook her bra, get her out of her panties.
Pleng returned the gesture in kind, tugging Wan out of her clothes with brusque efficiency until they were both naked and panting in the middle of the room. Pleng licked her lips as if she was chasing the taste of Wan’s mouth, savoring it. Wan reached for her again but was easily brushed aside so that Pleng could start the bath.
Wan looked at her watch as the minute hand ticked away. 12:00 AM. A brand new day.
“Get in.”
She stepped into the tub, submerging herself in the warm water. Pleng shifted to make room, their legs tangling together under the suds. Pleng smiled at her, relaxed and soft around the edges. She was the only person Wan wanted to see when she fell asleep, the only one she wanted to wake up to in the morning. Pleng pressed their foreheads together and the vice around Wan’s heart began to loosen.
“How are you?” Pleng whispered, the smell of alcohol on her breath mingling with the rising steam.
“I’m fine. How are you?”
“Nervous. You’re the only person I’ve ever slept with.”
“Don’t be.” Wan pressed a quick kiss to her temple, her cheek, “I’m here. You know I’ll do anything for you. Even something this fucking crazy.”
The joke was too spoiled by the bitterness in Wan’s chest to land. Pleng snaked her arms around Wan’s neck, trapping her in the snare of her study. Wan wanted to dunk her head under the water and hide, hold her breath until she felt like herself again. It was the little girl inside of her, the one who fled to the river whenever her dad was looking to punish her for poorly done chores. How silly to be reminded of that now.
“Wan, you know I’m only curious.” Pleng held her gaze, refusing to let her look away, “I don’t love him. It’s just sex. You’re the one I belong to, first and always.”
Pleng’s soft-spoken words normally eased her worries but she couldn’t shake the knot in the pit of her stomach, “I know.”
“If you want to call it off-”
“No. I already said yes. I won’t hold you back from anything; I want you to be happy.”
Pleng kissed the tip of her nose, “I love you.”
“I love you too.” Wan traced the Gemini tattoo on Pleng’s bicep, a mirror of the one on her right side, “Forever.”
They spent the rest of the bath in silence, the only sound coming from the shifting of water lapping at the edge of the tub. Wan got out first, slipping on an old t-shirt and a pair of pajama shorts she’d stolen from Pleng ages ago, pretending she was getting ready for bed. She helped Pleng dry off next, bundling her up in a white bathrobe. She cupped her face in her hands like she had countless times before but the weight of the gesture seemed different, all-consuming.
“You ready?”
“Yes.”
They left the bathroom hand-in-hand, Wan the executioner leading Pleng to ruin. She shook that morbid thought from her head before it could fully unseat her and knelt on the bed. Pleng followed suit, kneeling on the other side, Ek a bridge between them.
“Hey” he said, a tremble in his voice that betrayed his nerves, “Um…”
Pleng tugged his underwear down to his ankles before he could get out whatever he was trying to say. Ek’s cock lay soft and still against his thigh, not yet stirred to life. As far as cocks went, it was fine, not that Wan made a habit of remembering the ones she’d seen. They were all the same to her. Pleng poked at it like it was a creature with a mind of its own, separate from the body it was attached to.
Ek let out a huff of a laugh, “What are you doing?”
“I don’t know.” Pleng murmured, wrapping a hand around it, “It’s not like the videos.”
Wan cursed herself for trying to sate Pleng’s curiosity the only way she knew how, “Those aren’t realistic; you know that.”
“I know but…” Pleng’s nose scrunched up as she flexed her fingers, “It’s weird.”
“Thanks.” Ek said with another laugh, “Glad to know.”
“That’s not what I meant! You’re, um, a good size.”
Wan clenched her hands in the duvet, balling the fabric in her fists, and reminded herself that this was what Pleng wanted. It was her job to give Pleng the world, even if she had to break herself apart to make it happen.
“Not so hard”, Ek said around a pained noise, “Easy.”
“Sorry!” Pleng bit her bottom lip before she turned her eyes on Wan, “Khun Mor, show me what to do.”
“What?”
Wan didn’t have any experience with men. She’d shared one, brief forgettable kiss with Frank when she was sixteen - a test really, a way for her to figure out what her feelings for Pleng actually meant. Pleng pleaded with her eyes, too good at exploiting Wan’s weak spots.
“Fine.”
Wan grabbed the lube from the nightstand and emptied some into her hand, quickly warming it between her palms before moving closer. Her knees brushed Ek’s hip, a drop of lube wetting some of the dark hair on his thigh. She swallowed the awful taste in her mouth before replacing Pleng’s hand with her own. Ek was hot to the touch, skin shockingly delicate. Wan did the job Pleng requested of her, stroking Ek with a firm hand. The slick sound made her stomach churn but it was nothing compared to Ek’s stuttered breath and broken moans.
