Reaching the restaurant they hurried inside to escape the midday sun and enjoy the air conditioning. They were seated at a table and given menus.

"Excuse me, Fah? Is it really you?" Fah glanced up at a pretty girl standing by their table.

"Hello, do I know you?" Her voice was familiar somehow.

"It's me, Manao. We spoke last night. I helped you out with that, um, thing you needed help with."

"Manao? Thank you so much!" He stood up and asked if he could hug her. She said yes. They hugged and she whispered in his ear, "I miss this." With his hands on her shoulders, he pushed her back gently so they faced each other.

"We dated for years, it was hard getting over you. It might not have ended well, at least not for me," she tried to smile, "but I wanted to let you know that during the time we were together, you were a perfect gentleman and you were always so thoughtful."

"Thank you for saying that. I don't remember anything but Lom told me what happened. I'm so sorry about that and I'm sorry I hurt you. It was incredibly kind of you to help me last night. I'm glad you still had the photo." Fah would thank her for the rest of his life if that photo kept him out of jail and helped find Lom.

"It's the only one I have left. At first, I was mad and deleted every photo I had of you but I kept that one in case I wanted to share it somewhere else. See, I'm not such a good person after all. I never did share it again but later I kept it so I could remember you." She smiled wanly. "Friends we went to school with have called and texted me to ask if I've seen the photo. They all think I was lucky to have dated such a handsome man."

"I'm sorry I couldn't be the man you needed me to be," he said and hugged her again. Soon people in the restaurant noticed them. Whispers started at one table and people began looking at their phones and then at Fah. Run and Mek saw what was happening and told Khun Korn. He nodded.

"You know, I'm not in the mood for Japanese food after all, do you mind if we go somewhere else?" Khun Korn said. Everyone got the signal, agreed, and stood up.

"Fah, can we stay in touch? I miss you as a friend," said Manao.

"Definitely, you have my number, call me anytime," he said. They parted and he joined the others at the front of the restaurant. Khun Korn spoke with the manager and handed him money to apologize for their early departure.

Down the block, they found a restaurant none had been to called Aloha. It had a Polynesian theme. One wall was a large pool of water with fountains placed 30 cm. apart. As the music played the fountains shot up timed with the music. Colored lights in the water changed each fountain's spray, putting on a show for the diners. The restaurant was dimly lit and had only a few customers inside as they entered.

"This is better. Fewer people means you're less likely to be recognized," said Khun Korn. Everyone sat down to peruse the menu.

"Ooh, spare ribs!" said Ohm. "I think I could eat the ribs of every animal right now, I'm so hungry!"

"Run and Mek, I hope neither of you is vegan. My boyfriend has the sensitivity of a buffalo," said Win.

"We're fine," said Run, smiling at Ohm.

Fah made his choice and asked Khun Korn to order for him. "I need to use the bathroom, please excuse me."

He walked past tables and booths toward the restroom sign near the kitchen. In the back section of the restaurant, it was even darker. Once in the men's room, he splashed water on his face. Was this what his life was going to be like from now on? Would he be unable to go out without people recognizing him from his in flagrante delicto photo? It hadn't seemed like a bad idea last night when he was safe at home but now...

"Fah," said a voice from within a stall.

Oh God, even in the bathroom people are recognizing me? Do they think I'm going to have sex with them in a bathroom stall?

"Fah, come here, help me. Don't tell anyone I'm here," came the whisper. Fah began to wonder if he was being pranked. He walked to the stall door.

"Who is this?"

"The one who loves you most in the world and thought he'd never see you again," said the voice. Fah couldn't believe his ears.

"Lom?"

"Shh, don't say my name, just come in." The stall door unlocked and opened a few centimeters. Fah stuck his head in and couldn't believe his eyes. He stepped inside the stall and hugged Lom.

"Ow," said Lom. "I'm hurt." Fah looked and saw Lom had been shot in the arm and the abdomen. He was extremely pale with beads of sweat lining his forehead.

"What are you doing here?"

