A/N: The image above does not belong to me. It belongs to the person who uploaded it on the internet.

Max's POV

I was up bright and early. I loaded all my stuff in the trunk of my electric blue Chevrolet Corvette. It was midweek and although it was only seven in the morning, Bangkok's busiest motorway was a bumper to bumper situation.

By the time I got to the building where I was supposed to report to Mr. Siripool I was starting to feel worried that I might not be able to get to his office at the designated time of our meeting.

After I handed my personal information to the receptionist at the lobby of the penthouse, she handed me the key to my room. I asked her if Mr. Siripool was in his office.

The receptionist looked at her watch.

"He's been in his office since half an hour ago," she replied. "When you enter those double doors, his office will be the last door to your right."

I thanked the receptionist and went through the double doors that she indicated. There were two large couches facing each other in the spacious living room that I had walked into. There were several doors on either side of me. I walked towards the doors to my right.

Before I could even reach the last door, a gentleman whom I assumed to be Mr. Siripool walked out of it. He held out his hand to me upon seeing me.

"Max?"

"Yes, sir," I replied, taking his outstretched hand.

"Were you handpicked by Mr. Boonsri to join the cast of our series?"

"No, sir," I replied. "The author contacted my agency and offered me the new role that she added to her story. I was more than happy to accept it because I have just finished my stint in Japan and my agency has nothing lined up for me at this time."

"Very well," said Mr. Siripool, "your room is right next to my office. It's a quarter of nine. You still got some time to organize your stuff inside your room. Have you had breakfast yet?"

"I had something before I left my unit," I replied. "I'm not really a breakfast eater but by lunchtime, I can eat for three people."

Mr. Siripool chuckled. He looked at my waist line.

"You must spend a hundred hours in the gym if you're eating for three people everyday and still manage to look trim."

I laughed but did not contradict him. The gym was indeed practically my home, considering the long hours I spent working out there every single day.

"Be in the conference room at nine o'clock," Mr. Siripool said before walking away from me.

"Where is it located?" I asked before he could walk out of earshot.

"Last door on the left," he replied, already walking towards it.

I quickly made my way to my room, unlocked the door and started to unpack, taking note of the time so that I would not be late for the meeting with the rest of the cast and Mr. Siripool.

I got so engrossed organizing my stuff in my room that by the time I thought of checking the time it was three minutes before nine.

I dropped everything and made a dash for the conference room. I knocked briefly before opening the door and walking in.

Mr. Siripool was seated at the head of the table. All the chairs had been filled by the other actors except for the one right across from Mr. Siripool which was exactly at the spot where I stood.

"Take your seat, Max," said Mr. Siripool. "I will be asking you to make a quick introduction of yourself and then I will be asking everyone to introduce themselves briefly to you, one by one."

I pulled out the chair and sat on it and then took a deep breath. I looked at the faces around the table. There were four guys and two ladies. Their faces looked familiar to me because they had been in other tv shows before but I had never met them in person before today.

I smiled and bowed before saying, "Hello everyone, my name is Max. Max Nattapol. I am 25 years old and I have acted in several other series and movies before. I am excited to be part of this series and I hope to be friends with all of you."

"What is your favorite hobby?" the pretty lady who was sitting on Mr. Siripool's right gave me a sweet and friendly smile as she asked the question.

I was about to answer when I noticed that the actor sitting by my right was wearing a scowl on his face as he glared at the pretty lady who had directed the question at me.

"Well, whenever I get the chance, I go to the beach and swim or just stroll along the edge of the water," I replied.

"Do you do that alone, or with someone?" the same lady with the sweet and friendly smile asked me.

"Sometimes alone, sometimes with someone," I replied, feeling a bit uncomfortable now because for some reason I was starting to feel a thin atmosphere of animosity from the actor seated at my right.

Suddenly this person spoke up. "You spend your time at the beach strolling with your boyfriend Tul, right?"

"Yes," I said, looking him squarely in the eye, "I spend every free time I have with him."

I saw some kind of a triumphant gleam in his eye as he smirked while fixing his eye on the lady who had subjected me to the first two questions.

It made me wonder whether there was something going on between him and that lady.

"Okay," said Mr. Siripool, "why don't each one of you say a brief something about yourself to Max. Let's start out with Art who is seated right next to Max."

I turned my attention to the guy who was seated at my left, right across from the actor from whom I was feeling some animosity.

Art smiled and bowed to me.

"I don't have much to say about me," he said in a soft and shy voice. "The last time I was acting in a series was almost three years ago. In the meantime I have been performing as a singer and dancer as part of an entertainment group."

There was something about Art that drew me to him. I could not pinpoint what it was, but I knew that I wanted to get to know him more. My instinct told me that I would get along very well with him.

I had lied to the other guy who asked me about my best friend Tul. He was not my boyfriend but he was my best friend. I just said that Tul was my boyfriend to appease him because I could feel that he was trying to discourage the lady, who I later found out was named Preeda, from getting close to me.

I planned to call Tul later tonight and tell him all about Art.