Billionaire Biker Boy

Chapter 23. Shopping Therapy

Wonchana took Samut shopping at a luxurious mall in the heart of the city. He drove up the parking structure, and since it was a Saturday afternoon, the parking lot was quite crowded.

 

"Wow, there are so many cars. Do you think we'll find a spot?" Samut asked, scanning the area to find a space.

 

"Of course. I've got several credit cards that come with parking privileges. Actually, there's a section downstairs for supercars, but this isn't a supercar," Wonchana said.

 

“What's a supercar?"

 

"A supercar is a high-performance vehicle, like Ferraris, Porsches, or Lamborghinis, cars that cost tens of millions. This one's just a regular sports car. It's only four million because I don't see the need for a supercar yet."

 

"Wow, talk about class division," Samut muttered sarcastically, though it wasn't clear who he was mocking.

 

Wonchana laughed. "If you look at it that way, sure. But some people see it as a convenience and a way to save time. Instead of spending half an hour looking for a parking spot, they can use that time to do something productive—maybe even make a fortune."

 

Samut thought about it and nodded in agreement. "Everyone has the same amount of time, but its value isn't the same for everyone, huh?"

 

"Exactly." Wonchana flashed his headlights at a parking attendant. The attendant approached the car, noticed the privilege sticker on the windshield, and moved the barrier aside. Wonchana smoothly manoeuvred the vehicle into the spot in one go.

 

"Wow, so this is what it's like," Samut said, his eyes sparkling as he experienced such privileges for the first time.

 

Wonchana chuckled, turned off the engine, and the two of them got out of the car, strolling into the mall at a leisurely pace. The taller man struck up a conversation. 

 

"Can you drive, O?"

 

“I can, technically, I took lessons and passed the driving test, but I've never actually driven on my own. If I'm not with Uncle Som, I'm with my brother," Samut replied.

 

"Oh my, such a little prince," Wonchana teased.

 

"Mom's just worried about my safety. I'm the youngest, and when I was five, Dad passed away in a bombing incident. Back then, our family business almost collapsed; actually, it did collapse. But Mom fought to rebuild it. She went from being a housewife who occasionally helped Dad with work to fully diving into the business world. Luckily, Dad's connections and loyal employees stayed to help. During that time, P’Sea had to help raise me. But Mom's amazing. She never let us go hungry. Even though times were tough, we always had enough to eat. I remember we had to save every baht. We wore old, patched-up clothes, and when our shoes fell apart, we taped them back together. Now, Mom's a successful businesswoman, but we still live frugally."

 

Wonchana listened, his heart aching slightly. He now understood why the smaller man was so thrifty. Gently, he placed a large hand on Samut’s soft, round head with affection.

 

"That's kind of like my family. But in our case, it was because we were betrayed. A business partner my dad trusted stabbed us in the back. We weren't as badly off as your family, though. We just sold off our assets, gave up our big house, and moved into a smaller one. Luckily, we found a new business that worked out, and now we're stable enough to enjoy life a bit... Come on, let's go buy you a purple shirt, O." Wonchana quickly changed the subject.

 

"What? You still haven't let that go?" Samut rolled his eyes. Wonchana chuckled and dragged the smaller man into a high-end brand store, not the one with the big B' logo. He picked out two pastel purple shirts and held them up against Samut’s small frame. Then, he spun the Chihuahua around to face the mirror, holding each shirt up for comparison.

 

"Which one do you like?"

 

Samut didn't answer. Instead, he grabbed one of the shirts and flipped it over to check the price tag. When he saw the number, his eyes widened in shock.

....This is crazy, like, a short-sleeved shirt for 26,000 baht?

 

"Do you like this one?" Wonchana asked. Samut shook his head vigorously. "No way. I wouldn't dare wear something that expensive. A shirt costing tens of thousands? No, thank you."

 

"But I want to give you a gift for our first date."

 

The oblivious date partner's eyes widened. "Date? What date? I haven't even agreed to be your boyfriend yet!"

 

"You don't have to be my boyfriend to go on a date with me," the other man replied.

 

"Whatever. Let's just find something around a thousand baht. Please, P'Win," Samut pleaded, shaking the taller man's arm. He then took both shirts from Wonchana's hands, hung them back on the rack, and tugged the taller man out of the store. Wonchana chuckled softly but relented, letting Samut lead him out. 

 

As they walked into the main mall area, Wonchana spotted a counter for a famous London cologne brand. He grabbed Samut’s hand and led him over.

 

"I'll buy you some cologne. What kind of scent do you like?"

 

Samut made a puzzled face before lifting his arm to sniff his own armpit. "Do I smell that bad?"

 

Wonchana was momentarily dumbfounded before calmly explaining, "No, O. You don't have any scent-good or bad. But cologne is like an accessory. It boosts your confidence. Plus, if others catch a whiff of a nice scent from you, it leaves a good impression."

 

He then paused for a moment before asking, "Can you smell anything from me?"

 

"Yes, you smell nice. It's comforting," the smaller man nodded. 