"Trying to contact you," said Lom. "I saw you on the street and followed you but I couldn't go into the Japanese restaurant, it was too bright. I saw you come in here so I snuck in the kitchen's back door with a delivery man. No one can know I'm alive."

"Who shot you? Why haven't you called your father?"

"Who do you think shot me?"

"Are you saying Ton shot you?" asked Fah.

Lom nodded.

"He's telling everyone I shot and kidnapped you."

"What? That figures. He can get rid of us both that way, me dead, you in jail."

"Do you want to come home with me?" asked Fah.

"I can't go near your family's house. Your father hates me, actually, your whole family probably does, and the police will be checking there if they think you kidnapped me."

"Can we go back to the condo?"

"No, I tried. Ton has his men watching the building. The moment I go there, I'm dead."

"What should we do? Where can we go? I can bring Khun Korn back here and he can help us," said Fah.

"No, no one else can find out I'm alive or where I am, you have no idea how many people are on Ton's payroll."

"Well, I can't drive and I don't have money to pay for a taxi."

"Don't worry about money, I have plenty. I don't have my phone anymore, I didn't want to be tracked so I buried it in the ground."

"Just a second, can we go to a hotel if I can find a ride?"

"If it's one of the Western hotel chains, yes. Ton knows most of the local hotel owners so we need to avoid them."

Fah pulled his phone out of his pocket and dialed.

"Hi, yes it was great to see you too. I have a huge favor but I need to ask you something. If I were to ask you to take me and a friend somewhere, could you promise never to tell anyone about it or that you saw us? Thanks, you're one in a million. Can you meet me behind the Polynesian restaurant, Aloha? It's down from where you are. I'll be by the kitchen's back door. How soon can you be here?... Oh perfect... thank you so much!"

"Who was that?" asked Lom, leery of Fah's idea.

"It was Manao," said Fah.

"When she sees it's me, do you think she'll still help?"

"Yes, but I have to tell her your father shot you or else she might not."

"Fine, it's the truth; we're not lying to her." The bathroom door opened.

"Fah, are you in here?" asked Run.

"Yeah, I'm sorry, I'm not feeling well all of a sudden. It's embarrassing, I'll be out soon."

"Okay, I'll tell Khun Korn. We ordered and the food came."

"Oh great, thanks for letting me know. Don't wait for me to start eating," said Fah.

A few minutes later Fah helped Lom through the kitchen. Keeping their heads down they walked as fast as possible with Fah holding Lom up, ignoring looks and questions. Once outside Lom almost collapsed. Manao pulled up and Fah pushed Lom onto the backseat lying down. Fah sat in the front passenger seat. He explained everything to Manao. He was afraid she was going to kick them out. Instead, she surprised him.

"Fah, everyone is looking for him and you're already a suspect in his disappearance. Thanks to the photo I sent out everyone knows what the two of you look like. I'm going to drive you to the next province where they won't be searching as hard for you."

"Manao, do you mind stopping here so I can grab something to eat and drink for Lom and myself? I never got to eat. Would you like something? I'll pay for the gas and food for you as well."

"No, you don't have to pay for anything. I've always regretted sending that photo to Ton when I was angry. I didn't want you to get kicked out of school and I didn't want you to lose your condo. I've wanted to make it up to you so many times. Now that Ton has done this to his own son, I realize what a mistake I made. I have plenty of money. I work but each of my parents sneaks me money on the side while trying to hide it from the other." Manao laughed. Fah put his head on Lom's forehead - he was burning up and his breathing seemed shallow.

She pulled into a gas station to fill up while Fah went inside and bought food, medicine, soda, and bottles of water. A few people gave him an odd look but he kept his head down, paid, and left. Back in the car he checked on Lom. He had regained consciousness and the car's air conditioning was helping. He gave Lom some medicine and water and helped him lay back down. He explained they were going to another providence and that made Lom smile. He mumbled something.

"What was that, Lom?" asked Fah.

"I said no wonder you dated Manao, she's an angel." Fah looked at Manao who blushed.

"Oh no, I forgot to text Run. Give me a minute," said Fah.

