[From Room 411]

Thank you.

Thank you for taking care of me. If you already decided about what you want in return, don't hesitate to tell me.

Thank you for finding my glasses and charger, too.

If you it's money though, you'll have to contact my manager because my accounts are being handled by him as of the moment and I don't have much cash. About the groceries, please give me the receipt so I can pay for that.

PS. I told you, I can kiss you if you're too shy to initiate it again.

---------

“Am I not beautiful enough?”

“You like someone else, right? You like someone more beautiful!”

“Please, just tell me what you like—I can be beautiful the way you want!”

France puffs his last smoke and presses his cigarette down his ash tray. It’s been a while since he remembered those kind of things women has said to him all throughout the years he learned how to fuck. He didn’t want to sound harsh about it but that’s just really it for him—sex. It’s not those women didn’t know about that.

Being an actor was both easy and hard when it comes to that kind of topic. Casual sex comes easy when you have the fame and the looks, but it’s also hard since being a person who has an image to protect—he had to be at his most careful. Good thing that he was good at being discrete and careful.

He’s never innocent, that’s one thing, but it’s no match for his ungentleness. He doesn’t have hide the fact that he enjoys sex very well but he doesn’t flaunt it. He was link to various actors and actresses alike but all of them are just for show and for promotional purposes only. He was asshole enough to being linked to his love team on screen but he would be fucking someone else behind the camera.

Again, it’s not like his partners didn’t know that he was just up to the fun and games. He was just up for the pleasure and they all know that perfectly even before they start a nothing but pure all-for-the-benefits relationship.

The only problem is that when they all start making a fuss about his disinterest. They all start being conscious. They all start worrying about the non-existent thing. They all start wanting more. Where, in fact, there’s nothing wrong and everything is perfectly fine.

He had so many relationships that could have stayed for months if only they didn’t suddenly change.

“It’s because you like good-looking faces.”

His hand with the lighter was hung, he didn’t get to like his new cigarette with what his favorite entertainer said—Victoria. She’s the only that stayed with him through the years and so is he with her. They have the perfect set up of friends with benefits that goes in between relationship. Like for today, they are luckily both single as of the moment because Victoria just broke up with her newest fling.

“What do you mean?” He asks.

She sits down the free chair. They are here now his apartment’s veranda. She’s the one who lights his cigarette up. “Come on, France, we both know that you have a weird fascination with good-looking people. Men and women alike.”

He takes a long puff. He can’t really argue with that. “I don’t see the connection why my flings suddenly change with that reason.”

Victoria rolls her eyes and lights her own cigarette. “Oh, please, stop being a slowpoke.” She points at him accusingly. “You make them insecure!”

That furrowed his forehead. “I make them insecure? How the hell am I doing that? Do you ever feel that way with me?”

“All the time!” She says a matter of fact.

Could he consider that a slap to him? Damn. “Seriously, what do you mean by that? How can I make you insecure you when I’m not even saying anything?”

“Oh, my gods above, France Nam! Sometimes you’re really dense.” She rolls her eyes again. “Think of it this way: you know to yourself that you like good-looking people and you love having the chance to look at them. Now, this happens all the time. Whenever you’re out with me and the chances that we see someone good-looking are high, you unconsciously have your attention to that person.”

Wow. He is really that of an asshole?

He just got better from his flu and now he feels he’s about to be bedridden again for the all bad stuff he has done. Truth slaps big time and it hurts!

There’s no even proper explanation to his action because thinking back to those moments, he really is an asshole.

“It’s not overly obvious that you’re like that, it’s just subtle honestly. But when you put your feet into my shoes, it isn’t hard to notice, and what will you feel about that? About knowing that your partner fancies another person right in your face?”

“I’m sorry.”

Victoria laughs, even throwing his head back. “You don’t have to be! If we’re the most beautiful ones, you wouldn’t be attracted to anyone. Sadly, we aren’t enough.” She crosses her leans. “Speaking of which, is your neighbor that beautiful for you to control your moans a while ago?”

That instantly sent warmth across his face, he feels suddenly red!

She laughs again. “Oh, baby, you’re attracted! Is she older than you, too?”

He clears his throat, ignoring how red he feels. “My neighbor’s a guy.”

Her teasing look turns into an amused one. “That makes it all better. He’s older than you, isn’t he?” Then she grins. “No, you don’t have to answer that. It’s all written in your face.”

He sighs and finishes his cigarette. “I didn’t plan to control my voice. It’s just that I owe him one because he was the one who took care of me when I had a flu.”

“I almost forgot that Kao isn’t here and will not be here for the next few more weeks.” She presses her cigarette down the ashtray, still grinning. “Of course, by taking care of you means he did a lot of cooking. Now, I understand why you’re whipped. He attacked you through the stomach.”

Lev can really cook—there’s no arguing with that.

She chuckles. “You’re really a sucker for some killer home cooking.”

“Because I don’t know how to cook!”

Victoria was about to say something again but someone knocks on his door. That made him raise his eyebrow, he doesn’t expect anyone today except for Victoria.

He didn’t bother wearing anything, he walks to his door topless and only on his boxers. Victoria followed him and she’s not even on a better state—she’s only wearing his shirt and nothing else underneath.

When he opened his door—

“I wanted to check on…” Lev’s eye went to him then behind him, to Victoria. “…you.”

He wanted to face-palm so hard. Shit. “I-I’m okay.” He clears his throat. “I’m okay.”

Lev nods and excused himself, he went to his room.

When he closes his door, of course, he immediately got teased.

“Oh, damn hot! Now, I really know why you’re whipped!”