Kimhan Jittaleela’s POV

We finally arrived at Suvarnabhumi Airport after almost fourteen-hour of direct flight from LA to Bangkok. There are lots of changes happened here over the years as I roamed my eyes around for familiar views of the airport. We are waiting in queue for our baggage at the conveyor. My whole body felt dumb tired and restless. I didn’t sleep during our flight and it gave me jetlagged.

“Here we are guys! Smell that fresh Thailand air.” Zee yelps as she picked up her bag and trolley from the airport conveyor. I took one of those airport trolleys for my luggage and bags and we walked us on the way to the lobby to wait for Shone.

‘I missed this place. Really, it’s been years Kim…’ I thought to myself. I can’t deny it. I miss my childhood days in this place, Happy and carefree as I look around the area. Memories of my parents came in flooding me in sorrow.

“Guys, wait up! My bags haven’t arrived yet.” Shone keeps on glancing and yelling in our direction as we exit from the arrival section to the airport lobby. I don’t know what really happened to his baggage why the hell didn’t come out from the conveyor.

“Meet us at the lobby, Shone!” Mario shouts back at him as he held hands with Fern and Hongyok walk with the crowd of passengers exiting to the lobby. While me, Zee and Nan came tagging along with Mario and the two ladies.

“Hey dude,” I called at Mario. He stopped taking selfies with Fern and Hongyok to turn and face me. “…have you checked the itinerary? Which hotel did you booked us?” I asked. Who booked this vacation anyway?  

“Um, wait a second…” he says. he fished the paper from the inside chest pocket of his suit.

“Here it is…Courtyard by Marriot Bangkok”

“Okay, I’ll just call P’Air to inform her about our arrival. And so, we can visit her place tomorrow before going to Phuket.” I informed them while tapping my sister’s number on my iPhone and immediately making a call. I walked a few feet away from my friends to call my sister. My friends knew my family well and they’ve grown closed to them too. A few rings and it was finally answered.

“Hello P’? It’s me, Kim.” I said to the phone. I keep my gaze outside through the glass wall of the lobby.

“Hi, tiger. How are you?”

“…just landed here in Bangkok.”

 “Oh good, you’re already here li’l bro.” Yes, my sister calls me brother even when we’re kids, maybe because I look too handsome to be her sister then. She knew since then that I’m just different from her. Not their typical girly little daughter. And my dad calls me tiger. I really don’t know why either.

“Hey, Happy birthday kiddo…”

“Thanks, but I feel I’m getting older,” I laugh to myself.

“I’m sorry; we haven’t had a chance to attend your party. Everyone is so busy,” answered the woman on the other line. She sounded so excited upon hearing me.

“Nah, it’s okay, sis. No problem at all. And besides, there’s no party at all. You knew my friends; we just dined out at one of my restaurants. You know, the one located at the roof top. They like it there.”

“Well, it’s good to hear that you’re not that party animal anymore.” My sister laughs out loud over the other line. She knew when I was younger, I was a rebel myself.

“But anyway, we’re here at the airport lobby now waiting for Shone. He couldn’t find his luggage. Maybe the airport crew misplaced his things…I just wanna inform you about our arrival.”

“Who’s with you? …Is Zee with you too?” She asked excitedly.

“Yes. The whole gang is with me. Including Fern’s younger sister, Hongyok. Hey P’, we’ll see you tomorrow. We’re going to visit you at your place. So, please cook something nice for us, too…I miss Thai food.”

“Of course, kiddo…anything for my li’l bro...”

“So, where you guys stay?”

“We’re going to check in at the Courtyard by Marriot.”

“We’ll see you tomorrow then…”

“Okay, tomorrow at nine in the morning hotel lobby. I miss you, sis…”. Then, I finally hanged up the call as soon as Shone arrived with his luggage. His face disheveled like I’ve-been-through- look and dragging his luggage grumpily. 

“What happened to you? What took you so long, dude,” I asked Shone as I helped him with his luggage. He slumped tiredly his on the bench. Exhausted.

“Man! They forgot to unload my things from the shuttle. Lucky me, I went to complain about my missing luggage. But anyway, where is everybody? Busy?” he examines his surrounding looking for his familiar companions. Nan and Hongyok were seated together at the back three benches from him. And having fun talking to each other on the couch located near the glass panel window of the airport lobby. Zee is pacing to and fro talking over the phone with her girlfriend back in LA. Zee’s girlfriend, Dr. Dew Arisara, didn’t have a chance to join us today because of the busy schedules at the hospital. By the way, Dr. Dew is a Neurosurgeon at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. And they’ve been dating for 4 years now.

While Mario and Fern were also busy taking selfie and doing lovey-dovey, again. These guys have been in a relationship for a long time but still can’t get enough of each other so much.

“Tiger…” Zee called me after making a call walks towards me.

“When will be our flight to Phuket?” she asked.

“Hmm, I think, the day after tomorrow. Why?” I answered her with a query look on my face.

“Okay, Thanks dude…” she murmurs.

“Is there a problem with Dr. Dew?”

 “Yes, I bought the wrong ticket.” She shakes her head. Disgusted with herself. “Dew will take the flight tomorrow, US time, to Phuket. She’ll follow us here but will take the direct flight to Phuket though. We’ll just meet her there at the airport the day after tomorrow. She’s granted 10-day vacation though…” Zee smiled her brown eyes warm and glowing. She rested her arm on my shoulder and informed me about her girlfriend’s arrival to Phuket. For sure I know, they haven’t traveled together since the start of their relationship because both were busy as bees.