Run, not feeling well. Took a taxi to the hospital. I'll text you later. Apologize to the others for me, please.

Several hours later, after passing forest and rice paddies, they arrived in a small town. Manao drove until she found a hotel.

"Look, over there, it's perfect," said Fah. A handmade sign advertising rental bungalows was nailed to a tree. Here, drop me off at the office, please."

Manao parked and waited while Fah went inside. He had grabbed the money out of Lom's backpack. He decided to pay for a two-week stay in advance. When he said the bungalow was for two people, the office worker glanced at Manao and assumed it was her.

Fah took the keys, got information regarding local restaurants and taxis, and went back out to the car. Manao drove them to their bungalow. Together they helped Lom inside. They sat him up on the bed and he watched as Manao and Fah turned on the air conditioner, and checked out the mini-fridge and bathroom.

"Lom, are you okay to stay here by yourself? We'll go to town and buy groceries, more medical supplies, and clothes for the two of us."

"I'll be fine. Put on the TV so they know someone is in here."

"Do you want anything?"

"Maybe some beer. I can't sleep due to the pain."

"Sure, I'll buy some. I have your money, by the way." Fah patted his pocket and smiled. "Finally, I have a sugar daddy!" laughed Fah.

"I figured," said Lom. "What's mine is yours anyway, you know that." He smiled at Fah.

"Back soon," said Fah. He walked over and kissed Lom on the forehead. "I love you."

"Love you too," said Lom. "Manao, thank you so much. I'm not sure how I'll ever repay you for this. I'm sorry I hurt you in the past, you didn't deserve it."

"Lom, I was mad, and hurt, but that was a long time ago. Seeing you two together and how much Fah loves you, let's just say he never looked at me the way he looks at you. I'm fine being your third-wheel best friend. I'll always help you two if I can."

"Come here," whispered Lom, his pain beginning to return. Manao walked over to him. He took her hand in his and to Fah's surprise Lom was tearing up. "I don't deserve a friend like you, I'm grateful we have you." Manao leaned over and lightly hugged Lom.

"Okay, we better go," said Fah. They locked the door behind them and headed off to town.

They found medical supplies and groceries. It took a bit more searching but they finally found clothing in a small store. Fah went in and grabbed a bunch of flowery shirts and shorts. He grabbed sunglasses, bucket hats, underwear, and two bathing suits. Their bungalow had a private pool and he thought exercising in the pool might be easier for Lom than trying to build his strength up by walking. Back in the car, he kept running through a checklist in his mind.

"Fah, I have to go back home. How are you and Lom going to get around?" Frowning, Fah thought a bit and then checked online posts.

They found a motorbike for sale. Fah test-drove it and gave Manao the money. She bought it along with two helmets so the purchase wouldn't be traced to Fah or Lom. He followed her back to the bungalow, both of them stopping for gas on the way. He paid for her gas before she had a chance to refuse. Fah also bought a Boba tea and an iced coffee. He walked Manao to her car. They hugged for a few minutes.

"Manao, thank you again. I can't tell you how grateful we are for this. If I were a straight man, I would have never let you go."

"Thanks," she laughed.

"Speaking of which, it's always been about me and Lom. Are you dating anyone?"

"No. Well, I've gone on a couple of dates but no one is as good as you. They don't keep me interested." She smiled and put her hand on his shoulder. "I should be going if I'm going to make it home before midnight. Can you drive with all those bags?"

"Of course, I'm a natural," said Fah. "Be careful. Do you need money for a hotel? You shouldn't drive all night, you could end up in an accident." He was genuinely concerned for her.

"If I drive back tonight no one will know I left the province. If I stay at a hotel I'll miss work in the morning. If I'm ever questioned by the police I don't want to have any late or missed days of work to explain."

"If you have to, you can say you drove us to a hotel, don't lie. But it would help if you could forget the name of the place and not mention it's in another province." He winked at her and she giggled.

