Billionaire Biker Boy

Chapter 22 The Future Boyfriend

 

"But P'Win, you've only known me for two or three days," Samut softly protested.

 

"And so what? Listen to me... Imagine we met by chance while travelling somewhere. I saw you, fell for you, and asked for your number to start courting you. Would that really be any different?"

 

He reached out and gently held Samut’s fidgeting hand.

 

"I'm not asking you to be my boyfriend right now. I'm just asking for a chance to court you. Is that okay?"

 

Samut thought for a moment before deciding to confess. "The truth is, I came to Bangkok because I liked someone."

 

"Your first love that lied to you, huh?" The sharp-minded CEO never missed an opportunity to stomp on his competition.

 

The sound of a metaphorical dagger piercing his heart echoed like a scene from a Chinese drama. Little Chihuahua's heart ached and itched all at once. Taking a deep breath, Samut lifted his chin and declared, "Yes, I'm still heartbroken. I'm not ready for a relationship."

 

"Then go ahead and be heartbroken. Make a music video or whatever you want. I just want to keep courting you like this. When you're ready, just turn around and look at me," Wonchana said, testing the waters. "Or do you despise me?"

 

Samut shook his head quickly. "No, I don't despise you." Wonchana smiled. "Then it's settled. Stay in Bangkok and let me keep flirting with you. As for the whole side-gig thing, it's just a way for me to get close to you. I made up the condition since I wanted to court you and make sure you had money to spend so you wouldn't have to go back to Hat Yai."

 

He squeezed the small hand he was holding. "Don't see it as me looking down on you or anything like that."

 

Samut blinked, then nodded in a daze. He could hardly believe this was real. Their moment was interrupted when the staff began serving their food. A massive river prawn, nearly the length of Samutr's arm, was split in half and grilled to perfection. The translucent white flesh looked plump and springy, while the head, which made up more than a third of the prawn, was filled with rich, golden-orange tomalley. It was served with a side of spicy seafood dipping sauce.

...The grilled prawn's aroma wafted through the air, making their mouths water.

 

"Whoooa, why's it so huge?" Samut exclaimed, his eyes sparkling with excitement.

...This is practically a baby lobster!

 

Wonchana smiled as he watched the smaller man take out his phone to snap pictures of the prawn from every angle.

 

He extended his arm next to the prawn for comparison. "You should include something for scale so people can imagine how big it is."

 

Samut didn't object and took a few more shots. Then the taller man suggested, "..My arm's too big; it'll make the prawn look small. Use your arm instead... Here, I'll take the picture for you."

 

Wonchana picked up his own phone, ready to snap a photo. Samut, excited, obediently extended his arm next to the prawn. "Why are Bangkok prawns so big? The ones in Hat Yai are totally fun-sized."

 

"This is Nonthaburi, actually. But these days, they really farmed. If you want real river prawns, I'll take you to Ayutthaya sometime. I know a place. The prawns mightn't be as big, but the grilling and dipping sauce are top-notch," Wonchana replied.

 

He scooped some tomalley from the prawn's head onto Samur's plate, added a bit of dipping sauce, and mixed it with rice. Then he cut a bite-sized piece of prawn meat and placed it on top.

 

"...Here, this is how Bangkokians eat it. Try it."

 

Samutr took a bite of the rice mixed with the rich, tangy tomalley, and his eyes lit up. The creamy, aromatic flavour of the grilled tomalley, combined with the garlic, bird's eye chilli, and the tangy-spicy dipping sauce, made his mouth water even more. The tender, springy texture of the grilled prawn meat added to the delightful experience. After swallowing, the smaller man exclaimed in delight, "WOW, this is so good! Hat Yai can't compare. Over there, they grill the whole prawn without splitting it, so you have to peel it yourself and get your hands all messy."

 

"It's probably like the places in Nakhon Pathom. That's why I drove us here," Wonchana said with a smile, continuing to pamper the little Hat Yai native by serving him food, checking on him, and even wiping the sweat from his cheeks.

...Until a burly man in biker gear greeted them. 

 

"Hey, Win. Why didn't you tell me you were coming?"

 

"Oh, P'Ong! Are you here today? I thought you weren't coming in," Wonchana replied.

"I just got back from a ride and decided to stop by... And who's this?" The newcomer nodded toward the smaller man, who was staring at him with wide, curious eyes.

Wonchana casually draped his arm over the back of Samut's chair and raised an eyebrow at his senior.

 

"My future boyfriend."

 

The 'future boyfriend' felt like his fever was coming back. His cheeks turned a bright, rosy red as Little Chihuahua bristled in embarrassment. "P'Win!"

Wonchana laughed at his reaction and introduced them.

 

"P'Ong, this is Ocean or Samut, my employee at Sardina...O, this is P'Ong or Arthit. He's the leader of my bike group and the owner of this restaurant."

 

"Hello, P'Ong," Samut greeted politely with a wai.

 

"Hello, Ocean," Arthit replied before pulling up a chair to sit near Wonchana. He teased, "So, are you abusing your power on an employee right now?"

 

"No, because... he's a Chihuahua."

