My Dear Mistress

A Guy Invites Me to Dinner

The new student orientation in the Faculty of Communication Arts focuses on fun, singing, dancing, and nothing intimidating or over the top. The main focus is cheer practice. Anchaya was asked by her seniors to join the faculty's cheerleading team, but she declined because she wasn't good at dancing. Instead, she offered to help with the cheer team or anything else the seniors needed assistance with, which led to her being in charge of food and beverages.

Though tiring, it was fun, and she got to know many new friends and friendly seniors.

"Anchaya, tonight we're going to celebrate Pete's birthday at a pub near the university. Want to come?"

‘P'Mint’ or Mintra, a senior whom Anchaya admired for her personality, invited her.

"I probably can't go. My guardians don't let me go out at night, and I'm not of age yet."

"Wow, what a good girl. That's great," Mintra said, patting her head affectionately.

"What about Kaew? Are you going?" Mintra asked Kaew, another junior whom Anchaya was close with.

"I want to go, but I'm not of age. Can I get in?"

"At that pub, Pete is a partner, so you can get in," Mintra mentioned the hot senior who was both handsome and rich, driving a luxury car, making many freshmen swoon and want to get close to him, including Kaew.

"Then I'll go."

Because of the hot senior's birthday celebration, today's cheer practice ended earlier than usual. Uncle Pan picked her up as usual, even though she told him she wanted to try going back on her own by taxi or train, but Uncle Pan said the boss hadn't allowed it yet.

When she returned to her room, she opened the door to the fragrant smell of food because Noom was setting the table. They had been talking on the phone while Anchaya was still in the car.

"This is really delicious, Noom," Anchaya said, taking a bite of the northern Thai sausage Aunt Mai had sent, praising it non-stop.

"Nowhere is as delicious as home-cooked food." Next, she enjoyed hang lay curry, young chili paste, and pork cracklings.

Even though life is far from home and family, if Noom weren't here with her, she would feel quite lonely and adrift. Yet, she still misses her hometown, worried about her father who is still under the spell of gambling. But Pan has promised her that he will take care of things as best as he can. And what she longs for the most is to see Chinaphop's face, to meet him once more. Before, she wasn't sure of her feelings, but now she knows for certain.

But he's so heartless, he won't even show his face.

After finishing the meal, Anchaya volunteered to wash the dishes and all the kitchen utensils. Then she took a shower and sat with Noom watching the drama that airs after the news, listening to Noom talk about her beauty school classes, which she's been attending for two months now.

"When you have time, cut my hair, please."

"Why cut it? Your long hair is beautiful and makes you look more mature."

"I just want to cut bangs and trim the ends a bit."

"Sure, I'll cut it for you on the weekend."

The conversation paused when Anchaya's phone rang. It was none other than Mintra, the senior she was close to.

[Ann, Pete wants to talk to you.]

"He wants to talk to me?"

[Yes]

"Oh, okay," she replied, a bit confused. Normally, she hardly ever talked to this super hot senior. When they met, she would just greet him with a polite bow. Even though they had just met, Pete seemed like a calm and aloof guy, the kind of man who had everything women liked: handsome, rich, good-looking, smart, and excellent at sports.

This made her even less inclined to get close or want to befriend him like other women.

Perhaps it's because no man has ever seemed as approachable or close to her as Chinaphop.

[Hello, Ann]

"Happy birthday, Pete."

[Thank you. I heard that your guardian doesn't allow you to go out at night?]

"Oh, yes, that's right." Mintra probably mentioned that I couldn't attend his birthday party.

[I guess your guardian wouldn't mind if we just have dinner together, right? I'll pick you up for dinner tomorrow, okay?]

"Uh, I'm not available."

[Why not? Or does your guardian forbid you from having meals with others?]

"It's not that, but I already have plans with my roommate." Of course, he didn't forbid it, but she thought it wasn't appropriate to have relations with another man, given her status as Chinaphop's mistress, even though she had never fulfilled that role.

[Oh, I see. Alright, how about the day after tomorrow then? If you're not available again, it must mean you don't like me.]

"Uh, it's not that I dislike you, Pete."

[Alright, let's meet the day after tomorrow. I'll pick you up around five. Just send me your location on Line. I'll message you on Line to get your permission.]

