Vladimir Caba (2 June 2003)
A few years ago the publishing company for which I worked sent me to cover a trade fair in Bangkok. A westerner, I was working out of Hong Kong at the time and our magazine covered events around Asia.
I was happy with this assignment. Reporting on trade fairs was a breeze. The location is easy to get to, itās open all day, and so you can pretty much arrange your own schedule and make sure you have plenty of time on your own. Since youāre on assignment, the company provides you with a little spending money too.
Now, let me quickly say that although Bangkok has a sleazy reputation, Iāve never bought sex in my life. Thatās a line I just donāt cross. Thailand has a lot of attractions other than hookers, however, and yes that does include adult entertainment as well.
The company for which I worked was a pretty big publisher, but they got to be a big company by watching their money pretty closely. My per diem allowance was ok in a low-cost Third-World country like Thailand, but the company always put us writers up in one of the cheapest hotels in town. The place basically rented rooms by the hour, if you wanted it that way ā I mean, for those quick little āmeetingsā for which Bangkok is famous, that is, āmeetingsā with the business partners in hot pants and halter tops. Of course, not all the guests brought hookers in with them ā I certainly didnāt ā but it was pretty normal to see them around. They were just another part of the life of the city.
Well, I had seen the sights and pretty well enjoyed myself that week, and also done my job. So late in the evening before I was to fly back home, I turned the key in my hotel room, and went in, ready to arrange my interview notes and the literature Iād collected. I like to relax a bit on my last night in a place, setting aside enough time to make sure my tickets are in order and my papers ready. I thought I would just settle down with one of those Thai beers in the mini refrigerator.
The first thing I noticed about my room was that the airconditioner wasnāt working. It had been obviously on its last legs the night before, but and today it just gave up. I frankly didnāt want to go to all the fuss of switching rooms, since I was to fly out the next day anyway. I was on a fairly high floor, I figured the incessant street noise wouldnāt been too much of a bother. As a matter of fact, I kind of like the heat, and since I had enjoyed some sensational dancers that evening at a club, I was in a mood to open the window, feel the moist damp air, strip down to my shorts and fantasize about those sleek, lithe bodies.
Just about midnight, though, my uneventful evening suddenly came to an abrupt end. I had just finished packing away my interview papers when there came a frantic knock at the door. Given my state of undress, I opened it just a crack, and my eyes lit upon a stunning Thai girl in a tight tube top standing just outside my door. Perspiring and terrified she quickly whispered:
āPlease sir, they want to hurt me! Please, can you let me in? Please?!ā
I could hear hurried footsteps approaching from an adjoining hall, and without really thinking, opened the door for just a split second ā long enough for the frightened beauty to slip silently in and fling herself behind the door.
āPlease! Donāt let them know Iām here,ā she implored me as she squatted in the corner behind the closed door.
I was almost naked and my excitement-swollen cock was straining through my underwear, just inches from her exquisite and delicate face and the enormous dark eyes with which she looked at me in hope and terror. Any sense of embarrassment at my own situation, however, was not on my mind as the footsteps outside gave way to violent and threatening shouts in Thai and thunderous pounding on doors ā mine included.
āWhat is it?!ā I responded through the door, trying to pretend that I was an ordinary tenant rudely awakened from his sleep.
Obviously somewhat taken aback at finding a foreigner, their tone became a little more civil, if still insistent: āThere was a girl up here. She is a thief! She stole my property. We want to talk to her, and she will NOT get away!ā
As the girl in the corner desperately shook her head and implored me to keep silent, I shouted to the men outside, āIām sorry about your property, but havenāt seen anybody.ā
The men in the corridor continued to make their presence known to the residents of the other rooms for ten or fifteen more minutes. Finally, however, it sounded like they left.
I flicked off the light in the room and motioned the girl to a chair on the other side of the bed. There was enough light from the street coming through the window to allow us to see one another, but darkness within the room would keep anyone outside from observing the fugitive beauty now taking refuge with me.
Pulling back the curtain slightly, I could see three figures across the street in front of our hotel, just leaning against the wall smoking cigarettes. They were waiting.
I pulled the chairs further away from the window, and opened and handed her the one remaining beer from the mini fridge. I took a sip from mine.
āThank you!! Thank you, sir!ā she whispered quickly. I cut her off.