28. Seduce

Ari awoke to a loud silence in his apartment. He hadn't realised he'd become so accustomed to having Mun and Ned around that he felt uncomfortable listening to his thoughts.

There was no denying sleep wasn't forthcoming, and neither would tossing in bed back and forth tire him enough to slumber again. It was time to wake up, even though he'd only slept four hours.

<i>'Mun must have left early without breakfast.'</i>

In truth, what had caused him discomfort and made him insomniac were Mun's words the previous day. His friend was undoubtedly correct, for he had never fathomed being intimate with a woman, so to challenge him in that perspective struck him.

Ari remembered girls being brought over by his foster parents with the hope that his peculiar tendencies would be cured as if there were any tendencies to be treated in the first place. Instead, one of the girls had developed a liking towards him, and upon receiving her confession, Ari had thought of a more excellent way to turn her down, but the fact that he knew why his foster parents had brought her over drove him to rebellion. He'd been point black with the girl, whose face turned pale the moment he'd declared preference to the girl's brother instead. That remark landed him a punishment that had him isolated for weeks in hospital with a recommended treatment to turn him back to the popular choice or, as his parents called it, normal.

That had become the beginning of his plotting a way out. The rumour of his unusual orientation spread like wildfire. Soon enough, everyone began distancing themselves from him, including some of his peers who had also discreetly confessed to being gay. Seeing whatever he'd endured openly, they chose silence, begging Ari not to reveal the secret they'd shared in confidence.

Ari reflected on those memories whilst in the shower and only realised he'd stayed longer than he should when his tummy rumbled.

"Time to eat." He spoke to himself and opened his bedroom door, heading towards the kitchen.

<i>'I wonder why Mun shut my door this time. He always leaves it open to get on my nerves... Or perhaps he didn't come to bid me farewell this time. Strange. He's been following that maddening routine like some morning ritual.'</i> He wondered. Reaching for his phone, he checked for any messages from Ned, but there had been none. He'd expected this; after all, Ned had mentioned being heavily preoccupied in the coming weeks.

Smiling at himself, a part of him felt relieved that everything was going well in his relationship. Judging from their compatibility, he and Ned might soon be on their trip, galavanting as a couple abroad once Ned's schedule cleared up a bit.

Sizzling an omelette, Ari vowed to settle matters with Rey immediately. But, the truth is, he didn't want to meet Rey because he was furious; instead, he felt ashamed of how he had been explored to the brim by someone younger and inexperienced in his field.

"Don't turn." Whispered a voice behind him. There was no mistaking who it belonged to. Ari was startled to believe it so until two large hands trapped him on either side, slowly pressing on the kitchen counter and him in between.

"If I don't do this, you might run away."

Ari's ears flushed from the feeling of a hot breath brushing the nape of his neck. Rey was here!

But why...? When...? 'Mun that prick!'

Rey smiled and leaned closer as if he could read through Ari's false demeanour. "As I see it, and feel it, standing this close has proven something that bothered me for a long time." Rey sighed, then concluded, "I believe I'm attracted to you."

'W-What...' "H-How did you get in here?"

"You might want to switch off the stove before..."

"You startled me," Ari spoke in action, cutting Rey mid-sentence.

"I'm sorry. I was resting inside Manager Mun's room when I smelled the aroma and figured you'd awoken."

"You were here the whole time? That moron!"

"Manager Mun didn't know I would come right away when he informed me of your return."

Ari gritted his teeth whilst shutting his eyes tightly and reminded himself to remain calm. However, he could feel his palms sweating, and Rey's arms just inches away did nothing to calm his nerves.

'If I'm going to have to deal with this, then I need to talk to him as my subordinate; otherwise, I fear I might end up embarrassing myself again!' Ari thought, then pushed Rey's hands away, freeing himself from his lock, a decision he regretted as soon as he saw Rey's expression. He was undoubtedly aroused, and Ari fought the temptation of having his eyes wander down curiously.

"This is my house, not Mun's. I suggest next time, let me know of your visit in advance."

"I did multiple times, but you simply ignored my calls and shut me out completely."

"I-I..." Ari stammered, his mind fumbling with words searching for a comeback, but there was none. Rey was right. He had been ignoring him to avoid conflict, especially since Ned had maturely let go of the incident after their first fight.

