A Book Called Desire

VI. Of Texting And Sexing (Part 2)

Kai gets off his bike with a mood gloomier than he was in the afternoon. This last-minute call to work deterred him from picking Macau to the party. He wanted to surprise him by popping up in his house unexpectedly. Vegas might've punched him, but that's ok.

He wants to hurry up to get to the inside part of the club, but his walks are blocked by so many people who greet him or want small talk. The manner is tact, he succumbs to that for a while to be polite.

When he gets to his friends, he throws the birthday gift to Dom. "From Mac and me."

Vegas scoffs at his friend's insinuation that he and his brother are a couple.

"Wow, thanks!" Dom exclaims as he sees inside the packaging. It's a Rolex Daytona Watch.

Vegas is giving him raised brows, skeptical. Kai just gives him a sweet smile. He's going to be a bitch brother-in-law, isn't he? "My brother actually pitched in?"

"He picked, I paid. Same thing."

"And you didn't say a thing when he picked a fifty thousand dollars plus watch as a gift?"

Kai just shrugs. "Money is meant to be spent. Besides Dom is my best friend." Dom smiles so big it can light up the room.

"Damn. He's going to be more spoiled rotten than he already is," Kla whistles.

"I didn't spoil him, Klahan! He has budgets," Vegas looks defensive.

"Oh, please. His budget can buy an apartment every month. Although not the luxury kind, it's still an apartment."

"What budget are you going to give him, Kai?" Dom teases.

"None."

Arthit whistles. Klahan murmurs 'dumb ass' under his breath. Dom looks confused. Vegas is suspiciously quiet. Ash just smiles.

"Not a smart move," Ash joins. "Cau spends like crazy when he is stressed out."

"No problem. I can afford it. I'll just work harder, earn better," he nonchalantly says. It's true. Macau's habit of spending is to be expected as he comes from that kind of background with that kind of brother.

Please, this is not out of his calculation. He's courting a Theerapanyakul! Do people understand what that even means?

What Macau hasn't have yet? Vegas might delay him to get what he wants for a month or two, but he will eventually get it. Macau knows that the best and so does Vegas's inner link. Pete, Vegas's partner, isn't better either at spoiling and cuddling the boy. The only positive influence in Macau's spending habit is Porchay, said Ash. The kid seems to be allergic to anything too expensive.

The Theerapanyakuls are known as big spenders. Even when he is at the same level as Tankhun in the spending department, Kai is confident he can afford it in five years to come. Macau probably has the urge to redecorate their houses on whims by that time and he will just smile and say ok.

He wants to be that person for Mac and he will. Even right now, he earns better than Vegas if they don't count the earnings from their family's side.

Vegas doesn't say anything to this. He looks like he is thinking about his life choices. He just listens as his friends go back and forth about his brother. This is inevitable, isn't it?

"Don't you want to say anything, V?" Art asks, with a big smile, eager to coax a response.

Vegas looks at Kai, who looks at him back with confidence. There's a heavy air of anticipation.

"Break his heart and I'll break all 206 bones in your body," he says before he raises his glass. Kai gives him a wide smile and a thumbs up. Vegas sighs and downs the whole glass in one go.