Chapter Text
Trin hated doing drinks with new clients. Yes, it was his company, yes, that was the actual description of his job, yes, they wanted more connections, he knew all of these as his dear assistant kept reminding him.
Still, he fucking hated them.
Senseless dribble masquerading as a conversation. It was either work work work the entire time, like an extension of the working day, and probably his favourite, now that he thinks about it, in comparison to the second type which was the most ridiculous conversation starting by talking about what fine weather they've been having, moving on to bragging about their latest trips, and normally, depending on how much booze they had in them, ending up in complaining about their wives.
Trin worked in all kinds of weather, didn't have time to travel, unless you count all his single line of Scotland - Thailand back and forth a trip, and he had no wife. So his contribution was…well, nonexistent.
He realised someone was talking to him a full ten seconds too late. Plastering his charming smile on, he looked at the guy “I'm sorry what was that?"
"I was wondering if you're doing a local ad?”
"We are indeed, we've been looking for models, someone to really capture the spirit of what we're doing here”
"Thailand is full of talent! We've worked with some great modelling agencies before. Happy to introduce you to some of them!”
Trin didn't miss the condescending undertone of this. He might be younger than all of these people, but he's sat in enough meetings to know better
He smiled, all politeness and charm “how very kind! Khom has it covered though” he looked at the man mentioned and he nodded back leisurely.
"We will be sure to reach out for your recommendations if that doesn’t work out ” Trin smiled politely and with more humble gratitude.
The rest of the evening passed by and by midnight they finally said their goodbyes. Trin thanked everyone and handed them their nice bottles of whiskey to take home.
He flopped on the office sofa when they were gone, so tired he could feel Earth's gravity pulling his bones in. "We need to ramp up this ad business“ his words dragging slow and tired "he's the 3rd person asking about it”
"We would've if you chose one of the models we've sent your way! You're being impossible!” Khom groaned
"Hey, is that the way to talk to your boss??”
"It's the way to talk to the annoying wisp of a brat I went to school with“
"Not a wisp anymore!” Trin was committed to the gym and this was frankly insulting!
“Still annoying though!"
Trin let out a groan. It was hard to argue with that one. He knew he gave Khom a lot of pain.
“Fine, fine! Send me a shortlist of the ones you like. I’ll just point to one and be done with it”
Khom scoffed hard at that. “Yes, I am sure you will, around the same time hell freezes over.”
“Oi”
Khom just waved a hand at him, they were both too dead tired for this. Time to really call it a night.
***
The next day Trin came in to find a large dossier on his desk. “Margareeeet?”
His intercom beeped, he tuted and picked it up. Margaret’s deadpan tone greeted him with no introduction “we’ve invented technology so as not to yell”
“I swear– what is this on my desk?”
“You need to be more specific”
“It’s a huge folder” Trin was not a morning person, not before caffeine anyway.
“Might I suggest opening it? Is that in the realm of possibility?”
Really, why did Trin keep her! All she did was insult him… he pushed it open and pouting photos of models stared back at him . “Khom…”
“Ah we found the answer then. Good. Anything else I could help you with?” it was hard to miss the sarcasm in her tone. Not that she was even pretending to hide it!
“No thank you…” he grumbled and put the phone down.
Sitting at his desk, he started flipping through the photos. It shouldn’t be him having any say in this. They had a marketing department and they worked with good firms. He knew he was overstepping, and he also knew he had little time for it, he really was being the bottleneck here and Khom had every right to be annoyed at him. But, he had a vision that has been nagging at him, like something he has seen in a dream which refused to let him go. And this ad was the perfect place for it. If he could find the face from that dream…
When Trin took over the business around 2.5 years ago, the company was, as many others in its sector, a boy’s club. Whiskey done by men for men! Whiskey and cigars, men in suits, a bunch of Churchill wannabes. That, or ragged viking warriors in search of their manhood and heroism!
And yes, of course it was selling. That has never been the problem. If anything he’s probably messing about with a perfect and proven formula. But something had to change. If it was Trin to run it, it couldn’t be what it was. For his own selfish reasons, he wanted a more exclusive place to run, to work for, to actually care about. And this ad was the official start of it.
He managed to go through half the photos in that folder, and stopped with a grateful sigh when Margaret reminded him of a call with Ewan in Scotland. Khom had been right. The chances of him selecting anyone was pretty thin. He used a post it note to mark his progress and closed the folder.
The time difference meant his direct calls or meetings with Scotland were usually late hours. He was used to this by now. He probably should stay there more than he currently did, but frankly, the weather was grim and the food was appalling. Okay, Trin was being unfair. Not appalling. Unfit for anyone who was not sick and didn't need the blandest diet ever known to man. They did a good steak though!