She continued working him to full hardness, lost as to how her life had taken such a dramatic turn. Pleng watched it all with rapt attention, leaning closer for a better look, ever the eager student.
“Are you sure you haven’t done this before?”
Wan shot her a dark look before wiping her hands on a towel, “There. All yours, Khun Pleng. Happy to be of service.”
Instead of getting started, Pleng climbed over Ek’s legs to deposit herself in Wan’s lap. Wan’s body reacted before her mind caught up, grasping Pleng around the waist and breathing her in. Pleng reached out to tuck Wan’s hair behind her ear with a smile.
“I still need your help.”
“What now?”
Pleng pressed her lips to Wan’s ear, sending electric shivers down Wan’s spine, “He’s ready but I’m not.”
“I’ve spoiled you too much.”
Pleng answered with a hungry kiss, drawing Wan’s tongue into her mouth like she was desperate to devour her whole. Wan went easily, jumping head first into the pool of Pleng’s need. She blindly fumbled to loosen the tie of Pleng’s robe, hands roaming over each bit of skin she uncovered. Pleng gasped and pressed herself close, chasing her touch. Wan wanted to push Pleng into the mattress and spread her legs, eat her out until she cried, but that wasn’t her job today.
“What’s going on?” Ek asked, more confused than impatient.
“You’re a guest, remember?” Wan said, none too kindly, “You’ll wait your turn.”
“Shh” Pleng set her teeth to Wan’s shoulder, biting just enough to make Wan swear, “Don’t worry about him.”
Wan didn’t typically hold herself back but she stayed remarkably restrained, allowing Pleng to lead her like a dog on a leash. Pleng grabbed a hold of her wrist and put her hand between her legs, a clear demand. Wan certainly wasn’t going to refuse.
Pleng was already wet enough for Wan to slip her fingers between her folds, push them into the warm welcoming heat of her body. Pleng tipped her head back on a moan, exposing the line of her throat. Wan mouthed at her neck, dragged her tongue along Pleng’s collarbone. With her eyes closed, she could forget all about the shadow of Ek’s presence and his listening ears.
“Wan,” Pleng’s nails dug into her shoulders as she ground down, chasing each shift of Wan’s hand, “Look at me.”
Wan’s eyes snapped open and there was Pleng - the picture of rapture - flushed all down her chest, mouth half-open as she gasped in air. Wan would never get tired of seeing her like this. Pleng cradled her jaw and brought her face forward until they were one creature, all spit and heat. Pleng smeared kisses wherever she could reach, mouthing at Wan’s nipples through her shirt. Wan was shaking now, desperate for Pleng to take what she wanted.
Let Pleng’s fans and producers have her music. Her love was all for Wan.
“Um…guys.” Ek sounded strained now, almost wounded, “Are we still doing this?”
The last thread of Wan’s patience snapped. She reached over and grabbed a fistful of Ek’s hair, pulling hard, wrenching his head back. The sound that tore from him was guttural, animalistic. Wan wanted to slap him, really make him hurt, but Pleng would definitely disapprove.
She’d brought up the subject of pain play once before, early on in their romantic relationship but years into their friendship, and Pleng had told her that she wasn’t interested in hurting anyone - least of all Wan. How surprising it was to see Pleng studying her like she was a new discovery, some unspoken emotion dancing in the depths of her gaze that made Wan hot all over.
Clearly, there was something here, something Wan filed away to examine later in finer detail.
“Stop asking questions.” Wan tugged Ek’s hair for good measure, eyes locked on Pleng, “Just wait.”
“Okay.” Ek’s voice was thick with tears but his erection hadn’t flagged, “Sorry.”
Pleng whimpered like she was the one being punished, running her hands up and down Wan’s back. Wan let Ek go and his head fell back against the pillow with a dull thud. Pleng was sliding away before Wan could continue what they’d started, pupils blown wide.
“I think I’m ready.”
Somehow, Wan found herself removing a condom from its shiny foil wrapper and rolling it onto Ek’s cock without so much as a word. Her heart was hammering like a war drum inside her chest, blood pounding viciously in her skull. It was almost over; she could do this.
Pleng straddled Ek, holding herself steady as she lined up Ek’s cock in the right position and slowly sank down.
Ek let out a long sigh, craning his neck as if he could see through the blindfold, “That’s good.”
Pleng pressed her palms flat against his chest and continued at her own pace, eyes closed, breathing becoming more and more ragged as she was filled.