 

The Chihuahua glared but didn't dare interrupt as Arthit laughed heartily. "Hahaha, it suits him. So, what's the deal? Are you so busy taking care of your Chihuahua that you've stopped going on trips?"

 

Arthit teased the smaller man, who was looking daggers at Wonchana.

 

"No, I've been really busy with work lately. I'm preparing to take Tewa Vegetable Oil public, and President Vichai, plus his wife, has been off visiting his grandkids instead of coming back to the country." Wonchana said, teasing about his parents.

 

"Your sister had her baby?" Arthit asked, familiar enough with Wonchana to know about his personal life.

 

"Yeah, the third one. It's a girl this time, and she looks just like a doll," Wonchana replied.

 

Samut quietly ate the remaining food while eavesdropping on their conversation. The two men chatted for a while until Arthit got up to grab a Polaroid camera from the counter.

 

"Come on, let's take a picture for the board. The vice president of Atcharangkul brought his future boyfriend here for a meal, after all," Arthit said. 

 

Wonchana adjusted his chair and casually draped an arm around Samut’s shoulder. The smaller man didn't resist, though his smile for the camera looked more like a playful snarl. And after Arthit snapped the photo and shook it until the image appeared, Wonchana leaned in to look. "Take another one, P'Ong," he said.

 

He turned to Little Chihuahua, who had just pulled a goofy face for the first shot. "..O, give me a nice smile for this one. I'll pay you 2,000 baht." Samut rolled his eyes and snapped, "Money can't buy me, you know."

 

'3,000."

 

"..." The smaller man hesitated for a moment before muttering softly, "!...Nah."

 

"5,000."

 

A sweet smile instantly lit up Samut’s face, and Arthit quickly pressed the shutter. The photo wasn't a posed shot, but it captured a charmingly cute atmosphere. Wonchana reached over to snatch the second photo from his senior's hand. "This one's mine, P'Ong."

 

Arthit didn't argue, handing over the photo while pinning the first one to a wall.

...A wall full of Polaroid pictures.

 

After finishing their meal, Samut wandered over to the board to look at the photo they'd just taken. He snapped a picture of it with his phone and then noticed a faded photo nearby. It was a solo shot of a younger Wonchana, looking slightly less mature than he did now. 

 

Samut took another picture of it with his phone, and the man in the photo spoke up behind him.

 

"That was when I'd just graduated with my bachelor's and was about to go to the U.S. for my master's. I met P'Ong by chance, and he invited me to join the bike group," Wonchana clarified as he joined Samut after paying for the meal.

 

Arthit added, "But before long, he ran off to study. When he came back, he still wouldn't join the group until about four years ago."

 

"Come on, P'Ong. Back then, the company was at a critical turning point."

Samut’s ears were still tuned into their conversation, but his eyes continued scanning the board.

...Wow, so many celebrities and singers have been here.

 

Then his gaze landed on a particular photo, and the smile on his face quickly faded. He pointed at it with his small finger and asked, "P'Ong, who's this?"

 

Arthit glanced at the photo and immediately recognised it. "Oh, that's Mr Suwit, a local politician. This was taken just last week. He was bragging about everything as usual. His daughter is really pretty and takes after her mom. Her mom used to be an actress, not very famous, but wealthy. And the handsome guy in the photo? That's her future fiancé. They're a perfect match. I heard they're getting married next year."

 

Samut pressed his lips together tightly, the light in his dark eyes dimming rapidly.

...Sirichok is getting married. And to a woman, huh? ....But didn't he say he liked men? What about the guy I saw with him at Patpong? Weren't they supposed to be together?

 

Noticing Samut’s reaction, Wonchana glanced at the photo again and seemed to piece things together. He vaguely recalled seeing the man in the picture at the Atcharangkul Building. Reaching out, he placed a comforting arm around Samut’s small shoulders and turned to address his senior.

 

"P'Ong, I'll head out now. I'll drop by again when I have time," Wonchana said.

 

Arthit waved him off before pointing at Samut. "Don't just drop by to eat. Come join us on a trip sometime. Bring this Chihuahua along, too. The gang would have a field day teasing you both," the burly man said without a hint of concern for the Chihuahua's feelings.

 

"Sure, P'Ong. I'll message you later," Wonchana replied.

 

"Goodbye, P'Ong. The food was delicious," Samut said as he tucked his phone into his bag, giving a polite wai and a smile.

 

"Thank you. Have a safe trip," Arthit said in farewell.

 

Once they were in the car, Wonchana noticed that Samut seemed quieter than usual. He decided to ask, "It's only two in the afternoon. Should we go walk around the mall? Or do you want to head back to the condo?"

 

Samut turned to look at him, adjusting his expression to appear more cheerful. "Are you tired, P'Win?"

 

"I'm not. I feel like going for a stroll and doing some shopping... What about you? Are you tired, O?"

 

At that moment, Samut really wanted to go back to the condo and flop onto his bed like a fool. But he didn't want to dampen the other person's mood either. "I'm not tired. We can go wherever you want, P'Win."

 

With that, Wonchana started his beloved car and drove toward the city centre. He didn't actually plan to shop for anything himself, but judging by this Chihuahua's mood...

Nothing could beat a little retail therapy!