As Arthit and Kong entered the charity dinner event, they were enveloped in an atmosphere of elegance and sophistication. The venue was adorned with twinkling lights and floral arrangements, casting a warm glow over the room. Soft music played in the background, creating a serene ambiance that complemented the charitable spirit of the event.
The attendees, dressed in their finest attire, mingled and chatted animatedly, their laughter filling the air. Waitstaff glided gracefully between tables, serving gourmet delicacies and pouring glasses of champagne.
Arthit was dressed impeccably in a tailored tuxedo, the deep navy fabric accentuating his lean frame. His aquamarine tie added a pop of color to his ensemble, complementing his dark hair and sharp features. With his confident stride and composed demeanor, he exuded an aura of authority and sophistication.
Beside him, Kong cut a striking figure in a classic black suit, his crisp white shirt and sleek black tie exuding timeless elegance. Despite his initial reluctance to attend, he wore his attire with confidence, his posture straight and his expression determined.
As they made their way through the crowd, heads turned in their direction, their presence commanding attention and respect.
As they strolled through the crowd, Arthit playfully nudged Kong and remarked, "You know, Kong, with that charming smile of yours, you might just steal the show tonight."
Kong smirked, shooting back with a sassy reply, "Oh, phi!, I wouldn't dream of stealing your thunder. I'll leave that to your wardrobe choices." He jabbed at Arthit's colourful tie in a sea of black, whites and browns.
Arthit chuckled at the comeback, shaking his head in mock exasperation. "You're incorrigible, Kongpob," he teased.
Kong shrugged nonchalantly. "Just trying to keep up with the master of wit," he quipped, flashing a grin as they continued through the bustling crowd.
Despite their differences, Arthit and Kong stood united in their commitment to support a worthy cause, their attire and demeanor reflecting their shared values of professionalism and compassion.
As Arthit smoothly navigated the crowd, engaging in conversations and networking with finesse, Kong followed closely behind, his role as Arthit's shadow well-established. He smiled and nodded politely, blending into the background as Arthit effortlessly commanded attention.
However, amidst the chatter and laughter, Kong couldn't shake off the feeling of being scrutinized by some of the guests, particularly Isabella also known as Siri, the young heiress of a semiconductor chip giant and one of Arthit's brief dating partners.
Isabella exuded an air of elegance and sophistication, her demeanor gentle and proper, especially when in Arthit's presence.
"Arthit, darling, it's been too long," Isabella greeted with a charming smile as she approached, her eyes briefly acknowledging Kong before returning to Arthit.
"Siri, it's a pleasure to see you," Arthit replied courteously, though Kong noticed a hint of tension in his boss's demeanor.
Isabella's gaze lingered on Arthit for a moment before drifting over to Kong, her smile faltering ever so slightly. "And who is this handsome man?"
Arthit's jaw tightened imperceptibly, but he maintained his composed facade. "This is Kongpob, my invaluable executive assistant," he confirmed, his tone polite but firm. " and most trusted friend."
Isabella's lips curved into a polite smile, though there was a hint of condescension in her eyes as she turned her attention back to Kong. "How... delightful," she remarked, her tone laced with subtle sarcasm. "I must say, you surprised me, Kongpob. You must have very special talents for Arthit to set aside his principle of not mixing professional and personal life and employ a friend."She stressed the word friend to imply other meanings she attached to it.
Arthit's lips curved into a polite smile, though there was a glint of steel in his eyes as he addressed Isabella. "Ah, Isabella, it seems you've misunderstood," he remarked smoothly. "Kongpob isn't just a friend; he's a trusted confidant and an integral part of my team. His loyalty and expertise are unmatched, and I value his contributions immensely." Arthit's tone was firm yet courteous, leaving no room for further debate on the matter.
..............................
As the evening progressed, Arthit and Kong found themselves seated at a lavish dinner table, surrounded by other guests engaged in lively conversation. Isabella, ever the socialite, took the opportunity to slide into the seat next to Kong, her demeanor pleasant yet calculated.
"So, Kongpob," Isabella began, her tone saccharine sweet, "tell me, how does it feel to be in the presence of such esteemed company? I imagine it must be quite the honor for you."
