I’m a little surprised she recognizes me. To my knowledge, we’ve never met. They probably spy on Noi via social media.
Noi takes a step closer to me, and I put my arm around his shoulder. Letting Noi’s parents know about us may cause trouble, but I really don’t care. Noi needs me.
Noi’s father’s eyes narrow and his mouth turns down.
“Not to be rude,” Supaporn Somprasong says, “but we hoped to have some time alone with our son.”
Noi’s clutching the back of my shirt like he’s afraid I’ll leave. As if I would leave him with these vipers now that I have a choice.
“Noi and I have a lunch date, but since you two are here, you are welcome to come with us,” I say.
His parents look irritated, but his mother just huffs and suggests a restaurant nearby. A very expensive restaurant. Fortunately, Pah replenished my school bank account recently because no way would I ever admit to these people that I couldn’t pay for both me and Noi.
Noi and I don’t accept the offer to ride with them, which gives us a few moments in my car alone before reaching the restaurant.
“Don’t worry,” I tell him. “We’ll eat and make an excuse to get away.”
Noi nods, his face pinched and pale. “Thanks for coming. I don’t have a good feeling about this.”
“Everything’s going to be okay. You’re nineteen years old. In seven months, you’ll legally be an adult. They’re losing their grip on you.”
Noi nods. “Sometimes I wish they’d just disappear. That’s awful, isn’t it?”
I shake my head. “No. You have every right to resent them, and it isn’t like you’re wishing them dead. You just don’t want to have to see them or deal with them.”
Noi relaxes, slumping in his seat. “Yeah. That’s exactly it.”
I have trouble finding a parking space and wind up leaving the car several blocks away from the restaurant. By the time we walk inside, the Somprasongs are seated and drinking martinis. They don’t look happy at having to wait for us.
The waiter has barely stepped away from the table after getting our food orders when Noi’s father begins questioning him about his grades. No, “How are things going? Have you made a lot of friends?” Just straight to what kind of marks he made. I want to punch his cold, emotionless face.
After Noi reports his straight As, Somchai shares a look with his wife.
“Your mother and I have been discussing your future, Mee Noi,” he says, turning his attention back to his son. I might as well not be there at all for the attention the two of them pay me.
Noi goes tense in the chair beside me, and, under the table, I slide my hand onto his thigh.
“We’re transferring you to a university in Munich. We thought it would take another semester to get you in, but we were notified yesterday that they will take you. The school here has agreed to give us a partial refund on what we’ve paid.”
Stunned, I look at Noi. His face is as white as his shirt.
“W-what?” he says.
Obviously annoyed at having to repeat himself, Somchai says, “I said you’ll be going to school in Munich. Your mother and I are here to pack you up and take you there. We have booked a flight for tomorrow afternoon.”
Anxiety makes my stomach clench.They can’t take Noi to Germany!Pulling my phone out of my pocket, I start texting Pah.
People chat and eat around us while an uncomfortable silence settles over our table. The waiter returns with our food and, reading the room, quietly leaves again.
“I like this university,” Noi says. “I like Bangkok. I don’t want to live in Germany. I’m not going to.” His voice strengthens with each statement.
I’m so proud of him, I want to stand up and pump my fist in the air. Instead, I return my hand to his thigh and squeeze it in approval.
“You don’t have a choice,” Noi’s father says sternly. “We’re your parents and we pay for your schooling. The business program at the university in Munich is much more suitable than this one, and, when you graduate, you can work for me.”
Under my palm, the muscles of Noi’s thigh tense.
“You just want to get me away from my friends,” he accuses. “You know I like this university, and you know I consider the Chanthaphans my family. You hate that because you want to hurt me. And you know that being away from them and spending my life working for you will make me miserable!”