 

"That's exactly what I mean... Come on, let's pick a scent you like."

 

When Wonchana glanced around, a male staff member wearing a black face mask approached to assist. Upon learning that Samut had never used cologne before, the staff member patiently explained the basics.

 

"Our brand's colognes aren't categorised by gender. Instead, they're designed to suit individual personalities. You can also pair or layer them to create a unique, personalised scent," he explained efficiently.

 

After inquiring about Samut’s scent preferences, the staff began spraying test strips with different colognes, starting with the brand's signature citrus scent.

 

"It smells amazing!" Samut’s dark orbs sparkled with excitement.

 

"Then try this one," the staff said, spraying another strip with a fresh, salty-sea-breeze scent.

...It feels like standing on a beach.

 

"This one smells great too," Samut said, starting to waver. The staff then demonstrated their expert skills. He took the two test strips, folded them into a Y-shape, and instructed Samut to sniff the middle where the scents blended.

 

"This is how you pair two colognes," he explained. Samut leaned in to sniff, then widened his eyes in delight.

 

Wonchana tried it too and asked, "It smells amazing. Do you like it, O?"

 

Samut glanced at the price, nearly 6,000 baht per bottle, and felt like crying.

 

I know cologne is expensive, but I'd never imagined buying one for myself. Even though P'Win says he wants to pay, this is a bit excessive.

 

Finally, Samut decided, "I like it, but just one bottle of the second scent is enough."

 

"These last a long time. Let's get both," Wonchana insisted, then turned to the staff. "We'll take one of each."

 

The staff, sensing an opportunity, upped his game. "Would you like to add the matching soap and lotion? They'll help the scent last even longer."

 

And consequently, Samut ended up with a complete set of scented products. The staff even demonstrated how to use them for maximum effect, applying lotion and spraying cologne on both of Samut’s small wrists.

 

When it came time to pay, Samut inquired about discounts or promotions. Wonchana could only smile fondly as the smaller man asked him about all the promotions on his. Various credit cards. Thanks to Samut’s persistence and a credit card with unused reward points, they managed to get over 3,000 baht off the total.

 

After the generous spender signed the credit card slip, he took the shopping bag and led the now pleasantly scented Samut to the men's clothing section. The smaller man happily sniffed his own wrists as they walked, stopping at a counter where shirts, polos, and more were sold. Wonchana spun Samut around until he picked out a purple shirt, a yellow one, and an orange one.

 

"That's enough, P'Win," Samut began to protest.

 

"But I want to shop. Let me spend some money, please," Wonchana whined.

 

Samut could only roll his eyes at this generous spender. In the end, he let Wonchana drag him in and out of various stores, though he refused to accept anything else.

 

Eventually, they arrived at a popular Japanese clothing store. The quality and prices seemed to align perfectly with Samut's tastes. He ran his hand over a soft red plaid shirt that was on sale for more than half off, clearly pleased.

 

"Wow, the fabric's so soft. It looks comfy, and it's on sale too!"

 

"Let's get it. I'll get one too. They've got my size," Wonchana chirped enthusiastically, picking up the shirt. Matching outfits were clearly on his mind again, although they hadn't worn the black T-shirts he'd bought earlier.

 

"...Ooh, by the way, O, you're going to start aerial yoga, right? Do you have the right clothes for it?"

 

"I've got T-shirts and sweatpants," Samut replied.

 

Wonchana then guided him to the activewear section, where Samut ended up picking out several workout outfits. But the shopping spree didn't end there. The taller man led Samut into a sprawling store of a renowned sports shoe brand.

 

"In case you ever feel like going for a run with me, these shoes will provide much better support than regular sneakers," Wonchana said.

 

The freshly scented Chihuahua, who had been pampered all afternoon, was on the verge of declining. But when his eyes caught sight of the vibrant array of sneakers neatly displayed on the wall, his dark eyes lit up with excitement.

...Oh well, men and sneakers are a perfect pair.

 

What started as hesitation quickly turned into an enjoyable browsing session. In addition to matching shirts, they also got matching

shoes.

 

In the end, both walked out with two pairs of shoes each—one pair for running at the gym and another for casual outings. Unable to resist, they both put on their new shoes right away, leaving the staff to pack their other pairs into boxes.

 

After paying for the shoes, Wonchana was about to lead Samut out of the store when the latter looked up and spotted Sirichok and Mathukorn... walking arm-in-arm. The level of closeness was so obvious that it could be seen from outer space. It was Samut who broke the silence first. 

 

"Hey, Oat." The smaller man moved closer to Wonchana, reaching out to hold his free left arm. Sirichok, who had been so startled that he forgot to greet the company's vice president, quickly regained his composure.

He raised his hands in a wai to Wonchana and greeted him. "Hello, Mr Vice President... O, how did you get here?"

 

"I came in Mr Vice President's car," Samut replied, his tone unintentionally infuriating. When his gaze shifted to the tall, slim man standing beside his close friend, who was looking at him with curiosity, Samut’s full, rosy lips curved into a question. "We're on a date. Is that your boyfriend?"