Guilty as Gorgeous | Chapter 8
No one came to wake her, knowing well that the eldest daughter's internal clock was constantly erratic due to her work; they let her sleep in peace. Phutphitchaya finally stirred in the late afternoon, rushing into a bath to refresh herself before emerging to join the others.
The family's dining area was an open veranda extending toward the river, catching the natural breeze. The wooden trellises on the side were lush with orchids, ferns, and various auspicious plants—a legacy Prayong tended with devoted care, as her late husband had a passion for raising orchids. On rainy or wind-swept days, the dining moved to the inner kitchen, where a simple wooden counter served as a pantry partition.
"I thought you'd sleep until dusk. Are you exhausted, dear?"
Prayong greeted her from behind the cooking counter. Her two younger sisters were busy; Unakarn was arranging fresh vegetables on a plate of appetizing Chor Muang (purple flower dumplings), while Suphanniga was diligently peeling fruit under her mother's command. Each of them looked up with a wide, radiant smile upon seeing her.
"Not too bad," she replied, stepping closer to wrap her arms around her mother from behind. She leaned in to press a refreshing kiss to her mother's soft cheek before resting her chin on a slender shoulder. "I missed you, Mom. What are you cooking? It smells heavenly."
"Stir-fried bitter melon, steamed curry mousse, and Kaeng Bouan—your favorite," Unakarn answered for her. Mentioning that rare, ancient curry with its complex ingredients meant it was a dish few bothered to make anymore; most of the younger generation barely even recognized the name.
"Mom's been prepping the ingredients since morning. She was worried her favorite daughter wouldn't get a proper meal."
"I favor all of you. But Paan is rarely home, so I have to fuss over her a bit. Heaven knows what they feed her on set."
"The lunch boxes on set are delicious! I've had them plenty of times when I went to pick up P'Paan," Mai interjected.
"You find everything delicious. That's called being a glutton," Unakarn teased her youngest sister, shaking her head. The 'little one' only smiled back, eyes crinkling. The whole house knew that whatever was left over, Suphanniga would inevitably finish. Fortunately, despite her massive appetite, she remained slender with a delicate, youthful figure thanks to a superior metabolism.
"A person should live simply. The head monk at the temple says we eat to live, not live to eat."
"Eating as much as you do... I don't think the phrase 'eat to live' applies."
"I just don't want to waste food. It's a sin!" The girl maintained a bold front, popping a piece of peeled rambutan into her mouth.
"Do you have to work tomorrow, dear?" Prayong asked as her eldest daughter stepped away to pour herself some water.
"I'm off until Tuesday. Today, I'm staying right here for Mom to pamper me."
"Then where are we going tomorrow? Mai has no classes in the afternoon." The only student in the house, currently without a full-time job, spoke up suggestively, her eyes sparkling with blatant anticipation.
"I was thinking of driving Mom for some seafood. But we'd probably leave early, so the one without classes might miss out."
"Oh! No way! I want shrimp in fish sauce, grilled crab, oyster salad..."
"Is there anything you don't eat? Let's start there," Unakarn cut in, unable to help herself.
"I'm at an age where I need my food and my sleep!" The one about to be left behind pouted, beginning to get dramatic.
"I doubt that. All your friends are on extreme diets, saying they want to be beautiful like P'Paan. Mon even asked me why Mai eats like a glutton but never gets fat."
Unakarn's remark drew a laugh from everyone. Only the target of the tease played along with a mock frown. "Those girls are just afraid of being 'left on the shelf.' I don't know why they're in such a rush to find boyfriends. They haven't even finished school; they haven't even started living their lives yet."
"Good men are hard to find these days; there are fewer of them than women. Many even choose their own gender like P'Wan Hom. Of course they have to hurry. It seems only you have suitors swarming but only care about food. Has any guy figured out your weakness and tried to lure you with treats yet?"
"I'm not that obsessed with eating. What if they gave me something laced with a love potion? I'd be in trouble."
"At least you're self-aware. You shouldn't accept things from strangers," Unakarn said playfully, but with an underlying seriousness.
"I know, I know. Mom taught us never to accept food from strangers and never to get into someone else's car when my sisters aren't around." The girl played along, ending with a flattering smile. "I'm not getting married. I'm staying right here for Mom, P'Paan, and P'Prae to take care of me until I'm old."
