Autumn is a second spring

24. Ring

"No means no, Prem! Don't make me talk!" Sammy said sternly.

"Please na Sammy na na na..." Prem flattered his eyelashes as he pouted.

"You acting cute might work on your Hia, but not on me. I have already said what I have to say and that's it." Sammy wasn't budging from her stand.

"Sammy" Prem whined.

"Stop irritating me so early in the morning, Prem!" Sammy warned.

"Sammy, you don't understand!" Prem said feeling helpless.

"I do, Prem. I do understand. Fluke or Earth might not understand, but I do!" Sammy was starting to lose her cool. "I admit that you are really successful. Your business establishments are booming, and your entertainment and athletic industry career is going well. And you are living together with a hot rich guy. But I would really like to request you not to forget your roots, Prem!"

"I didn't forget my roots, Sammy."

"You did Prem. You did!"

"What makes you think that I have forgotten my roots?"

"The fact that you are spending a fucking forty-five million bahts on a pair of rings is enough to show that you have forgotten your roots, Prem. You are acting like some nouveau richer right now!" Sammy scoffed. "We come from normal middle-class families, Prem. Our parents had worked really hard to raise us. They taught us the value of money and hard work."

"What are you trying to say, Sammy? I worked hard for that money, okay? I didn't rob a bank for it."

"I know you earned that money, Damn it. But you are emptying all your savings just for the sake of those rings! What will you do if an emergency arises?"

"If an emergency arises, I will deal with it, Sammy. You don't have to worry about that. Also, the money that I spend is my own money. I don't think you need to be concerned about how and where I spend it. I think as my manager, you should focus on getting me new jobs so that I can fill my soon-to-be empty pockets." Prem was equally pissed at Sammy right now.

In the past two weeks, he had asked his friends to help him find a perfect ring for Boun. All three of them had full schedules and couldn't help him out.

In the end, he turned to his cousin, Priya, who was studying under a French jewellery designer. She had taken an apprenticeship under the French designer two years ago and moved to France.

Priya referred Prem to her master, Benoit, who was a well-known jewellery designer who worked with high-end jewellery brands. 

Benoit listened to Prem's description of Boun and their love and created a customised design for them. The total cost of having the two rings made, crossed Prem's budget by a huge margin. 

As he didn't want to embarrass Priya after having Benoit put his time and effort into making that design, he decided to go ahead with the plan.

Truthfully, his heart was still bleeding at the thought of having to spend such a large sum. But he felt that it was all worth it because his biggest possessions, Boun and Bew, would be by his side.

"Alright, Khun Warut!" Sammy's eyes were teary. Each of Prem's words had pierced into her heart. Her fluctuating pregnancy hormones also were of no help. "Since you have so many problems with me telling you my opinion on your life, then I think you should ask the higher-ups to give you another manager. Because I don't want to deal with you anymore!"

She turned her face to the other direction not wanting Prem to see how hurt she was. Prem too was not giving in. He snorted and turned in the opposite direction.

"Woah! Woah! Why do I smell gunpowder here?" Fluke asked as he entered the room. He could feel the tension between the two friends from a mile away.

Sammy wiped her tears and turned to Fluke. "Fluke, Prem wants to change his manager. He is not satisfied with my work."

"I never said that!" Prem defended himself.

"You don't have to shout, Prem. I can hear you just fine." Fluke said covering his ears.

"I never said that" Prem mumbled.

Fluke looked alternatively between his two friends and he felt he needed to mediate between them.  "Sammy, you should come down first. Here, drink this." He handed the tender coconut water to her. 

Sammy's mood swings had been swinging the three friends violently. He wondered how Bosston was holding up.

He then turned to Prem "Bubbles, you tell me what is going on."

Prem explained the whole situation including his ring purchase and the comment Sammy made on that.

"Okay, I understand" Fluke sat on the armchair facing his friends. "Now I hope both of you will listen to my take on the issue."

The other two nodded.

"First of all, Bubbles" Fluke addressed Prem. "I personally am not really supportive of you spending so much on those rings. Especially, since they are for the proposal and not for the wedding."

"But Fluke, we can~"

"Prem, let me finish," Fluke said calmly making Prem turn quiet. "Second, I would be speaking both as a friend and a business partner that you are taking a huge risk by doing this. This single purchase will be emptying your wallet. That would mean that you wouldn't have any emergency funds. You yourself have experienced how important it is to have emergency funds when your Por got his first cardiac arrest. I don't think you have forgotten that."

Prem hung his head low in shame.

Fluke glanced at Sammy and found that she was calmer than before. He turned his attention back to Prem. "The majority of this money you have was earned from our business. You are still a newbie in the business world, Prem. There are several ways in which a new establishment like ours can be hit, Prem. At that time we might need capital on hand to tide through. I am sure this was the point Sammy was trying to make. Are we clear here?"

Prem nodded his head silently. 

Fluke then turned to Sammy. "Sammy, Prem didn't mean it that way when he said those words. So please don't take it to heart. He is just too stressed up about the situation."

"Then he could have just explained it to me the way he explained it to you." Sammy was crying again. Her hormones were making her tear glands work overtime. 

Fluke shot Prem a glance and the latter understood.

"I am sorry Sammy. I shouldn't have reacted like that." Prem hugged her and apologised.

"Go away! You only consider Fluke as your friend. I am nobody!" Sammy took the tissues Fluke offered and wiped her snort. 

Ever since she had gotten pregnant, she had been feeling left out. The other three would drink and party but she couldn't join them. This made her moody.

"It's not like that. I love you as much as I love that idiot" Prem was trying his hardest to coax Sammy.

Sammy glared at Fluke with glossy eyes as the latter wasn't consoling her.

"Me too, my queen. You are the only woman I love outside my family. I swear." Fluke hugged her from the other side and kissed her cheeks.