Kong raised an eyebrow, his expression cool and collected. "It's certainly a privilege to support such a worthy cause," he replied diplomatically, refusing to take the bait.
Isabella's smile widened, though there was a glint of mischief in her eyes. "Of course, of course," she murmured, her gaze lingering on Kong. "But I can't help but wonder, what exactly is your role in all of this? Besides being Arthit's... assistant, that is."
Arthit, sensing the direction of the conversation, interjected smoothly. "Executive assistant. Kongpob plays a crucial role in the success of our endeavors," he stated firmly, shooting a pointed look at Isabella. "Although he is fairly new in our team, his dedication and expertise have become invaluable assets to our team."
Isabella's facade of politeness wavered for a moment before she recovered, her smile tightening slightly. "Ah, I see," she replied, her tone dripping with insincerity. "Well, I suppose everyone has their place, don't they?"
Kong remained unfazed, his demeanor unruffled as he met Isabella's gaze head-on. "Indeed," he replied evenly, his voice laced with quiet confidence. "And some are just better at playing their part than others."
Arthit stifled a chuckle, disguising it as a cough as he raised his glass in a toast to divert the conversation.
"On the behalf of AR group, I thank you all for taking out time from your busy schedules to support this cause.
Here's to the joy of giving,
To making a difference, and living
In a world where kindness reigns,
Cheers to love and all it sustains."
" We have been coming here every year, Arthit " One of the businessman teased Arthit good natured " It is only you who was busy then, it seems. "
Arthit chuckled, his tone light-hearted yet respectful. "Ah, well, better late than never, isn't it?" he quipped, raising his glass in a playful toast. "Here's to making up for lost time and ensuring that our contributions tonight leave a lasting impact."
Isabella picked up the thread immediately, her tone playful as she glanced between Arthit and Kong. " Arthit is mated to his business uncle. Even his plus one to this event is his secretary. Is there some business you're looking to conduct tonight, Thit?"
Arthit's lips quirked in amusement, though there was a flicker of irritation in his eyes at the implication behind Isabella's words. "Ah, Isabella, I'm definitely more passionate about Business than I am about other things. " he replied smoothly, his tone light yet pointed. "But, tonight , I'm here to support a worthy cause and enjoy the company of good friends. And Kong happens to be one of my best friends as I have told you intriducing him."
As the dinner progressed, Isabella's subtle jabs at Kong became increasingly pointed, until finally, she crossed a line that even Arthit couldn't ignore.
"You know, Kongpob, although it is a charity event" Isabella began, her tone laced with thinly veiled contempt, "As Arthit's secreatry, you should make sure he be seen with a person who would increase his stature and makes him stand out in a crowd for all the right reasons. "
"I will, Khun Isabella" Kong politely nodded " Thank you for giving me your valuable insights."
Arthit's jaw clenched, his dragon stood forefront in his mind, his patience wearing thin as he shot Isabella a steely glare. "Excuse me?" he growled, his voice low and dangerous.
Isabella smirked, unfazed by Arthit's reaction. "Oh, don't get me wrong," she continued, her tone dripping with disdain. "I'm sure Kongpob is perfectly competent in his role as your... assistant. But surely, there are more... refined individuals who could accompany you to such events."
Arthit's alpha instincts kicked into overdrive, his temper flaring as he rose to his full height, towering over Isabella with an intimidating presence. The air around him crackled with tension, and a hush fell over the room as the other guests watched in apprehension.
"I brought my friend here , promising him to introduce him to one of the most kindest and compassionate human beings on earth" Arthit began, his voice cold and commanding. "Alas, none of those individuals seem to be present tonight. Kongpob is not just my assistant. He is my friend, my confidant, and one of the most loyal and capable individuals I have ever had the privilege of working with."
Isabella's smirk faltered, her confidence wavering in the face of Arthit's unwavering resolve. "I-I didn't mean any disrespect," she stammered, her bravado crumbling under Arthit's intense gaze.
Arthit's expression softened slightly, though his eyes still flashed with righteous anger. "Perhaps Kong should take your advice. " replied icily, his tone leaving no room for argument.He turned to Kongpob " Make sure I am never seen with these people in my hundred miles radius." Kong nodded, taking out a diary from his breast pocket and jotting down the command.
