5: A Temporary Home
"I want it," Kaew pouted as he looked at Carl's big palm, which was holding something.
Carl didn't respond.
"If I can't have it, can I just suck it?" Kaew's bright eyes looked up at Carl, pleading.
Carl swallowed hard, trying to resist the urge. If he gave in to the boy's demands, he would be spoiling him. That was bad parenting. Calm down, Carl. Play it cool, he thought.
"Can I have it? Please...just a little bit. Maybe just a lick, please? Please..." Kaew offered the alternatives in a sweet voice, his right hand wiping his drooling mouth.
"No means no," said Carl firmly. His sharp eyes looked back at the salesperson before returning a bag of chocolate cookies to him.
Keaw looked longingly at the chocolate treats. He had given up on them as Carl was about to walk away. You can't get rid of me now, Mr. Carl, he thought. You're an eye-catcher, not to mention that you're also tall with a great body. Whenever you take off your suit and only have your white shirt on, that's when I can see your beautiful muscles...
"You're so cruel," Kaew said, walking unsteadily as his hip was still hurting from an earlier incident.
Carl didn't respond.
"Didn't you say that I can eat whatever I want?" Kaew's small hand grabbed Carl's shirt hem as his voice trembled.
Carl remained silent.
"If I could have that chocolate, I would definitely feel better from the pain," Kaew pleaded.
"No means no. Don't you know that chocolate is bad for you?" Carl scolded.
Luckily, Carl had read about it earlier. Chocolate was made from cacao seeds which contained Theobromine. This substance was non-toxic for humans, but it was dangerous for dogs. If dogs consumed it, they would start vomiting, getting diarrhea, getting weak muscles, and increasing their heart rates. In the worst-case scenario, it could lead to death.
And here was this werewolf boy whining about eating it.
"I know. But if it was just a tiny bite, it shouldn't hurt... I guess," Kaew surrendered.
Carl didn't reply. Instead, he led Kaew to a famous steak house. If Carl had given in and brought the boy a bag of chocolate cookies, Kaew might have ended up in the best animal hospital in Bangkok.
Let's go back to what happened before, thought Carl.
Carl looked at the pale boy under his suit and sighed. The boy patted his hip lightly, shooting a concerned look at Carl. When the car stopped at a red light, the boy, who was about to say something, suddenly shifted his mood and widened his eyes at the big signs advertising food, clothes, and random stuff.
"Can we go there?" Kaew pointed at the big department store not too far from them.
"Aren't you hurt? You should see a doctor first," Carl replied.
"Not anymore. I'm hungry. And I want to buy something too," Kaew said, holding his knees with his arms. "The AC in this Tayla is so cold."
Carl looked away from the boy to pay attention to the traffic. Kaew was being fussy, as if Carl would drive past the entrance of the department store. He eventually gave up resisting and turned his car into the parking lot. The security guard quickly helped him and led the way to the VIP parking zone.
"Wait for me here. I'll get you some clothes," Carl said, giving a tip to the guard and shooting him a sharp glance as he tried to sneak a peek inside his car. Keaw nodded and agree to wait in the car.
But what should I buy? Carl, who had only ever worn suits his whole life, stood still in the trendy clothing section. His sharp eyes flicked over the advertisements. He frowned and decided to call for staff assistance instead of just picking random clothes mindlessly.
"I need a set of clothes," said Carl plainly. It took him less than 10 minutes to find a clothing shop.
"What kind of outfit do you have in mind, sir?" The salesperson smiled politely at him.
Carl didn't respond immediately.
"Is it for you or someone else?" she asked.
"For someone who is in his early 20s but looks younger. He's as tall as my shoulder, has a slim figure with a bit of muscle, round brown eyes, and black-pitch hair. He has some sort of a puppy vibe. I also need a pair of shoes for him, probably this size..." Carl gave all the details to avoid wasting time.
The lady was slightly surprised, but as a well-trained employee in a luxury department store, she composed herself and helped her customer by selecting a trendy outfit.
"Please pay at the counter here, sir," she said.
Carl handed over his black credit card carelessly while looking at what else he needed to get. He picked out clothes, shoes, a bag, and some accessories. He planned to take Kaew to pick his own clothes after dinner. They had a couple of hours until everything closed, an advantage of department stores in Thailand.
The werewolf boy jumped from the front seat into the back and put on his new clothes. He was all fresh and clean from the dog spa, and his hair was soft and shiny. Once he stood next to the car, he looked like a teenage model out of a magazine. Carl couldn't resist smiling at how adorable he looked.
Every step of Kaew's walk, though unsteady, was full of curiosity and liveliness. Carl finally felt relieved about the boy's injury.
"This is just like what I saw on TV!" Keaw rubbed both of his palms, activating his shopaholic mode. "Ooh. This is the 'SALE' people are talking about. Whenever you see these four letters, you're hypnotized and dive in," Kaew exclaimed.
"Watch out or you'll be lost," Carl warned him, but Kaew just smiled brightly and toddled around the store.
