As the days passed by, Maya and Cole's friendship grew stronger. They shared stories and experiences.
Although their jobs remained a priority, they made time for each other.
Maya admired Cole's sense of humor and he adored her beauty, intelligence and skills.
Her thoughts raced back to her husband and their disturbed relationship. She compared his behavior to Cole's.
It had been three weeks since she left for Thailand, and Lucas never checked in on her.
The age difference between Maya and Cole was little and devoid of importance compared to the six year difference between Maya and her husband.
She was living two different lives - one with Cole which was filled with laughter, and the other with Lucas, strongly marked with neglect.
******
As the phone rang, it's loud and relentless tone cuts through Maya's sleep, ending her restful sleep.
She sits up rubbing the sleep from her eyes, still groggy from the sudden wakening.
She reached for her phone and as she answered the call, Sophie's cheerful face appeared on FaceTime.
"Hey girl, Good morning!" Sophie said with a squeal of delight.
Maya could not help but laugh at her ebullient voice.
"Good morning Sophie, you are definitely in a good mood today."
Sophie panned her camera across the verdure of Hyde Park. The vibrant flowers and sparkling water seemed taunting.
"This is amazing. Honestly, I really wish I was there with you." Maya said.
"I wish you were here too, so we could explore the city just like we did back in San Diego. But, do not worry I am taking a lot of pictures and videos to share with you, it'll feel like you are here with me." said Sophie.
As they continued talking, Sophie noticed a man's feet under the duvet. "Is that Lucas?" She asked.
Maya turned to look, she smiled shyly. "Oh, no. I was going to tell you about that." Sophie gasped. "What the heck, when? Who is he? Spill it."
"So, I met Cole few weeks ago here at Bangkok and it's been pretty good…uhm.. I really like him, he is what I envisioned Lucas to be. He's smart, funny and so caring…I know it's crazy."
"Maya, you're playing a life threatening game. What if Lucas finds out? Or Don? What about Cole, does he know you're married?" Sophie said, a hint of warning in her voice.
"I know," Maya turned to check on Cole, he was still fast asleep. She leaves the room and walks out to the balcony.
"If Cole finds out, he'll leave. I paid Chad off, neither Lucas nor Carlo is going to find out." Maya said, trying to convince herself.
"I..I..I don't know about that, do you even trust Cole or Chad?"
******
Few days to her final business meeting, Maya's phone buzzed, displaying Don Carlo's name on the screen.
Her finger hovered over the answer button, she wasn't in the mood for his demands and criticism.
She thought to herself, avoiding him wouldn't make things better. With a sigh, she answered.
"Hello Don." She said with a neutral voice.
"Your reports have been lacking substance lately," his voice slow and disapproving. "I am not paying you to slack off."
Maya had the urge to respond defensively but she knew not to argue with Don Carlo. "I'm sorry, I'll do better."
Don Carlo was indeed demanding but she had never failed to deliver effectively. She tried to think of how she could improve. Was she getting distracted by Cole? Or was something else going on?