"We'll see about that."
"You don't have a boyfriend either, so why pick on me?" It was time for a counter-attack.
"I'm twenty-four; I'm not that old yet. I have time to find one. If not, I'll stay here for Mom to look after me, just like you," Unakarn defended herself, busy with her tasks, while her youngest sister watched her intently, certain she saw a faint blush on those fair cheekbones.
"Talking like this, I'm starting to feel like I'm actually the one on the shelf," Phutphitchaya shook her head, helping her mother carry the curry bowls to the table, while the middle sister rose to help set the table as well.
"Oh, P'Paan is the most beautiful! You can get married at thirty-five if you want," the fresh-faced girl gave her nearly another ten years of credit before grinning broadly. "Especially if you let Mai go to the sea with you... marrying at forty-five is still fine."
"By then, I'd probably be chewing betel nuts and have lost all interest in... those things."
The speaker said it without thinking, but once the words were out, her face and neck flushed with a sudden heat. The memory of last night surged back, causing her expression to shift involuntarily.
"Are you mad at Mai?" The oblivious girl shrunk her neck. "I was just saying that P'Paan is beautiful enough to have her pick of anyone, so you can marry whenever you want."
"No. If you want to come, I'll drive to pick you up at the university. But we can probably only go as far as Bang Saen and then rush back." Once she finished speaking, she was nearly knocked over as her youngest sister lunged into a forceful hug. The 'little one' then began singing an English song, performing a hula dance around the dining table three times in a row until everyone was doubled over in laughter.
"You really are too much. Come, serve the rice for your sister," Prayong grumbled, only to be met with a loud kiss on the cheek before Suphanniga eagerly obeyed.
Unakarn shook her head and turned to her eldest sister. "We could just go to the Bang Khun Thian seaside if you're tired, P'Paan."
"Actually, I wanted to go to Pattaya. But leaving in the afternoon, we'd have to stay overnight to make it worth the trip."
"Going to Pattaya, we should leave in the morning and return late afternoon. But Mai has classes..."
"Then let's come back in the morning. Watch the sunrise and then head back," Phutphitchaya changed her mind on a whim. "Wan has a condo in Pattaya. I'll call to borrow the room and stop by for the keys before I pick up Mai."
"That sounds good. It's a shame Prae can't come."
"P'Prae hasn't taken a single day of vacation this year. Why not try asking?" the youngest asked as she finished serving the rice.
"P'Nat probably wouldn't allow it. Work is very busy because of the annual meeting. I heard the Big Boss is keeping an eye on our department because the last quarter's performance didn't hit the target."
P'Nat, or Natwara, was the secretary to the Big Boss at the company where Unakarn worked.
"So we won't get to go all together. It's rare for P'Paan to be free."
"It's alright. We see each other all the time anyway—unless P'Paan stays over at her condo."
Because of the heavy workload, driving back to the suburban house could sometimes be time-consuming. Phutphitchaya had therefore been paying off a condo in the city, located near the expressway for easy travel, close to her home station. She kept it as a backup for when she was too exhausted to drive home or during peak work periods when she had no time for the commute.
"Mhm. And how is your work going, Prae?" the actress asked her middle sister as everyone began their meal.
"P'Nat is processing a request to adjust my position to assist her directly. We should know the result next week—whether the Chairman will approve it or not." A faint blush of anticipation touched the speaker's face.
"The one you said they were going to open for recruitment?"
"Yes. But P'Nat saw that I finished my Master's and my recent IELTS score was good, so she thought about promoting from within first and then recruiting for my old position instead. That way, she won't have to spend much time training."
"P'Nat is the Big Boss's PA. So if you're promoted, P'Prae becomes the second assistant, right?"
Unakarn nodded. "P'Nat has to work on the Boss's behalf and travels often, so she can't quite keep up with the office work."
"A business that large is worth staying in," the youngest said with a grin, eyes sparkling. "That means a salary increase!"
"Probably not much. I only have two years of experience. Normally, this position requires someone who graduated from abroad and is a bit older." She spoke to her sister and then playfully pinched that prominent nose, knowing her motive. "Asking for an increase in your allowance, aren't you?"