Back home, Lom continued working for his father. It had never been his choice of work, but previously he enjoyed a fun personal life. His sorrow over losing Fah affected him throughout the day, every day. 

“You’re going to get killed, you do know that don’t you?” Ton asked at breakfast one morning. 

“I’m not going to get killed, I’ll be fine,” said Lom in the monotone that was his new normal.

“No, you’re distracted. You think of Fah all the time and you’re making little mistakes. Soon enough you’re going to make a big mistake that will get you killed. Or worse, someone else. Will that make you, or Fah, happy?” 

“Fah will never be happy with any of us after what we did to him,” said Lom. He scowled at his father.

“Look, he received a home, food, schooling, uniforms... we gave him everything! He’s the one who disrespected us. Don’t try to make me or your mother feel guilty.”

“Fine, we treated him like a king, and he walked away crying, never to speak to us again, because we’re all such good people,” Lom said, unable to keep the sarcasm out of his voice.

“Lom! Enough. Stop talking about Fah. He’s gone, it’s over. Focus on your job, your family, and your family's business. If you plan on taking over when I step down, you need to start learning all aspects of the business now!” 

“Fine, I will.” 

Lom went outside and lit a cigarette. Leaning against the wall to smoke, he once again wondered where Fah might be. This was now a daily ritual yet no new ideas came to him. Taking a last drag he threw the cigarette down and tamped it out with his foot. Jumping into his car he buzzed the gate and headed down the street, increasing his speed the whole time. 

He met up with Bank, his work partner. They scanned the list of people to collect money from, hopped on the motorbikes they used for collections, and began their day. 

By noon the sun was so hot Bank suggested they go to his apartment for lunch and to cool down. Once inside, Bank’s wife brought them tall glasses of iced tea. Bank turned the air conditioner on full blast in the living room - a splurge for Bank, but Lada, his wife, couldn't stand the heat during her last trimester of pregnancy.

“Oh, Lada, you shouldn’t be doing this. That baby is about to pop right out of you. You should let Bank do the serving!” Lom felt awkward watching Lada waddle back and forth to the kitchen, her belly sticking out so far Lom believed she would split open any minute.

Laughing, Bank said, “Lom, you don’t know anything. She could be in the middle of giving birth and she would still push others out of the way to do the serving. She never wants anyone to say she isn’t the perfect wife and hostess!” 

“Bank, your friend is a gentleman, and you are wrong and should help! The problem is you never know where things are or where things go. Your help makes more work for me. Also, you think only of your stomach and take the biggest and best pieces instead of giving them to our guests.” 

The three laughed as Lada sat down on the sofa next to Bank. He put his arm around her and gently patted her belly.

“There he is Lom, my little Bank! Someday maybe he and little Lom will work together!” Bank’s smile was almost as broad as his shoulders. 

"Little Lom? Bank, I think you’re forgetting something about me,” said Lom.

“What? That you’re gay? You can still use a surrogate or adopt. There’s still hope for little Lom and Little Bank,” he insisted, laughing out loud.

“I don’t think so. Even if I did, by some miracle, become a father, I wouldn’t let my child grow up in this business. I never had a choice; my last name made this my destiny. I don’t want that for my kid.” The three of them sat quietly, all of them focused on Lada’s belly without saying it. 

“Hey, did you ever hear from your brother? It’s crazy that Ton pulled that crap on him. Although for him it was lucky, he got out of the business free and clear.” 

Lom nodded in agreement. He wondered where Fah was right now and if he ever thought of Lom. Probably not. Lom couldn’t imagine someone he'd hurt that much carrying a torch for him.

“We should go back to work,” Bank said. “Your dad wants to see you later, right? I hope he isn’t mad about something we did. I also hope he doesn’t split us up; we’re a good team. I’m the brains, you’re the brawn!” 

“You think you’re the brains?” laughed Lom. “You’re only the brains when it comes to finding the closest coffee shop with air conditioning.”

“Are you saying that you’re the brains and I’m the brawn?” asked Bank, still laughing.

“I’m the brains when it comes to knowing who’s going to try to attack us first," said Lom.

“Yeah, you do have a sixth sense when it comes to that.”

Back on their motorcycles, they headed into another part of town to finish their work for the day. Once done they returned to their cars.

“See you later, Lom. I’m going to go grab some food for Lada, she’s been having some crazy cravings lately. One day it’s normal, and she just wants mango or som tum, but then other days she wants to mix the weirdest things. She had me cook pork belly for her and then melt a chocolate bar onto it and add chilis.”

“I guess as long as she doesn’t expect you to eat it, it isn’t that bad,” said Lom.

Bank waved goodbye as he walked backwards then he turned around and practically jumped into his car and left. Lom didn’t know if he hurried to the car for the air conditioning or to buy Lada her food. He’d heard pregnant women could be scary and demanding when they were hungry.

He parked his car in the driveway at home, went inside, and walked to his father’s office. Ton was sitting behind his desk talking on the phone. His two most trusted assistants, Gun and Pichai, stood off to the right. 

Lom stood in the doorway and waited. He never knew when he would be invited in or told to wait outside. Even though he was Ton’s son and learning the business, his father treated him no differently than the others. 

Lom thought to himself, his assistants are treated better than me when it comes to work. 

Hanging up the phone, Ton noticed Lom and waved him inside. 

“I have a job for you and Bank,” Ton said, “and this one is different. It’s very important and it cannot be fucked up. You understand me?”

“Yes.” Lom was happy his father was going to give him a more important job but it pissed him off that Ton spoke to him this way in front of his assistants. 

“Where’s Bank?” Ton gave him a withering stare.

“You said you wanted to speak to me after we finished, not both of us. He went home. Lada is already 8 months pregnant.” Lom spoke casually. He wasn’t about to let Ton think he had intimidated him. He noticed Pichai trying to hide a smile.

“Lom don’t be a smart-ass! If I want to talk to you about work of course I want your partner with you. Call him and bring him here now.” 

Ton rubbed the back of his neck with one hand. Is Lom purposely trying to be this irritating? I thought I could count on my son to do things right! 

Ever since the sex-with-Fah incident, Ton was no longer sure if his son was the right one to succeed him. After all, who wouldn’t be aware of a girl with a camera walking in while you’re having sex? That lack of alertness would jeopardize everything Ton had built. 

“I’ll call him,” said Lom as he pulled his phone out. He began to leave the room to speak with Bank privately but was stopped by his father's shouting.

“Where the hell do you think you’re going? You stay right here and put him on speakerphone,” yelled Ton. 

Turning around, Lom hit the speaker phone icon as Bank answered. 

“Hey Bank, it’s Lom. You’re on speakerphone with me and my dad.” Lom didn’t want Bank to accidentally say anything that would cause them trouble at work.

“Oh, okay. Hello Khun Ton,” Bank’s voice came through with a lot of background noise. “Sorry, I’m at the market getting some fish for dinner.”

“Bank, come here right now. I have an important job for both of you and I cannot go over the details like this. It has to be clear. How soon can you be here?” 

“I’ll be there in fifteen minutes, sir. I’m hanging up so I can head over now. Goodbye.”

Lom put his phone back in his pocket and stared at his father. Ton ordered him to wait outside for Bank and not to return without him.