With that, Arthit turned on his heel and strode away, leaving Isabella speechless and the other guests stunned by the display of his alpha dominance.
" I am sorry for Khun Arthit's abrupt departure, He has least tolerance for unproductive chatters. " Kong bowed to the crowd, especially to the elder business people " On the behalf of AR groups, we wishe you a good and enjoyable time here. Please excuse me" Kong retraced the path Arthit had stormed off on.
The crowd was more stunned. It wasn't a surprise that Arthit - a savage has chosen this sass on two feets as his assistant.
Arthit was standing near his car fuming. Kong glanced at him, a mixture of concern and admiration in his eyes. "Are you okay?" he asked quietly.
"Shouldn't I ask you that?" Arthit asked, feeling guilty " I insisted you to accompany me to this party."
"But why do you look like, there will be steam coming out of your ears anytime soon?cAre you sure you are the ice dragon?"
Arthit nodded, a grim smile tugging at his lips. "I'm fine," he replied, his voice firm. "Just tired ."
KOngpob sighed in relief " Why did you walk off phi? There were such delicious dishes! "
Arthit's lips curled into a wry smile. "I couldn't bear the buzzing of the flies," he replied, his tone tinged with sarcasm. "They were sucking all the beauty out of the evening."
Kong rubbed Arthit's arm to calm him down. Arthit rested his head on Kongpob's shoulders, taking lungfuls of air. After sufficiently calming down, he suddenly chirped " Let's go "
"Where?" KOng asked.
"To feed rats in your stomach" Arthit replied chuckling.
..............................
Kong groaned seeing name of french restaurant. "Not again phi" Kong groaned. "
"I can speak french fluently now" Arthit insisted.
Kong rolled his eyes "That's what you said last time"
A young fifteen year old Arthit had once led a twelve year Kong to his favorite French restaurant to give him a birthday treat. Having learnt French for three months and spent two weeks of holidays in France, he was sure he could speak basic french fluently.
Determined to impress his friend, he had requested a table for two by confidently saying, "Deux Personnes ( two persones) but he ended up saying "Deux Pressions." which meant two draft beers"
The waiter, raising an amused eyebrow, responded, "Sorry, but you're not old enough for 'Deux Pressions.'"
Arthit, slightly mortified, now stammered, "No, no! I meant a table for two!"
The waiter chuckled, "Ah, my apologies. Follow me."
Seated at their table, Arthit eagerly passed menu to Kong " What do you want to eat?" He asked. Kong frowned " I can't pronounce any of this."
"Let me surprise you" Arthit excitedly scanned the menu and called the waiter again.
"Macquereaux au vin blanc, s'il vous plaît (Mackarel in white wine)," Arthit said, emphasizing the last syllables with unintentional emphasis.
The waiter, trying not to laugh, replied, "Very well, macaroons it is young sirs."
Arthit, now thoroughly embarrassed, turned to Kong, who was trying to suppress a grin. "Maybe we should just write down our order." Arthit said, thoroughly embarrased.
Kong handed him a napkin and a pen with a teasing smile. Arthit carefully wrote out their choices, hoping to avoid further culinary misadventures. The waiter gave them a bright smile as well as dessert on house, to ease their discomfort.
Despite the initial language struggles, the duo eventually enjoyed a delightful dinner filled with laughter. The waiter, recognizing their good humor, even brought a plate of actual macaroons as a playful nod to Arthit's unintentional order.
Right now, sitting in the same restaurant, Kongpob couldn't suppress his laugh. Espescially seeing the competitive glint in Arthit's eyes. "Let me order " Arthit requested while he confidently perused the menu and decided to order a classic dish-Coq au Vin.
Turning to the waiter with newfound confidence, Arthit declared, "Je vais prendre le Coq au Vin, s'il vous plaît."
Kong, suppressing a mischievous grin, couldn't resist teasing him, " Coq au Vin, not macaroon au vin this time, right?"
Arthit rolled his eyes, "Very funny. I've come a long way since then. This time, no linguistic mishaps."
"So, You've truly mastered the art of ordering without accidentally requesting desserts," Kong chuckled.
Arthit rolled his eyes "It happened just once, will you ever let me forget it?."
"Nooo.." Kong smiled cheekily.
