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"Bonnie, I'm sorry. I don't think I'll be able to make it today. My flight got delayed again."
Bonnie sighed.
Bonnie was preparing for the after party for her new series, Me and Thee, when she received that text from Emi in the dressing room. Up until that point, she had her make-up done, and was currently waiting for her stylist to finish her hair. She had been scrolling mindlessly on her Instagram when a notification popped up, revealing the "P'Mi" name on the top of her screen. Thinking the latter had finished her schedule, she eagerly clicked on the message, just to be hit with such news.
Bonnie stared at her screen for a long minute- she had no idea what to reply. She had been talking about the after party for weeks to Emi, in a subtle yet desperate attempt to sign the older to attend. Whenever Bonnie mentioned it, Emi would smile and reassure her that she would do her best to attend. Yet, somehow, she suddenly had a schedule booked for her on the same exact day as the after party just three days prior, throwing the entire plan away. What was worse was that the event Emi was supposed to attend was held in Khon Kaen, over 500 kilometres away from the venue in Bangkok. When Bonnie came to know of this, heartbroken was an understatement, but even then Emi told her to not worry and that she will be there.
That was, until, disaster struck.
The weather that day had been terrible, so Bonnie woke up to Emi ranting about how morning flight was delayed for two hours. During this time, Bonnie already had a twisting feeling in her stomach that Emi would not be able to make it back in time for the event, but she tried to stay positive. She held on to that small sparkle of hope until it was time for her to prepare for the after party. Yet, with a simple text, the positivity Bonnie held by a string was washed away in an instant, and her mood shifted entirely.
It wasn't as if Bonnie did not predict this would happen. From the moment she had known of Emi's schedule, she was already preparing herself for the worst possibility of the older not being able to attend. She hoped that, by expecting the worst, she would cushion her fall into disappointment, and spare her the heartbreak she was already beginning to feel.
Yet, even as she prepared, the let down did not hurt any less. If anything, it felt like she was thrown off a roof and onto a pit of quicksand- the feeling of disappointment sinking in more slowly than the initial fall.
Bonnie's hands hovered the keyboard for sometime, before typing out an answer.
"It's okay, P'Mi. Just get home safely okay? And please text me when you arrive."
Bonnie saw Emi's typing bubble pop up, but she was interrupted by her manager asking her to come out since the show was about to start. With another heavy sigh, Bonnie turned off her phone, and headed towards the door.
The event started smoothly, and despite her initial relief, Bonnie couldn't shake off the disappointment of Emi not being there.
It had been several performances before the cast was able to take some time to talk with the audience. Bonnie's eyes scanned the venue, hoping to catch a glimpse of Emi still even if the older had told her she won't make it. At this point in time, whatever the other casts were saying was like a breeze whistling past Bonnie's ears. In her defense, she had been listening to an extent, but it just wasn't as fun when everyone had their respective partners and only she was missing her other half.
Amidst the chatters, the MC of the event suddenly asked Bonnie, in a tone of amusement after noticing how quiet she was.
"How are you doing, Bonnie? Are you feeling a little lonely?"
Bonnie was slightly taken aback from the question, but didn't show it. However, she didn't see any point in lying about how she was feeling, as it was (according to her) obvious anyway.
"Yeah, I'm feeling a little lonely."
Bonnie could hear the entire arena erupting in screams after she answered.
"Are you waiting for someone special to come here?"
Bonnie's ears perked up to that question.
She knew it could have been just a normal question, like those the MC usually asked during concerts. Yet, a small part of her was hoping that he knew something she didn't, and that the question was actually a hint of her special person coming.
"I don't know, she likes surprising me."
"How so?"
"By not coming."
The cast members and audiences alike burst out into laughter with that one answer, which eventually broke Bonnie into a smile. She didn't feel as sad, or as tense anymore.
But Bonnie couldn't lie to herself, the longing is still there.
As the cast slowly proceeded into the other questions, Bonnie became lost at the sight of the audience, waiting for her partner to come.
Even if it didn't seem possible.
"P, how long until boarding time?"
Emi looked up at her manager, who was waiting beside her, hand filled with the two bags of Khon Kaen Souri Emi had just bought earlier.
"Should be anytime now. Why? Do you need anything?"
Emi looked back towards her phone. "No, nothing... it's just... do you think we'll make it in time?"
Emi was currently at the Khon Kaen airport, waiting to board the plane. The weather had been terrible around the area, to the point where her flight was delayed twice in the same day. Her phone was currently redirected onto her X page, where her timeline was filled with Bonnie and her appearance at the Me and Thee after party.
"Honestly, I'm not sure. But we'll try our best to get you there in time."
The uncertainty in her manager's answer did not help calm the nerves that have been brewing in Emi's stomach since morning. She was already dreading this schedule enough-it was supposed to be the day she went on to attend Bonnie's big event, yet somehow she was stuck, 500 kilometres away, which felt even further because of the stupid delays.
Emi knew how important this event was for Bonnie. The younger had been excited about it for weeks, sometimes even facetiming her to practice the songs and ask for input. She could tell how excited she was from the way Bonnie's eyes literally sparkled whenever she mentioned the party. The younger's excitement made her attendance at the event her life mission at that point (and she swore it was not an exaggeration).
