" Miss Gun Chatmanee! How are you?"
Gun Chatmanee was leaving the office at the end of the day. She was feeling tired and weary, but she expected she would feel much more better once she got outside into the fresh air and was free of the office routine for the rest of the day.
She was surprised when she discovered that the person calling her name was Niran Chai Son.
"I'm not sorry it's the end of the working day," Gun Chatmanee replied, and she immediately wished that she had not spoken these words. She had no wish to let the CEO know how much she disliked her new job at the Niran group.
Niran Chai Son was tall, and still slim and youthful looking. In his hand was a bunch of keys. "Can I give you a lift?" He suggested.
Gun Chatmanee was quite surprised. According to the gossips she had heard about him from the other colleagues. Niran Chai Son had often left the office at about the same time as the others did, but he had never offered anyone a lift before.
"We don't go the same way, I moved from house to house." Gun Chatmanee replied. Niran Chai Son lived in one of the richer suburbs while Gun Chatmanee lived in a distinctively richer area.
" I thought we might stop for a beer," Niran Chai Son said.
Now Gun Chatmanee was really very surprised. " I don't drink beer," she said, smiling.
"You know what I mean," Niran Chai Son replied, smiling in return.
"I'll take the beer and you - well, you can have whatever you like."
Gun Chatmanee knew that quite a number of men went to hotels, clubs or beer halls after work, in order to relax before going home to eat.
She shrugged. "Why not?" She replied.
Niran Chai Son unlocked the doors of his motor car and Gun Chatmanee climbed into the passenger seat.
"Any place you particularly like going to?" Niran Chai Son asked her.
"Why not the Niran's five star hotel?" Gun Chatmanee replied.
Niran Chai Son looked surprised. " The Niran's five star hotel?" He repeated.
This was not exactly the kind of hotel that he would have expected Gun Chatmanee to choose.
"The food there is excellent," Gun Chatmanee said, in a way that seemed to suggest she often went there for meals. "Not too cheap, but good quality."
"That's fine by me." Niran Chai Son replied.
He had though that he knew Gun Chatmanee. She was attractive, but he had believed that she was a salesperson with excellent educational qualifications and no ambition. Her work was just about competent; she would never be anything other than a salesperson. Perhaps he has been wrong about her. She certainly seemed to know how to choose a good hotel.
Gun Chatmanee smiled happily. She knew that she had taken Niran Chai Son by surprise. She had no reason to choose a cheaper place then the Niran's five star hotel; Niran Chai Son had invited her, and still the hotel was under one of the Niran's belongings, so he would be paying or even get a free offer from his elder brother.
When they got to the hotel, Niran Chai Son was welcomed by a waiter who took them to a small table in a quiet corner of the main lounge. The waiter asked Gun Chatmanee what she would like to drink. She said that she would like a glass of white wine. Niran Chai Son offered to buy a whole bottle but Gun Chatmanee insisted that one glass would be enough.
The lighting at the table was subdued and gentle. Most of the light I'm their quiet secluded corner came from two candles set on the table. Light and shadow mixed together in agreeable ways.
After Gun Chatmanee arrived at home, she went directly to the shower then went to bed early.
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Everyone agreed. Monday morning was the very worst time of the week to hold a staff meeting.
To begin with, many people still felt tired after the weekend. Add to that the fact that on Monday mornings the interns brought all sorts of problems with them. Monday meant stories of family troubles. In addition, some interns were often late back to work on Mondays, or even absent having failed to return from the village or cattle post on time.
Fortunately, as Gun Chatmanee believed, the meeting was not likely to last for long. Everyone was keen to get on with the usual pattern of work and training. Well, not quite everyone, perhaps. Som Malai Kohsoom enjoyed staff meetings; they were always a welcome break from the tasks that waited for her on her desk.
"Good morning, Gun Chatmanee," Som Malai Kohsoom said cheerfully.
Gun Chatmanee was a little surprised; usually,Som Malai Kohsoom called her by the friendly and informal name of 'sis'.
"How did it go?" Som Malai Kohsoom asked, smiling. "At the very end?"
"After we dropped you, he took me home,"Gun Chatmanee replied, her voice low.
She had no wish that others should know that she and Som Malai Kohsoom has spent the Saturday evening in the company of Niran Chai Son. Nor, for that matter, did she intend to tell Som Malai Kohsoom about Niran Chai Son's visit to her apartment on the Sunday evening.
"You ... You didn't go back to his place?" Som Malai Kohsoom said, her voice showing surprise.
Gun Chatmanee shook her head.
"I'd have gone," Som Malai Kohsoom said, and then quickly added, "I'd have enjoyed seeing his house. It must be full of time furniture."
"Well, I was very tired," Gun Chatmanee said. "And in any case, I'm not the kind of girl who goes back to a man's place after one date."
Som Malai Kohsoom opened her handbag and took out a small looking glass. She checked the lipstick on her mouth and the mascara round her eyes.