The different smells in the store were overwhelming yet exciting. At this point, the most remarkable smell was food, making Kaew's stomach go insane. Food is my priority, he thought.
He followed his nose to the restaurant area and quickly got stuck at a steakhouse , making him whine like a crying baby.
"I want a hamburger," he said. Kaew pointed enthusiastically at a picture on the menu. "I've been dying to try this!"
Carl nodded at the waiter, who was trying to maintain his manners, even though Kaew didn't seem to fit in with the atmosphere of the restaurant at all.
"It smells so good. I've always wanted to try a hamburger, but Grandpa never allowed me," Kaew said as he drank water.
"Alright, Kaew," Carl sighed. "It's time to talk this through."
"And my best friend Sandee, he's such a healthy guy. He only eats steamed fish, baked fish, and all. He said that I shouldn't eat this kind of food."
"When you're outside, you need to behave well, alright? Walk steadily, stand tall, and sit still. Your manners are also important. Don't just say 'I want this and that.' It's impolite. You should say 'I would like...' or add 'please' to your sentence. I know you're excited about everything, but..."
"Do you have a lot of enemies, Mr. Carl?" Kaew asked, changing the subject.
Carl didn't respond immediately.
"Are those black-suited men trustworthy?" Kaew tilted his head, looking curious.
"What do you mean?" Carl narrowed his eyes, wondering where this was going.
"The driver who kicked me today, he was scary...and I smelled something shady about him," Kaew said.
"Kicked?" Carl's deep voice started rising as he gritted his teeth.
Kaew nodded before telling Carl the complete story of what he had heard and seen today.
"Why didn't you tell me earlier?" Carl asked.
"Oh! A hamburger!" Kaew called out as his food was served in front of him. All of his attention was on the good-looking dish coming straight out of the commercial he had seen before.
Carl sighed again. He had read about this before. Dogs only lived in the present, and humans couldn't possibly have expected them to do otherwise. What was important to them was what was in front of them. That's quite extreme Zen if you ask me, Carl thought. Though Kaew claimed that he was a human-like werewolf, his doggy instincts always shone through in the way he reacted, no matter what kind of form he was in.
Carl looked at Kaew's sparkling eyes. His lips folded into a straight line from time to time, expressing how badly he wanted to eat his food. But Kaew fought his urge and waited for the waiter to finish setting the table first.
"You can eat now," said Carl.
"I would like to eat with my hands like what I've seen in the commercials, please." Kaew looked around. He had fully heard what Carl had said earlier, but he just needed to burst out with what was on his mind first.
"As you wish." Carl's thin lips curled into a smile.
Kaew wasn't stubborn or thickheaded. In fact, he was bright and considerate. This is what I'm talking about. It shouldn't be too hard to train him, Carl thought.
"Kaew, listen up," Carl said.
"Mmhmm...oops, I mean, yes?" Kaew replied, his mouth full.
"The worst thing possible is to live like a dog and let people treat you like a dog."
"But I'm actually a dog," Kaew protested.
"You're worth more than that," Carl said in a serious tone.
Kaew chewed slowly while thinking about what he'd heard.
"You're too naive. There's so much more you need to know," Carl said, wiping the ketchup from the corner of Kaew's full lips with his long finger.
"That's why I'm traveling the world. You told me to get a passport, right? We should go get one right after we finish dinner," Kaew suggested.
"The consulate isn't open after business hours," Carl replied.
Kaew frowned, unsure of what to do.
"But I can do that for you. It might just take a bit of time," Carl said, leaning back in his chair and toying with his wine glass stem.
"Will you help me?" Kaew asked hopefully.
"Sure. In the meantime, you can stay with me."
"And what do you want in return? How can I pay you back?" Kaew asked, being considerate.
"Have you heard of the word voluntary?" Carl asked, and Kaew nodded. "Besides, the relationship between humans and dogs is also like this, isn't it? Dogs are to be taken care of."
"Ah, like cats, they have their slaves," Kaew said.
"I've never heard of dog slaves before. Dogs need their owners," Carl frowned. "I'm one of the most powerful mafia alive and he wants me to downgrade myself as a dog slave?"
Kaew couldn't resist licking his fingers clean after finishing his hamburger. Once he remembered his manners, he took a handkerchief to wipe his mouth and hands neatly. He didn't accept the offer right away. He took a piece of carrot into his mouth and chewed while carefully considering his options.
"I decline," Kaew finally said. He wanted to travel and find his freedom. He didn't want an owner.
"What did you say?" Carl asked in surprise.
"I don't want an owner, but I want to stay with you until everything is settled. Instead, you can be my temporary home. Is that alright with you?" Kaew straightened himself.
Carl smiled. This naïve boy was trying to negotiate with an accomplished mafia boss. It was interesting. A good negotiator always knew when to compromise to keep the string attached...and when to tighten that string to close the perfect deal.
"As you wish," Carl said.
Kaew blinked in surprise. He had initially smelled and sensed that Carl was quite upset, but the man actually had such an open heart for accepting his deal so easily.
Aw, Mr. Carl is such a good man, Kaew thought to himself.