The CEO

Chapter Fourteen

I did not want to wake up.

When I managed to pry my eyes open, the digital clock next to me on the table read 11:00. I'd slept about ten hours, and felt like I could sleep for three times that. A groan forced its way out as I pushed myself into an upright position, blinking blearily as I scanned the room. The anxiety at being in a strange country where I couldn't quite understand everything the people were saying was a quiet hum in the back of my mind.

My eyes fell on the three suitcases thrown in the corner. First things first, I needed a shower. I'd been traveling for over twenty-four hours straight, and didn't want to wear the clothes I'd began my journey in anymore. I staggered from the bed to my largest suitcase, digging out a fresh pair of jeans and a plain green t-shirt with undergarments, and went into the bathroom to take a long, hot shower. The shower revived me, and I was definitely feeling more awake when I walked back out into the main area of my hotel room to find some shoes and my wallet.

The second thing I needed to do was find a place to convert my money into Thai Baht. Third, grab some food. Fourth, find a job so I could support myself while in Thailand. Fifth, find a place to live, hopefully cheap. And last, but not least, finally let Aroon know I was in Bangkok.

It didn't take me very long to have a wallet full of Thai Baht instead of American dollars, and I was soon walking down the sidewalk looking for a decent place to grab a bite to eat. Uncle Google was a big help, and I found myself heading North-ish towards a place called Khana Khazana, an Indian restaurant. I walked inside, and was immediately salivating from the aroma circulating through the place. The service was prompt and welcoming, and I was soon chowing down on their veggie fried rice with an ice cream soda to wash it down.

"Nī̀ khuṇ xeng!"

It took a second for those words to register in my brain, and I turned to see the two guys from the airport. What were the chances that we'd end up in the same restaurant for lunch? It was the guy that had given me his LINE number. What he'd said was, "Hey, it's you!" in Thai. I smiled, and called on my memory for the correct Thai words to say back.

"Yeah, it's me. You here for lunch, too?"

He shook his head, making a comical face. "No. I'm here to meet my uncle. He had a meeting with the casting director, and from what I can tell, it isn't going well." He nodded towards the opposite side of the place.

I craned my neck, spotting two older gentlemen arguing quietly. "Casting director? You mean, dramas?" I asked, intrigued. A real, live casting director within yelling distance! How cool was that? I wonder if he's done any of the dramas I've watched...

"Yeah. Apparently, the person they wanted for a specific part turned down the role, so now they're panicking because shooting is supposed to start in a week, and they still don't have their precious "Sunan", sheesh."

I nodded. That same thing had happened a couple times during my high school career, when we put on plays. One of the leads backed out for an unknown reason, and we had acted like chickens with our heads cut off trying to find a replacement that was good enough. "I get it. I helped with plays at my high school back in America, and that happened a couple times. Sucks."

The guy sighed loudly. "Tell me about it."

The second guy stole the seat across the table from me, shooting smirk at the first guy's unamused expression. "I'm hungry, and it doesn't look like your uncle is gonna be done anytime soon."

"Fine, fine, just don't order a lot."

"We never told each other our names," I realized out loud, eyebrows raised in surprise.