"Okay, fine. Let me head home. I love you, take care of Lom." She left and Fah watched her drive off. Trying to hold the bag of supplies and steer was a little harder than he had expected. It had been years since he had ridden a motorbike. He pulled up outside the bungalow and parked close to the door. He brought the helmets inside with him.

"What are those?" asked Lom.

"Our helmets for our new motorbike," Fah said nonchalantly.

"Why did we buy a motorbike?" Lom worried Fah was going to go through their money too quickly.

"Because Manao had to go back and we'd have no way to get around. If we use taxis all the time we risk drivers recognizing us. Plus taxis cost more than filling up the motorbike tank."

"But they'll trace us by the purchase," said Lom, his brow furrowed.

"That's where you're wrong. I test-drove it but gave Manao the cash and she bought it in her name."

"She's getting too involved. She could end up in a lot of trouble."

"As of right now, I haven't been charged with a crime. You've told her the truth, that it was your dad. She hasn't been questioned yet. As far as she knows she gave her friend and his boyfriend a ride. If she does get into trouble we have to step up and help her out." They both agreed to this.

Fah unpacked the bags. He gave Lom some more pain medicine and showed him the clothes.

"Why did you buy such touristy clothes?"

"It was all that was available. Also, it will help us blend in better in big cities," said Fah.

"What about in small towns, like where we are now? We'll stand out."

"We can deal with that later. I was in a rush and grabbing things. Here, your iced coffee," said Fah. Lom took it and looked at it as if Fah had handed him a prized diamond. "After you take your shower, I can work on your wounds - clean and dress them for you."

"You might want to take the bullet out," said Lom.

"Wait, what? You can get an infection. What if the bullet migrates? Why didn't you tell me it's still in there?" Fah blanched.

"Yeah, it was too hard for me to get out on my own. Did you buy beer?"

"Yes. Wait, is that the real reason you wanted it?" asked Fah. Lom nodded yes. "I'm not sure how good I'll be at doing this. I don't even know what to use."

"Don't worry, I have what you need in my backpack."

Fah made Lom eat some food before his shower. "I don't want you to faint in there," Fah said. Lom didn't have much of an appetite but he ate until Fah was satisfied. He went in to take his shower. Fah cleaned up the trash, pulled the tags off the clothes, folded them, and put them in Lom's backpack. He wasn't about to use the dresser or closet at the bungalow in case they had to leave in a hurry. He called Run.

"Hey, Fah, which hospital are you at? Mom and Dad are worried."

"Run, can you help me out here? I'm searching for Lom. I got a lead and I'm following it up. I don't want Mint and Dad to get mad at me but I had to check it out."

"When will you be home?" Run was sad Fah hadn't included him but he said nothing.

"I don't know. I'll call you each day but don't tell anyone. I'm going to have to get a different phone so the police can't track me. I've heard it was Ton shooting at Lom so I can't trust anybody now, especially the police. Ton has half of them in his back pocket."

"Did you go to the hospital or did you get this lead at the restaurant?"

"Why would you ask me that?" Fah tried to hide his shock.

"Because you went out through the kitchen's back door and not the restaurant's front door. Khun Korn thought that was very strange," explained Run.

"Oh, you can tell Khun Korn what I'm doing. He might understand as he has a private detective on the case. Tell him about the possibility it was Ton who shot Lom."

"Then Lom could be inside his house," said Run.

"No, the police would have searched his house and grounds. I have to get going but I'm fine and I won't be back for a couple of days. I love you all, please tell Mek the one who knows his orientation is the one who told me about Ton."

"Okay, I hope he knows what that means, and I hope it's not another guy he's slept with," said Run.

"Run, I have never seen Mek so crazy in love with anyone. Whenever you're both in the room, his eyes never leave you. He smiles every time you look at him. His past is his past and it's meaningless. You're his present and future. Don't let anyone make you feel like you're not the most important person in his life. You two are good together. Think of it this way: you've tamed the wild stallion and now he's only yours to ride!" Run burst out laughing.

"I will tell him that. I'll give him your message about the person who knows their orientation first but then I'm telling him that. Be careful, Fah." The line went dead.