"Oh, sure, okay." Anchaya didn't know how to refuse, so she just agreed.

"Why do you look so serious?" Noom asked after she finished the call.

"Someone asked me out for dinner."

"A friend?"

"Not really."

"It's a guy, isn't it?"

"A senior from my department."

"Is he trying to hit on you?"

"I don't know."

"Then tell me about it."

Anchaya then told Noom about Pete and the conversation she just had with him.

"I think he might like you."

"But I don't like him."

"How do you know you don't like him? You haven't had a serious conversation with him yet, right?"

"I don't like him. I only like Chinaphop."

"Oh, I wish Chinaphop could hear you say that," Noom teased and laughed heartily.

"Noom, please stop teasing me. What should I do? I'm too scared to turn down Pete. He might think I dislike him, but I really don't. I just don't want to get close to him."

"Are you worried the boss will get jealous?"

"No, I'm worried about the hundreds of women who like him coming after me." He wouldn't be jealous since he doesn't even fancy me.

"If you're too scared to refuse because he's a senior, how about I come along?"

"That sounds good. I don't want to go anywhere with him alone anyway."

"Is he trying to hit on you?"

"I don't know, but suddenly inviting me to dinner is a bit confusing."

"Oh, there's no need to be confused when a guy approaches you like this."

"Whenever we meet at university, he never approaches me; he just stays quiet."

"Maybe he's just shy around so many people. And if he is hitting on you, would you go for it?"

"No, I only like the boss." She said, blushing, which made Noom burst into laughter.

"Save that blush for when the boss is around. Who knows, he might be having a blast with all seven of his mistresses right now."

"Prim left, so there are only six now, right?"

"I heard from Phon that he just added another one. This one is said to be just as bold as Prim, but even more so because she's an actress."

"An actress? What's her name?" Anchaya's voice was so excited that Noom couldn't help but chuckle, hoping she wasn't a fan of the boss's new mistress.

"P'Pla, Palin," Noom revealed.

"Wow, she's really famous. How did she become the boss's mistress? Does she stay at the Orange Building too?"

Palin is a famous actress in the industry, beautiful, bold, and sexy, yet she has a good image and many fans. It's hard to believe she'd become the boss's mistress, or maybe Noom misunderstood something.

"She doesn't stay there because she has to work in Bangkok, but the boss might have to come to Bangkok often."

"She's a famous actress; how could she end up as his mistress? Is he serious about her?" Anchaya wondered.

"He's never serious about anyone, but Palin might not just want to be a mistress. Someone at her level probably wants to be the real deal,"

"If he's serious about Palin, he'd probably get rid of all the mistresses, right?"

"Why, are you afraid he'd strip you of your fake mistress title?" Noom teased, but Anchaya looked worried.

"I don't want any title. I just want to be with him for a long time, whatever that means."

"You talk as if you're actually with him now,"

"At least I can say I'm with him,"

"Oh, you loyal girl. By the way, is Pete handsome?"

"He's not mine, but yes, Pete is handsome,"

"Handsome, huh? But from your tone, it sounds like he's not as handsome as him, right?"

"No one is as handsome as him,"

"Wow, you're really head over heels for him,"

"He's the best for me," Anchaya spoke sincerely.

"If he made you a fake mistress for life, would you be okay with that?"

"Anything, as long as I can be with him forever,"

"You're still young, Anchaya. As you grow, you might meet someone younger, more handsome, and better than him, and change your mind,"

"No way," Even meeting many handsome guys at university didn't make her feel the same as she did with him.

"We'll see, because eventually, he'll get old and won't be as handsome or cool as he is now,"

"Just wait and see," Anchaya replied with confidence, believing that no matter how time changes, she would never change her mind about him.

"Let's stop talking about him and pick out an outfit for your dinner with Pete. Tomorrow, I'll do your hair and makeup as best as I can,"

"No need, I'll just go casual and skip the makeup,"

"No way, you're going to dinner with a hot guy, so you have to go all out. Besides, I want to practice what I've learned."

"Okay, but nothing too flashy."

"It won't be flashy, just pretty, cute, and fresh." Noom assured her confidently, and Anchaya nodded in agreement, trusting her.

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