More to You ✔

Chapter 14 - Dancing Shrimp (Maria)

Maria and Prae sat at a small table surrounded by tables of boisterous people, half of whom were yelling in Thai at the soccer game playing on TV. Thailand was down two goals against Malaysia, according to the scoreboard, and the referee had made a questionable call against the Thai team. Servers flew by with beers, plates of fried chicken, lime-scented nuts, and even a plate of what looked like wiggling shrimp in a brown sauce.

As Maria's gaze followed the last intriguing dish to a table of men in ripped jeans and Thailand football jerseys, Prae said, "They've ordered Goong Ten, dancing shrimp."

"Why dancing?"

"They are not cooked."

"And still alive?" Maria asked.

Prae finished a sip of her whiskey sour and nodded. "They dance on your tongue."

The guys with the Goong Ten placed the food on green leaves and chewed them like they were a regular pad thai or fried rice. Despite Maria's willingness to eat just about anything, she had her doubts about that dish, though it did still draw her interest. "Have you ever tried them?"

"Not in Bangkok. They're freshwater shrimp, and the city's water isn't always..."

"Fresh?" Maria suggested with a laugh.

"Yes." Prae tapped her pink nails against her glass. "How was your day with Tom?"

"Surprisingly fun. We went lizard hunting in Lumphini Park and ate tasty street food nearby. Som Tam, chicken skewers, and grilled fish." Other than the awkwardness when they'd talked about Mitch, the outing had been relaxing, once she shelved her anxiety about Mitch.

"Tom was very adorable planning it, asking where to find the best affordable food and what should he do. The lizards weren't my recommendation, but he insisted."

Maria stirred the ice in her rum and coke with a plastic straw. "You mean he asked for your help but didn't invite you?"

Prae smiled. "I'm not the special woman he wanted to spend time with."

The title rubbed Maria the wrong way as did the time and planning he invested into a casual outing. When she hung out with friends, it was spontaneous or something they both enjoyed that required little effort. "We were just hanging out, and I would have loved it if you were there."

"His actions were sweet, and I'm happy you enjoyed it."

Perhaps Prae was right, and Maria should be appreciating his efforts. A person who invested time into making her happy wasn't impulsive and wouldn't dream of misleading her as Mitch did to Becca.

Emma arrived with three shots that smelled a lot like whiskey and set them on the table. "What are we drinking to tonight, ladies?"

"To your wonderful, uncomplicated friendship," Maria said.

Emma brushed her wavy blond hair back and laughed. "I can read between those lines." She handed a shot to each woman and held hers in the air. "To the kickass friends that aren't trying to sleep with us."

Before Maria could refute the claim, Emma tapped their glasses with hers and downed her shot. As Maria drank hers, the whiskey burned, so she chased it with her sweeter drink.

"So, is that the reason you've dragged us here? Not that I'm complaining." Emma's eyes darted between muscled men and women with well-fitted jean shorts and abs peeking out from their crop tops.

Maria sighed. "I guess. It's been a confusing weekend."

Emma leaned closer and grinned. "Ooh, did something happen? Was it with Tom?"