‘What now? Wow! Lucky bastards, that leaves Shone and I literally, singled.’ I thought while Zee’s talking and blabbering how excited she is to go traveling with her and a lot more that I’m sure never truly care about. It doesn’t mean when I don’t listen to her blabbering, I’m a bad cousin here, but I got my moments, too, can’t I? I was about to drift out into my own little world when she suddenly snapped her fingers in front of my face pulling me back to reality.

“You okay?”

“Hmm, yeah. Jet-lagged,” I lied. “P’Air says ‘hi’. I already called and we’ll meet her tomorrow, nine in the morning. She’s excited to see you, too.”

“That’s great! I’m glad she takes some time off from work and just enjoy for a while. Are Kenji and the twins coming, too?”

“Yes, I told her.”

“I missed those little girls. I haven’t seen them in quite a while now.”

Damn, I remembered, I haven’t seen my nieces that long too since last holidays. But one thing I know I miss to see someone I haven’t seen in ages. So, I fished for my phone in my pocket to make a call but then Zee called out for the gang ready to leave and check in at our hotel.

  “Okay, guys time to go. Let’s go check in to our hotel first. I know we’re all tired,” he glance up at Nan making her way towards us and continued. “Well, except for Casanova here who’s still energetic and all up beat at the moment.” She jested. Nan just grins, big and boyish.

We got ourselves an airport limousine to drop us off at our hotel. But on the way to the hotel, I can’t restrain myself to notice big billboards of a familiar face. Another billboard ad caught up my eyes, I gazed up at the passing electronic screen and she flashed that captivating smile and cute smiling eyes right before my very eyes. It was HER. She sure made her way to stardom, no doubt. It was innate in her all along. Suddenly, I felt a burning feeling on my chest, folding, that same old feelings whenever I see HER. Whenever, I’m near her. I made eye contact with the woman on the screen as if truly looking straight at me. 

“Relax dude, you’ll see her soon…” Zee whispered on my ear breaking my eye contract with the screen. She pat my shoulder squeezing my blades as she too, glance up at the billboards that we passed by.

“Actually Zee,” I said softly. “I don’t intend to see her here. She’s a busy body. And I’m not planning to visit or go looking for her. I’m here for a vacation and to unwind my stresses.” I’m literally fidgeting on my seat as I looked away from the car’s window.

“Is that HER?” Shone quickly jumped from his seat excitedly asking straightaway with his eyes glued and pointing at the billboard with a woman posed for an herbal drink tea that just passed by. He looked back at it adoringly. Man, I want to smack his head right now and get out of this car and away from these s. But this traffic is too damn slow taking more time to be with these nosy li’l pricks.

“Dude, she’s a goddess. Are you sure she’s human? And not some EBE’s?” Shone wondered. He tucked himself on his seat again thinking.

“What the heck is EBE’s?” Zee growled.

“Huh? You don’t know? …Really?” Shone yelped, moving his upper body towards Zee. His eyes widens in surprise. “EBE stands for Extraterrestrial Biological Entities. In short, aliens.” Zee smacked the back of his head.

“No ! Get the hell outa my face Shone. She’s a hundred percent human, .” I shot in his face. How could he suspect Aom to be some alien pretending to be human? I can’t even imagine in her alien figure with big bald head standing in front of me. Her whole rounded black eyes almost popping out from its sockets. And those elongated neck, arms and legs are almost skinny to the bones, if there were bones underneath that dark colored skin. I don’t even know if aliens have dark skins. I shrugged the thoughts quickly as they are giving the creeps and run shivers through my spine.

“Hey, that really hurts!” he rubs the back of his head.

“That serves you right, .” Zee scolded him. They burst into a loud guffaw at Shone’s accusations of Aom being an alien. Sometimes, Shone is can be a weird as hell and annoying loud mouth but he’s a genius. And I love him to death like my own brother. Same goes with Nan.

“Dude, you’re sick! Will you quit watching creepy investigative documentaries? It’s getting through your head and it’s not healthy.” Nan scowled at him.

 “But like I told you before, she’s beautiful and she’s human. No wonder you fell head over heels for her charms, you lucky, . Tsk.” says Nan flicking her tongue. She shakes her head as she crosses her arms over her chest.

“You know her P’Kim?” Hongyok asked cautiously interjecting into the conversation. Well, she was listening intently to our conversations all along.

“Um,” I nod.

“She’s the LADYLOVE, actually...” Zee cuts in, nonchalantly. 

“I know her P’Kim.” She smiles, glowing. “P’Aom and I have the same manager, K’Tae. We’ve worked on the same project with her fiancé, Mike, just before I went to LA for a vacation.” Everyone scowled at her hearing about the fiancé thingy. Yet again, they listened to what she’s talking about.

“She’s pretty, though. Look like she never aged at all.” She said admiringly. “Don’t worry P’, I’ll help you meet her up.”

 “Thanks! But I don’t really intend to meet her up. Let it be destiny find its way for us…” I said with a sad tone in my voice looking away at the car window.

“That’s brilliant idea, baby!” Nan exclaimed hugging Hongyok close to her. She quickly let her go and gasped covering with her sudden outburst. Hongyok flushed crimson red, embarrassed. All heads turned in their direction stunned. Fern stared hard at Nan boring hole right through her brains.

“What is the meaning of this ‘baby’ thingy, Nan? And why are you hugging my sister?” she was fuming in anger and almost leap into Nan to strangle her to death.

Holy .

She would have punched Nan straight in the face if Mario has not caught her earlier. Her darting eyes never averted from Nan as if she’ll disappear any second.

“Calm down, baby,” Mario cajoled her fiancée.

“I am calm,”

“Relax tigress, it’s just a slip of the tongue. We’re still in the getting-to