Wan watched it like a car crash, drawn in despite its gruesomeness, unable to turn away even as her eyes stung. Sweat beaded on Ek’s forehead, at the hollow of his throat. He was strong enough to lift his hips from his prone position, grinding up into Pleng…
“Okay, that’s enough.” Wan was shuffling over before she could stop herself, head poised to explode, “It’s enough.”
Pleng stilled, fully-seated and breathless, “What’s wrong? We just started.”
“What’s wrong?!” Wan scrubbed a hand over her face, searching for calm, but there was no stopping the flood once it’d been unleashed, “Have you thought about me? About how I feel?!”
Tears sprung to her eyes, blurring her vision until the room was nothing more than a mess of dark smudges. She wanted to scream, to break something, but she wasn’t a child and this was…this was…
Pleng wrapped her up in her arms and Wan held on tight, burying her face in the safety of Pleng’s chest. Pleng stroked her hands through her hair, gently tracing aimless patterns across her scalp.
“Wan…you told me this was okay.”
“Because I didn’t think you would actually do it!” Wan heaved out a broken sob, “You expect me to sit here and watch while you…and he…”
Pleng’s fingers continued their path, even as her heart raced, thundering in Wan’s ear, “I asked you so many times. I told you that you could call it off.”
“Did you ever consider how fucked up this is? The fact that you'd even ask is...it's too much.”
Pleng pulled back and Wan saw her face, blotchy and red, eyes wet with unshed tears, “No, you…you were open to the idea! When I told you about Earth and his girlfriend-”
“Who gives a fuck about Earth?! Pleng, you know me! I shouldn't have to tell you something so obvious. You know how much you mean to me, how much…” how much it killed her to see Pleng with someone else, how lonely it was to get left behind, “...You can be so selfish sometimes.”
“Um…”, Ek cleared his throat and flexed against his bonds, shifting as much as he could, “Can someone untie me, please?”
“I…” Pleng deflated, shoulders slumping as she hurried to retie her robe, “I’m sorry, I thought…I didn’t…you’re right. I should never have asked you to do this. I’m sorry. I’m…we’re done. It’s done and I won’t ever do this again, okay, Wan? I’m sorry.”
Pleng hastily freed Ek from the cuffs, heaping more frantic apologies onto him. Ek untied the blindfold himself and set it on the bedside table without making eye contact with either of them. He rubbed at his wrists, working circulation back into the skin. Wan wiped her face with the edge of her shirt, utterly mortified as she picked Ek’s rumpled clothes off the floor and deposited them into his lap.
“Right.” Ek said, taking the hint.
He dressed as fast as possible, collecting his belongings and checking the notifications on his phone. Pleng absently rubbed Wan’s shoulders, clearly at a loss.
“Do you need us to call you a cab?” Wan asked. She didn’t care much about being a considerate host; the quicker he was gone, the better, “Please don’t be weird about this.”
Ek shook his head, “I’m not! It’s fine. I get it. No hard feelings. I can get a ride. Um…it was nice meeting you both.”
“Thanks for…anyway, here.” Pleng went over to her purse and pulled out a few folded baht, “For your trouble.”
Ek stared at the money until Pleng put it in his hand and curled his fingers over the notes. It took him several minutes to tuck the money into his back pocket and even longer for him to start moving again. He left without another word, slipping his shoes on at the door and walking out with his shirt half-buttoned, belt forgotten under the sofa.
A beat of silence passed before Wan burst out laughing.
“Khun Pleng, why’d you pay him off?! Poor Ek must feel like an escort.”
“Wan! What else was I supposed to do? I feel bad.” Pleng flicked Wan’s forehead with a scowl, ignoring her pained shout, “Don’t ever do that to me again. If you don’t like something, be honest with me.”
Wan sighed and rested her chin on Pleng’s shoulder, “What else can I do when my girlfriend’s gotten bored of me?”
“I’m not bored of you. Don’t be so dramatic.”
“Then what?” Wan said, slipping a hand inside Pleng’s robe, “You want more sex? I can do that. Four times a day, six, as much as you want. I’ll even call out of work.”
“You’re such a freak” Pleng said with a laugh, “Like I said, I was curious. But now…I think I’m satisfied.”
“Hm?” Wan trailed her hand lower, thumbing through the coarse hair between Pleng’s legs, “Are you sure? Do you want me to buy a strap?”
Pleng twisted around to push Wan into bed, toppling down beside her, “It’s late. We should sleep.”
The blush coloring the back of Pleng’s neck was evidence enough how she really felt. One more thing to explore later then.
Wan snuggled up close behind her and buried her face in Pleng’s hair, settled completely for the first time all night.
Sleep found her instantly.