Rialoves2cook: It's amazing how drama dulls the colour of serene beaches or stunning sunsets. I'm trying to leave my old life behind, but it keeps creeping back. I still spent the afternoon in the ocean, drank coconut water straight from the fruit, and caught a gorgeous sunset on this magical island with wonderful people. It's time for a night of epic dancing because I deserve it!

#beachlife #nomoredrama #coconutdrinks #Bangkokcrew #danceawaymytroubles

Posted: November 17th, 8:00 PM

***

The aroma of fresh coffee stirred Maria from her sleep. After rolling onto the cold side of the bed, she frowned. Where had Adrian gone and had he made her a delicious drink? She opened her eyes to pictures of lotus flowers and bright white walls reflecting the incoming sunlight. Tropical birds sang upbeat melodies.

Thailand, she was in Thailand in Tom's room. And Adrian was a prick.

She moved like warm molasses as she untangled herself from the soft sheets. A cup of coffee rested on the bedside table, and Tom wasn't here. Her feet padded across the cool floor, and she peeked out the front door. On the bench outside, he read with his hot beverage beside him.

"Morning." She stepped onto the patio, surrounded by a green oasis of plants and palms.

He slipped a bookmark in his novel and turned to her with a bright smile. "Good morning. How did you sleep?"

"Amazing, I wish we had hotel beds in the apartments."

He laughed as the sun lit up his rusty hair. "Me too. I'm glad you slept well." He glanced at the clear blue sky, promising a lovely day. "The coffee in the room is for you."

"Thanks, you're the best." Maria grabbed the cup from inside and sat next to Tom. "What are you reading?"

"An Introduction to Thai Buddhism."

"Cool." She sipped her coffee with a bit of sugar as she liked it. "Thanks for letting me stay over."

"It's a shame to leave a comfy bed empty, and it makes my morning less lonely too, so thank you." He gazed out in the hotel restaurant's direction. "The beach is two minutes away."

As she gripped the armrest to stop herself from flying off the bench, Maria inspected her pyjama tank top and cotton shorts. Mitch's words from the night she broke things off with Adrian echoed in her head and brought a smile to her lips.

"I'll take that as a yes." Tom ducked inside and returned with his camera.

As they headed to the beach, Mitch staggered toward them, shaggy blonde hair askew and one foot missing a flip-flop. Faint traces of paint smudged the sides of his face, and neon handprints covered his clothes.

"Looking good, kids." He winked at Maria.

"I would say the same, but..." With a grin, she looked him up and down.

Mitch smirked."Says the girl walking out of Tom's room with dishevelled hair."

Her free hand flew to smooth her tangled locks. "He had an extra bed!"

Mitch chuckled. "We all knew that, but it's interesting you felt the need to repeat it."

She bit the inside of her cheek and glared at him. As heat spread from her chest to her face, her jaw clenched. He'd spent the night with the brunette, or whoever he found next, and had no problem flaunting it. Now he had to mock her and ruin her morning.

Tom crossed his arms. "Not everyone disrespects women as you do."

"I have great respect for women, including their desires. The woman I was with last night wanted much more than an extra bed, and I respected that, more than once."

Maria looked at her shoes, wishing the path would turn to quicksand.

"And Becca?" Tom asked.

As misled as she felt, the flirt's reaction was important to gauge.

After Mitch's face clouded, he took a deep breath. "It doesn't concern you."

"She wanted something, but you're too much of a self-loving jerk to indulge it, weren't you?" Tom stepped closer to Mitch, whose eyes narrowed and body tensed, his shoulders caving in. It didn't look like Mitch would throw a punch though, more like he wanted to disappear as she had seconds ago.

"Tom!" As Maria got between them and placed her hand on Tom's chest, she stared at Mitch. "I didn't mean to turn this into a fight."

"We should go to the beach." Tom directed a smile at Maria.

To avoid further conflict, she walked with him until they were on the sand. As they watched the calm water, the scene lacked the excitement she'd imagined earlier. While he faced forward and shot a few pictures, she glanced at Mitch, who trudged, head bowed, to his room. Her stupid heart ached after Tom tore him down, even if he'd led her on and been a jerk. Tom was standing up for Becca, but the way he did it was wrong. He couldn't know all the specifics.

"I forgot my phone," Maria said. "May I borrow the key? I'll meet you in a few."

Tom raised an eyebrow, but he handed it to her. She hurried to the courtyard before Mitch arrived at his room. What would she say? "Sorry my roommate trashed your heart-wrecking ways after you implied I was interested in you" wasn't a common condolence.

"Mitch," she called out.

He turned and stood up straighter. "What? Changed your mind about Tom?" he said flatly.

"I wanted to apologize. I shouldn't have riled him up."

Mitch ran his fingers through his tangled hair. "Tom is a broken record who thinks anyone who treats intimacy differently than him is an asshole. It's annoying, but not your fault."

"If you want to talk, I'm around. You've dealt with my crap, and a relationship ending is never pleasant."

Mitch laughed. "Yeah, I'll survive, but Tom might need his hand held."

"All right." With warm cheeks and an unsettled stomach, she started toward the room to get her phone.

"Maria," Mitch called out, and she turned. "Thank you." They both stood unmoving. "I should be the one apologizing to you. I was a dick earlier and made you uncomfortable." He shifted his weight from foot to foot. "I'll respect whatever you're going for with Tom. Just keep in mind, if you move on too fast, you miss the best parts."

Maria studied his calm face, his lips somewhere between a frown and a smile. There seemed to be genuine concern in his ocean eyes. Friendly concern, she reminded herself. "Like missing shoes and glow-in-the-dark hook-ups?" Maria teased.

Mitch laughed. "Like figuring out what you want and like."

"How's that going for you?"

"I am a slow but very motivated student." He winked.

She shook her head and fought a grin. "I don't doubt that for a second. I'll let you rest so you can hit the books hard tonight."

Mitch barked out a laugh and pressed his hands over his heart. "I'm honoured you're so supportive of my education."

She dug her sandals into the sand and chewed her lip to hold in her chuckle. As much as she enjoyed talking to Mitch, Tom would come looking for her soon. They weren't a couple, nor did she see that in the immediate future, but she'd argued enough these past months to last a lifetime. She waved goodbye and headed into Tom's room for her phone.

On the side table, it flashed with new text messages. Probably Emma confused or excited after finding an empty bed. Kelsey's name appeared with a number four beside it, making Maria's chest feel vacuum-sealed. The profanities in the message snippet made her stomach somersault. But what could Maria have done from Thailand? She placed the device on the nightstand before returning to Tom. No need to ruin her much needed vacation.

He stood at the edge of the crystal clear ocean and the sand, which felt coarser against the soles of her feet than yesterday. He studied her hands and purse. "Find your phone?" he asked in a dry tone.

"It was almost dead, so I left charging," she lied.

He furrowed his brow. "That's weird. Didn't it charge last night?"

"I must not have plugged it in properly."

"Must be it," Tom said, facing the turquoise ocean.

Maria swirled the liquid in her cup, letting the aroma soothe her. "Thanks for picking us up coffee this morning. It's exactly how I like it."

He smiled slightly. "I noticed how you make it in the staffroom."

She frowned. Had she had picked up Tom's habits or likes? Few she recalled.

"Sorry if it upsets you," Tom raised the tail of the sentence as if it were a question.

Maria reassured him with a smile. "I have something on my mind. The coffee is great, thanks."

She let herself get lost in the gentle rhythm of the waves as the sun's rays grew more powerful.