Chapter 5 Practice Makes Perfect #2
Then the photographer asked them to move closer.
Orm did.
"Closer, please."
She moved another inch.
"Closer."
Orm looked at Ling.
Ling looked amused.
"Apparently we're still too far apart."
"How much closer do they want?"
The photographer laughed.
"You're a little shy, aren't you?"
Orm's cheeks warmed.
"No."
Ling looked at her.
"She is."
Orm elbowed her lightly.
"You're supposed to support me."
"I am."
"That's not supporting."
Ling laughed.
The photographer smiled.
"Perfect. Stay like that."
Another camera flashed.
Then another.
"Can you hold hands?"
Orm hesitated.
The rehearsal came back to her.
She extended her hand.
Ling reached for it.
Their fingers met.
This time, Orm didn't freeze.
She simply let Ling hold her.
"Good."
The photographer raised the camera.
"Now look at each other."
Orm looked at Ling.
Ling was already looking at her.
And then everything went quiet.
It was strange.
The room hadn't actually become quiet.
There were people talking behind them, cameras clicking, music playing somewhere in the background, and P'Cherry giving instructions to the staff.
Yet Orm heard none of it.
She was suddenly aware only of Ling.
The curve of her smile.
The softness in her eyes.
The way her fingers rested against Orm's hand.
The way she wasn't looking at the camera.
She was looking at Orm.
The flash went off.
Orm blinked.
Another.
Another.
"Perfect!" the photographer exclaimed.
Orm immediately looked away.
"Can we stop now?"
P'Cherry laughed.
"Not yet."
"Why?"
"Because you're finally getting it."
Orm stared at her.
"I'm getting what?"
"Natural."
Orm groaned.
"That word again."
?
They moved to the next set of photographs.
This time, the photographer wanted something more casual.
"Walk together."
They walked.
"Talk to each other."
Orm whispered,
"What am I supposed to say?"
Ling whispered back,
"Anything."
"That's not helpful."
"Tell me something."
"Like what?"
"I don't know."
Orm thought for a second.
"You have terrible taste in coffee."
Ling looked genuinely offended.
"That's your topic?"
"You asked."
"You don't even drink my coffee."
"I've seen what you order."
"It's good."
"It's bitter."
"You like sweet things."
Orm frowned.
"How do you know?"
Ling smiled.
"You order the same drink every morning."
Orm stopped walking.
"You noticed?"
Ling realised what she had said.
"You're predictable."
Orm narrowed her eyes.
"That's not an answer."
Ling started walking again.
Orm followed.
"You notice a lot."
"I notice things."
"About me?"
"Sometimes."
Orm's heart gave another strange little jump.
She ignored it.
"That's creepy."
Ling laughed.
"You're impossible."
"You're the one watching me."
"I didn't say watching."
"You implied it."
"I noticed."
"Same thing."
"Not really."
The photographer suddenly called,
"Keep talking!"
They both turned toward the camera.
Orm realised they had forgotten the photographer was there.
She laughed.
Ling laughed too.
The cameras flashed.
And for the first time that day, neither of them was pretending.
They were simply laughing.
?
After the photographs, P'Cherry pulled them aside.
"You two."
Orm immediately became suspicious.
"What?"
"That was good."
Ling nodded.
"Thank you."
P'Cherry pointed at them.
"Don't lose that."
Orm looked confused.
"Don't lose what?"
"The natural chemistry."
Orm nearly coughed.
"We don't have chemistry."
P'Cherry stared at her.
"Sure."
"We don't."
"Of course."
"We're colleagues."
"Absolutely."
Orm looked at Ling.
"Tell her."
Ling looked at P'Cherry.
Then at Orm.
"What?"
"Tell her."
Ling smiled.
"I think she's right."
Orm stared at her.
"You think we have chemistry?"
Ling shrugged.
"We work well together."
"That's not what she said."
"I know."
Orm's face warmed.
P'Cherry looked delighted.
"I need to leave before I start enjoying this too much."
She walked away.
Orm turned to Ling.
"Why did you say that?"
"Because it's true."
"That's not what I meant."
Ling looked at her.
"I know."
Orm didn't have an answer.
She hated when Ling did that.
Hated when she said something simple that somehow sounded like it meant more.
?
The event continued into the late afternoon.
By then, Orm had relaxed enough that she stopped counting every movement.
She laughed when Ling made jokes.
She stood beside her without feeling the need to calculate the distance.
She accepted Ling's hand when the cameras asked for it.
When a guest complimented the two of them, Orm smiled instead of panicking.
It was working.
That was the problem.
It was working too well.
Near the end of the event, one of the brand representatives approached them with a smile.
"You two look very happy together."
Orm smiled politely.
"Thank you."
"How long have you been together?"
Orm glanced at Ling.
The approved answer.
A few weeks.
Getting to know each other.
Nothing too specific.
But before Orm could speak, Ling answered.
"We're still figuring it out."
The representative smiled.
"That's even sweeter."
Orm looked at Ling.
Ling's expression was calm.
Natural.
Convincing.
Orm suddenly understood why Khun Dew had believed this could work.
Ling could make people believe anything.
Or perhaps—
Orm stopped that thought.
No.
Rule Five.
Absolutely not.
?
After the event, they finally escaped to the private lounge.
Orm dropped onto the sofa.
"I'm exhausted."
Ling sat beside her.
"You did well."