Page 39 of Friend Ship
Eventually, the scene runs more smoothly, and this time when we start from the beginning, I’m able to forget about the logistics and sink further into my character. When we get to the part where Sound sits on Train’s bed and pulls Train down on top of him, I’m fully immersed—my character nervous but excited and full of yearning to become as close to Sound as I can get.
Staring down at Sound, Train balances with one hand on the mattress and the other on Sound’s chest, a gasp escaping his throat at the burning look in Sound’s eyes. Sound’s hand shakes slightly as it comes to rest on the nape of Train’s neck, his palm warm and dry on Train’s overly sensitized skin. Tingles run down Train’s body as Sound uses his other hand to unbutton Train’s shirt. When it’s fully open, exposing Train’s chest, Sound runs his hand from Train’s waist to his pec, pausing to drag his thumb across an exposed nipple. His focus zeroes in on Train’s mouth, sending every nerve in Train’s body on red alert. Sound’s heartbeat flutters under Train’s palm. Train can’t wait any longer, the need to feel Sound’s lips against his own more important than anything else. Making a dive for Sound’s mouth, he meets him in a fierce kiss.“Stop,” P’Arm interrupts. “Mee Noi, angle your face this way.” He physically repositions my face. “Slow motion, move toward the kiss…that’s it, now stop. Sud, Mee Noi’s bottom lip needs to be between your lips when your mouths meet. Try it. That’s it. But the kiss is hard and filled with yearning. Start again from Mee Noi’s line.”
Making a dive for Sound’s mouth, Train meets him in a fierce kiss.
Sound flips Train over, so Train is lying on his back with Sound now crouching over him. Train bends his knees, encasing Sound between them, his hands clutching Sound’s shirt, wanting it off. The hard planes of Sound’s abdominals brush against his hands as he slides the material toward Sound’s armpits. The feel of Sound’s lips nipping and suckingTrain’s is heady and so, so good. Train wants to feel skin on skin. He needs it.
I have become Train. But somewhere in the back of my mind, I’m very aware that the person I’m touching is Sud. That it’s Sud’s warm skin I’m stroking, Sud’s soft lips caressing mine, his hands on my body.
“Stop,” P’Arm calls, and bubble pops, breaking me out of character. I blink, staring up at Sud as he pulls away from me, the warmth of his body gone. My fingers trembling, I hurry to rebutton my shirt. I’m surprised at how hard I’m breathing.
“Good, good,” P’Arm says. He’s looking at his iPad, and it’s only then that I realize he’s been using it to film us. Rolling onto my stomach, I close my eyes a moment, willing my body’s response to the scene to go away.
“Noi?” Sud sounds concerned.
“Yeah, I-I just need a minute,” I say.
“I get it. That was intense.”
I lie there, waiting for my heart to slow down and the semi-erection in my pants to subside. After five minutes or so, P’Arm calls us over to sit on each side of him as he plays the footage back. My cheeks have got to be scarlet with embarrassment. Is that really me attacking Sud like that? Is that really us kissing each other like…like lovers? I watch my hand move lower on Sud’s hip. I don’t even recall doing it.
The camera is still rolling when P’Arm calls an end to the scene, and when Sud moves off me, I look utterly debauched before the screen goes black.
Automatically, my hands go to my hot cheeks, pressing into them as I close my eyes, hiding from the two men sitting beside me.
“That was excellent for a first love scene!” P’Arm says, standing. “You can be proud of yourselves.”
I open my eyes. I don’t know whether it makes me feel better or worse that Sud looks as embarrassed as I feel.
“Are you sure you two haven’t done that before?” P’Arm teases us. “Well, I think we can call it a night. You’ve done exceptional work. I’m very pleased. I’m going to show this footage to Khun Intapong in the morning and tell her that I believe you are ready to film this scene for the trailer.”
I am so eager to get out of there, I just nod at everything P’Arm says.
Sud and I are quiet on the elevator ride down to the lobby. Once outside in the fresh night air, I pull a deep breath into my lungs and release it slowly.
“That was…different,” Sud says, leaning against the side of his car.
I go to stand beside him.
“Yeah. Never imagined doing that when we were growing up together.”
Sud chuckles, triggering a bout of nervous giggles from me, and, for a moment, we just stand there and laugh, letting the nervous tension of the last few hours bleed away.
Sud unlocks the car doors with the key fob. “I think we deserve a treat. Ice cream?”
Grinning, I say, “You know I never turn down ice cream.”
When we’re in the car and leaving the parking lot, Sud asks, “Is your head okay?”
“There’s only a dull ache,” I assure him.
“What about the lump?”
Gingerly, I feel the back of my head. “It’s gone down.”
“I really am sorry.”
“I know. But right now, I just want to eat ice cream with my best friend and relax for a while. Is that okay with you?”