"Don't think I have forgotten your french fried" Arthit teased.
Kong glared " I was four then"
Arthit smirked " I should have ordered your favourite pee nut butter sand witch "
"Shut up phi" Kong glowered and then instantly his his face behind his hands, embarrased.
So, a four year old Kong was more excited than seven year old Arthit's annual 'learn and earn' function. In this, kids set up different stalls like food stall, magic trick, snacks or some other things that visiting parents and teachers would buy from them.
Arthit and Kong decided to set up a food stall with all their favourite menu so even if no one will buy, they will eat it themselves and compensate for loss. KOng was uber excited to make the menu board and wouldn't let Arthit sneak a peek. Poor Arthit was roped in to decorating the stall.
After a week's hard work Arthit and KOng's menu board was like this
"Thit eats"
1. Burger -10 Baht
2. pee nut butter sand witch - 15 baht
3.French fried small - 10 baht
4.rain bow sand witch -25 baht
5.choke late milk shake -15 baht
6.Ice cream sunday-20 baht
7.Candy can - 2 baht
8. Nomyen(pink milk)-40 baht.
It was Kong's great idea to keep nomyen as most expensive item so no one will buy it and Arthit will have lots of Nomyen to drink and even Arthit's mom can't scold him since they would be cutting their losses.
At first , Arthit couldn't understand why Arthit's mom looked at the board horrified and then grinned saying " Your stall is going to be uber famous. "
And it surely did. Parents and teachers alike crowded the stall, ordering the menus as written on the board.
Mrs. Chayanit,their english teacher approached the stall with a playful glint in her eye. "I'll take a 'rain bow sand witch' and a 'choke late milk shake,' please," she requested, emphasizing the misspelled words with a wink.
Kong , oblivious to the mishap , nodded enthusiastically. "Coming right up!" Kong replied, grabbing the necessary ingredients from behind the counter.
" A french fried small" one of their classmate's father orderd " By the way boys, why do you not have french fried big?"
"Our hands are too small for that sir. But I promise, our small one is very tasty" Kong answered without missing a beat and the crowd guffawed.
"Candy can" their math teacher ordered, Kong handed them a cand cane.
" but you promised a can, young man " she teased " and you are giving me only one"
It was that moment, when Kong realised he had made some mistake in the board but Arthit instantly replied " We are not much educated mam, or we won't be selling our food at stalls."
Their teacher grinned "So, its intentional then?"
Arthit and Kong looked at each other " You can't expect right spelling from hawkers mam" Arthit showed his dimpled smile.
"But you can expect good marketing" Kong beamed.
Their stall turned out to be most profitable, they donated highest to the organisation for education of specially abled children.
The crisis at school was managed but Ayan and Grace never let them forget pee nut sand witch and choke late milk shake.
"I had a good marketing strategy" Kong whined red faced " don't forget your stall grossed highest income because of me "
Arthit took his pen out of his breast pocket and scribbled on a tissue " I am eternally tankfull too you for that Kongpob "
Kong saw the intentional spelling mistake and glared at Arthit bit his ire was sideline d by delicious smell of food ariving.
"I apologize for the wait sir we are short of staff today"
"Please hire taller staff then" Arthit teased looking straight at Kongpob. referring to a time when Kong was craving Tacos of their local joint who had closed the shop temporarily citing " We are closed due to short staff". Kong had written " Please hire taller staff quickly. I want a taco!"
The waiter laughed " you have quite peculiar sense of humor sir"
"He is quite peculiar overall " Kong said, smirking.
"Enjoy" the waiter after presenting them with their ordered food, went away.
Arthit took a satisfe bite of perfectly prepared and presented Coq au Vin . "See, no macaroon mix-ups this time."
Kong, raising his glass in a playful toast, replied, "To linguistic progress and delicious dinners."
After their dinner, suddenly a plate of macaroons was presented to them by an old person " Your macaroon au vin sir"
Both Kong and Arthit chuckled " I think it was too soon to say there will be no macaroons today"
Kong smiled raising his glass gain "And perhaps, a subtle nod to our macaroon misadventure."
They insisted the now old waiter to join them too, all three clinked glasses, savoring not just the exquisite French cuisine but the shared memories that flavored their longstanding friendship.