More to You ✔

Chapter 12 - Giant Lizards (Maria)

Rialoves2cook: Thanks to my adventure buddy, Tom, I learned the shocking fact that we share Bangkok with giant monitor lizards. I'm definitely closing my window tonight even though I live on the fifth floor. Despite my unease, they're kind of weirdly awesome. It's amazing the things you discover when you stop letting your stomach guide your sightseeing.

#Runitsmonitorzilla #creaturesofLumphiniPark #pleasedonteatme

Posted: December 14th, 8:00 PM

Tinanator: Those photos are epic, sis! You're bringing one of those beasts home for me, right?

Rialoves2cook: Haha, sure, I'll dress it up and tell customs its name is Tina. The resemblance is uncanny :P

CamillaTomas: What would you do with it, Christina? You've hardly enough ambition to clean your room more than once a month.

Tinanator: It's called creating the ideal camouflaged environment for the inevitable day Ria brings us a dragon, Mom, and I'd obviously train it to guard my door to keep out intruders.

***

The following afternoon, Maria and Tom travelled downtown to Lumphini Park, a surprisingly large, green oasis within the metropolis of ten million. The screeching and honking of city life faded into the twittering of birdsong and the whizzing of bicycles.

"Better than last time?" Tom extended his arms around the urban park full of trees and people running, using outdoor workout machines, or doing Tai-chi in the grass.

It was a pleasant break from the traffic fumes and hustle of the city. The scent of tropical leaves soothed her mind as a couple sped by on their bikes.

"Taking the sky train and exploring the park, we're shedding your expensive habits two at a time." Maria sighed at the sight of young kids playing tag and giggling, and her shoulders relaxed.

Tom's grin spread as he followed her gaze. With each step, they grew closer to a pond with a fountain and pedestrian bridge. "I'm still renting the swan boat. You can watch from the shore if the price tag bothers you that much."

Maria laughed and shook her head. He could change to a cheaper transportation option and setting but insisted on this romantic ideal. "Why are you so determined to ride those boats?"

"Monitor lizards live in the park. Sometimes, they'll come onshore and on the roads, but they're more fun to watch from the water."

Right, he was a science teacher and into animals and other creatures. She had to stop assuming he was hitting on her or else the day would be exhausting. "Are they like geckos or iguanas?"

"More similar in size to a Komodo dragon."

Maria raised her eyebrows and searched the lake's edge for one of the beasts with no success. That sounded pretty epic. "Okay, we'll split the boat." When he chuckled, she asked, "What?"

"It's funny what impresses you. Not beautiful sunsets, Thai movies, or dessert shops, but lizards. Not what I expected."

Was he holding those moments over her head? At the beach, he'd organized a nice evening where a group of them had watched the sun setting over the ocean on the island. It coincided with the day her ex broke up with the woman he kept telling Maria meant nothing to him and offered to fly Maria back to Canada so they could be together without all the stresses that had driven them apart. Even though he was toxic, it had been hard to have everything she wanted for years dangled before her and not be affected.

Tom smiled, so he must be just teasing her. The way her ex had made her feel guilty over everything lingered, poisoning her friendships. She wouldn't let that jerk win. "My ex and my ex-best friend had gotten in my head for that sunset. Otherwise, I would have appreciated it more."