A smirk on Rey's face struck a nerve in Ari. He couldn't understand why his opponent felt victorious and openly showed it as such. Taking two steps away from him, Ari insisted that they speak whilst maintaining a distance and in a bid to gesture him away, Ari chanced on taking a quick look to quench his curiosity. Sadly, he'd been disappointed to find none.

"Did you get my flowers?"

"I threw them in the bin," Ari replied instantly, shifting his gaze to look Rey in the eye.

"Oh." Rey appeared a little disappointed. "I had assumed you felt guilty over what happened between us."

"I was initially, but you barged into my house uninvited, today the second time."

"I'm not sorry about both incidences. It may surprise you, but I was furious to wake up and find you gone. I'd expected we'd talk about what happened the next day."

"What are you, a virgin? Haven't you ever had a one-night stand?"

"No."

Ari's heart sank, and he looked away. He could feel the pit of his stomach tightening with every revelation from Rey, and the more he opened up about himself, the more Ari painted himself as the villain.

Seeing that Ari was quiet, Rey took the chance to explain himself further. "You were my employer and a man I'd seen naked before. It didn't bother me then, but after we became intimate, I kept thinking about that trip and what I could have done differently."

Ari scoffed. "As someone who can't stand me, repeatedly making it very obvious that they are uncomfortable around me, jumps to their conclusions whenever they see me with other men, I find that hard to believe."

"So do I. Even now, it irks me whenever your aroused image plays repetitively in my head. I hate to think other people have seen you like that."

"All this nonsense you utter is befuddling you further than you already are. You might not remember, but you thought I was a woman initially, your ex-girlfriend, to be precise. Clearly, I was the sober one of us two. For that reason, I'll be more careful not to make our paths cross in future."

"You believe I can just zap and forget we slept together?"

"Exactly. We have no connection whatsoever."

Rey's expression turned sinister. "As someone who claimed to like me, I'd assumed you would comprehend how frustrating it is to do something I never ever thought I'd do."

"You were intoxicated."

"I was, yes, but I knew what I was doing."

"Mr. Vaswalva was luring you into a trap that night."

"Yet I ended up in yours."

"You are supposed to be straight!"

"I am!"

"Then why are you here? What is this nonsensical gibberish you're uttering as if you are jealous? What exactly do you want from me?"

"I....don't know...." Rey whispered. He turned his face to the floor to hide his shame, for he'd been sure he had had a lot to say, yet here he was, unable to come up with a good reason why he'd rushed here as soon as Mun confirmed Ari was back.

"I had a project to finish for Manager Mun and was to do the final editing before sending it to print. I called Manager Mun to find out when he'll arrive at the office so I can hand over the final draft to him, and he informed me you had slept in. I didn't think twice about rushing here, afraid you might disappear again. Mun was equally surprised to see me as you were, and after bidding you goodbye in your sleepy state, he advised me to let you rest, and I occupied his room upon shutting your door. I felt afraid that you'd discover my presence even in your sleep, and I equally needed to gather my thoughts to figure out what to say to you once you awoke."

"So many words, yet my question remains unanswered. As for the flowers, who are you trying to fool?" Ari sighed and shifted his gaze to his already cold omelette. "It's not my first time meeting someone like you with that expression, confused and lost, not knowing what he wants or who he is. I keep off people like this because you'll still chase a raised plump chest. Your state of not knowing what you want is none of my concern; neither am I a tool to measure where you stand. I was hoping we'd clarify what had happened, but as it turns out, there was no need to do..."

"Why you?" Rey cut in. "The thought of sharing a bed with a man repulses me, but when I think of you, I become conflicted morally."

Ari chuckled and appeared to be in deep thought for a brief moment. Clearing his throat, he smirked after an idea came to him. "I doubt you'd feel conflicted living in my world."

"What do you mean?"

"How about this; I have a trip to make today afternoon, and I'd been hoping Mun would accompany me as agreed, but I don't think he'd mind you taking his place, especially since he dreads the destination just as much as I do."

"Is it related to work?"

"Don't tell me you're still hellbent on that mentorship nonsense. I'm simply killing two birds with a stone. You want your closure, and I need you off my back. The trip is two hours by train, and I need muscle. We should be back by midnight."

"Will Sir. Ned be there?"

Ari sneered. 'Perhaps he thinks I'm an easy target without Ned around. Isn't he in for a big surprise?' "No. Why do you ask?"

"Nothing."

"Either way, you'll blend in well since the destination is filled with many who share your thoughts. Upon our return, I can guarantee your internal conflict resolved."