And he liked his team. The competent group he's been working with, and slowly adding to. They were great at their job, and also truly nice people. All his complaints about the food and the weather aside, he liked going over to visit them. Even if the accent still needed subtitles 80% of the time!
He stepped out after the call was done. “I will get some coffee” he announced to Margaret.
“Want me to get it?” he knew her heart wasn't in that offer, she hated the Bangkok heat as much as he hated the Scottish rain.
“No thank you, I want a stroll too. Shall I get you one too?”
“At this hour? I'll be up all night! Thanks though."
He nodded and headed out.
He walked a couple of blocks to one of the local roaster coffee shops he liked. He's been trying to limit his coffee intake to two a day, and he won't be having bad coffee when it was this rare of a treat!
When he stepped into the cool air conditioned space, taking in the delicious aroma of coffee, he noticed there is a queue. This was not that uncommon, it was a popular place. Taking his phone out, he walked to the end of the line and busied himself with some emails while he waited.
Three emails later he realised the line had barely moved. He twisted his neck around, trying to see what the hold up was. Were they training new people? It was never this slow here! At the start of the line, he saw a customer holding her fluffy dog up and only then heard all the cooing noises aimed at the dog. Seriously?! They were holding the line to talk to a dog??
He debated leaving. But he really liked the coffee.. And not like this has ever happened before! Maybe he’ll give it another couple of minutes. Oh the dog and its owner were now walking away, waving. Yes, bye bye, off you pop. There were two more people ahead of him so it can't be long now.
He will wait.
Why was every conversation taking so long today? Take your coffee and go! Was no one efficient anymore? He could hear fragments of dialogue, less from the customers more from behind the counter… it was a new barista then. He would have to say something, a polite word. Holding people up like this was not great. He’ll say something as soon as it was his turn.
The person in front of him walked away and Trin stepped closer to the till, readying himself for a mild complaint.
He half opened his mouth in preparation but every single word on his lips froze into a stunned silence. In front of him, half waving to the guy that just left and turning to face him, was possibly the most beautiful man Trin had ever laid eyes on.
He was tall, almost the same height as him, with broad shoulders and a slim waist. The half apron of the coffee shop framing that waist to a truly marvellous sight. His shoulder length hair was dark and shiny, matching his dark eyes. His eyebrows were so full they might’ve looked ridiculous on anyone else, on him though they complimented his gorgeous pale skin to perfection. And a cute button nose followed down to the fullest, most inviting pair of lips on any man he had ever seen. Trin gulped.
He turned to Trin with a brilliant smile and great, really great, all Trin was lacking on this one way express train to insanity were dimples. Four of them too!
“Oh~ I have a very handsome customer next!” this beautiful man said, his voice dripping like honey.
Trin’s brain took a heartbeat to understand that sentence was aimed at him. He blinked himself out of his stupor. “Me?!”
The man chuckled warmly “of course you! And I don’t make a habit of calling just anyone that! So, what can I get you?” His eyes held Trin’s in a soft, but direct and unblinking gaze.
Trin let out a small cough, trying to find his words “um an oat flat white please”
“Sure! Any syrups in it? The pistachio is nice!” Trin shook his head
“Ouw~ you’re handsome and sweet then”
“No, Oat doesn’t need more sugar” Trin answered matter of factly.
The man blinked as that reply had caught him off guard, and then smiled playfully. “Is that so~ good to know!”
Trin tapped his card and paid while the man turned to make his coffee.
Trin pretended to look at his phone, check the payment has worked, or is there another email? But all he did was stare at this man’s picture perfect side profile. He tried reading his name tag. Did it say ‘Tan’..? hmm why was it handwritten.
“You work near here?”
Trin blinked up at him “Me?”
There it was again, that warm honey chuckle “yes you. You can’t keep getting surprised that I want to continue talking to you~”
Trin felt his heart flutter and he was immediately grateful for all the training of being at business meetings. If there was one thing he could do well, was hiding his emotions. And considering how smooth this guy was, he probably charmed every customer like this.
“Yes, I work nearby. I come here often…” he left the rest unsaid, hoping he’d catch on the implication of ‘I have never seen you before’
“Oooh! Lucky me to see you on my first day on the job then!” he said with a wink. “An oat flat white” he continued as he put Trin’s takeaway cup in front of him “And a little something from me~” he leaned a plastic wrapped biscotti on top of the lid. “Even though oat doesn’t need more sugar~” he smiled wide and bright again.
Is he making fun of me?! Trin wondered if he should be annoyed! But he can’t read this damn man! He frowned at the confusion in his brain, but also muttered “thank you” as he picked up both the coffee and the biscuit and started walking out.
“Bye bye~” the cheerful chime escorted him out.