However, the company suddenly texted Emi about an important schedule she had to attend on the exact same day. She tried talking to her manager about it, whether she really had to attend or not, but even with the countless begging and somewhat threatening messages, it was an event with an external brand, and she had no say in the schedule.
She remembered how the light in Bonnie's eyes dimmed as she broke to the younger the news.
"Don't worry Bonnie, I'll try to be there still. It ends in the afternoon, I'll take the quickest flight back for you."
Remembering that sight of Bonnie, trying to smile even with the disappointment shining through her eyes, Emi couldn't help but feel guilty. She wanted to be there, she needed to be there, but it felt like the universe was just actively trying to stop her from reaching Bonnie that day. A day that mattered a lot for her.
Just as Emi was about to contemplate about her life decisions (including being an actress, falling in love with your co-worker, and not being there for her big day among other things), her manager suddenly grabbed her by her wrist.
"Oh, boarding's open! I think we can still make it, Emi!"
Emi had never gotten on her feet so fast.
She grabbed her bag, and alongside her manager, sprinted towards the gate. Along the way, she could only hope, pray even, that she could still make it in time for Bonnie.
Because there was nothing Emi hated more that letting her number one girl down.
The event was approaching its final minutes, and Bonnie was slowly starting to accept the fact that her partner wouldn't be there.
Her cast mates were now joking around as they headed towards the last few songs the team had prepared for the concert. Truthfully, there was one song, the last one, that Bonnie was actually saving for Emi. It was a love song, almost meant for serenading a loved one, and she planned to do just so if the older woman attended the event. She even planned her gestures- a hand kiss, then a sign of "I love you" directed right in front of her with the audience to see. She had gone through the gestures several times on her own to make sure that they would fit the mood of the song (and so she didn't suddenly freeze during the attempt).
However, it had seemed as if all her efforts were in vain. Her partner wasn't going to be there, and there was nothing else that she could do.
The show must go on, chanted Bonnie silently.
As they approached their last song, Phuwin, her cast mate, suddenly saw a message on the artist screen in front of him without anyone noticing.
"Guys, did you see the screen? It said that Bonnie, Emi has come to see you!"
Bonnie, for one, couldn't believe her ears. It had to be a prank, wasn't it? A cruel one at that, if they knew how she actually felt.
Bonnie looked at her coworker, dead in the eye. "Seriously? I don't believe it."
While the cast were still going back and forth, the audience suddenly cheered in unison. The entire cast turned around, and Bonnie, eyes already wandering around, finally spotted a standing figure right in the middle.
It was Emi. She made it. Right in time.
Emi still wore the suit she had been wearing since the morning, with her hair laid back into her signature sleek style. On both her arms were the Souri bags, containing the Khon Kaen special macaroons Bonnie had been talking about previously.
Upon that sight, Bonnie froze for a split second, before breaking into the brightest smile she was sure to have had on since the evening began.
"I'm here, Nong Chanlee! Surprise!"
Oh sweet, silly Emi.
She was ridiculously posing, mimicking Chawee, or the character opposite to Chanlee that had been an inside joke between the two for months. Emi was grinning at her, and Bonnie swore she had never seen Emi smile so bright before.
She was beautiful. If it wasn't for the crowded room, Bonnie would have probably run towards the other girl's arms right there and then.
Bonnie's heart was still caught up in her throat as the crowd settled down. The rest of the cast, at this point, were cooing and teasing the poor girl, who was still dumbfounded as she looked into the eyes of her partner, that, after sitting down in the complete darkness, still managed to be so radiant.
And despite the noise, Emi didn't take her eyes, not once, off of Bonnie.
Emi's appearance spiked up Bonnie's adrenaline, and suddenly, she didn't feel as drowsy anymore. The cast begun their last song, and Bonnie, with her heart on her sleeves and a smile on her face, walked up to Emi, and started serenading her, just how she intended to.
And as she did, Bonnie felt like there was no one else but them in the world.
"I thought you said you couldn't make it?"
They were back in the dressing room, right after finishing the show. Emi had been invited to come into Bonnie's room, where she handed over the Khon Kaen Souri to the younger girl (who was going to savour each and every bite later back at home).
"Thank you for the Souri too."
Emi was standing next to Bonnie then, helping her take off the hair clips that she had on for the show. Hearing the question, Emi dropped her hands, and turned to kneel beside Bonnie, who was sitting down in her make up chair.
The older woman took Bonnie's hand into hers, and pressed them firmly against her cheek.
"No problem, my love. And honestly? It didn't seem like I was, but I got off earlier than expected. I rushed to come see you as soon as I landed."
Bonnie smiled back at her, bringing their hands closer towards her lips. She placed another firm kiss on top of Emi's palm.
"You didn't have to do that, you know? I know you're tired too."
The older woman stood up abruptly, and without warning, pulled Bonnie into a tight embrace.
"And miss my number one girl's first after party show? Not a chance."
Bonnie could feel herself melt inside Emi's arms.
My number one girl.
That was what Bonnie was to Emi. And Emi would do anything for her.