Rialoves2cook: What can you bring to a last-minute get-together? Nachos! They're such a versatile snack that you can tweak to fit your taste buds. My family's version features the ever-popular cheese, as well as cabbage, mayo, onion, peppers, ground beef and my Thai touch of bird's-eye chilli pepper. You'll want a drink on hand to chase these. I can't wait until mango season in the spring to pair these with fruit salsa! Big thanks to Tom for lending me his kitchen and roughing out the onion dicing.

#Pinoynachos #drinkingsnacks #noonewinsfriendswithsalad #Thankgoodnessmyfriendshelpmecook

Posted: Dec 13, 7:50 PM

TomDemchuk: Happy to help any time you need :D

***

After finishing up the nachos, Maria hurried to her room to change before heading back. Time slowed down when they were together, like those last ten minutes of class weeks ago when her lessons were derailing and she couldn't get her students to focus. He was nice, but like Emma said, too intense.

Maria changed into a loose blouse and shorts then dug through her fridge for drinks with flavours that would complement the spiciness and savoury nature of the meaty nachos. The cool air was a welcome relief on her sweaty skin. When a knock interrupted her decision, she shut the fridge door and unlocked her front one.

Mitch stood there, hallway light brightening that stomach flipping smile. "Great, you're done at Tom's already."

"Nah, just finished making the food. I'm heading over there now." As the words left her mouth, a sinking pit settled in her gut.

He stepped closer, and she willed herself not to shudder at his familiar, alluring scent. "If you'd rather come dancing, Emma, Shawn, and I are going. It's a local place, so the drinks are cheap and it's free of obnoxious tourists."

She lit up with heat. That sounded so much more appealing than drinks at Tom's, but after last weekend, she couldn't risk slipping into Mitch's arms."Minus yourself, right?"

He chuckled. "Clever. So, you in?"

Her body screamed at her to say yes and rewrite the night he'd punched that asshole for her. She'd needed to run out of that seedy bathroom to stop herself from kissing Mitch again. "Not tonight."

"You'd rather sit with captain buzz kill and have Becca pry into your life?"

Mitch could be right about her, but Maria didn't wish to fall victim to one person's mindset as she had with her ex. Becca had been a close friend of her cousin, and she'd been nice to Maria in the past. "She wants to catch up."

He crossed his arms. "You're not that naïve, Maria. There's a reason she's pushing, and you don't deserve to be caught up in that."

"You mean what you did to her?"

Mitch bowed his head then met her gaze. "Yes, and she can't punish you for that because we're friends. Come out with us and spare yourself the headache."

"I'll join you next time. I promise." Calm down, heart. He called you a friend.

He pouted and patted her on the arm. "Remember, I tried to save you."

"It won't be that bad. You guys have fun and try not to get in anymore fights."

He chewed on his bottom lip, which she found far too sexy, and he shifted his weight from one foot to the other a couple of times before wishing her a good night.

She darted into her room for drinks and her phone, then locked up and left for Tom's. On the way down, Prae texted she was in the courtyard, so Maria went there first. Standing beside a bench that overlooked the gardens, Prae clutched a bag of bottles from 7-11 and a container of wings in the other. The Thai woman wore her hair down and in gentle waves, unlike the typical pristine buns she wore at work.

"You cooked too?" Maria reached out to help Prae carry the heavy bag.

"I couldn't arrive empty-handed."

Maria readjusted the plastic handle on her wrist. "It's a hard habit to break. My Canadian friends always thought it was fine to just bring themselves, but..."

Prae laughed as they approached the door. "I'm glad I'm not the only one."

"I cheated and let Tom do half the work." It didn't save her a ton of time. He had chatted with her about their families, but it was more like twenty questions than a conversation, and she missed the serenity of getting lost while chopping vegetables.

Maria scanned her fingerprint to open up the apartment door and held it open for Prae.

"Lucky girl. Being single agrees with you," Prae said.

An itch spread across Maria's scalp at the implication she and Tom might be involved. "We're just friends. What about you? How's your man up North?" Last month, they'd gone on what Prae had hoped was a date when he came through Bangkok, but he'd acted a bit cold.

"Sakda? We've exchanged a few messages, and he's looking to settle down in Thailand again."

"That's reassuring."

Prae shrugged and they walked toward the staircase. "He's simply making conversation. If he was interested, he'd ask more about my life."

"He's missing out. We'll gladly steal your company. Tom's excited you're coming too."

Prae smiled. "It's a pleasant way to spend the evening."

With a laugh, Maria reached the first-floor landing and climbed. "Not if you believe Mitch. He thinks this is some kind of inquisition about him."

"Not everything revolves around that man although it seems he believes it does."

Maria chuckled again. There was a bit of truth to Prae's statement. "I'll have to tell him that."

Once they arrived at Tom's place, he greeted them with warm smiles and hugs, even though Maria had seen him ten minutes prior. Maybe he was making Prae more comfortable by not singling her out. She handed him the wings, and he met her gaze.

"You didn't have to bring food," he said.

Prae smiled at Maria. "Maria and I agree. We never arrive empty-handed." Prae walked around the room and looked at the pictures in silver frames on his bookshelf. "You have such a warm and charming family. So much red hair." She giggled.

Maria stood beside Prae to check out the pictures. Tom was the runt of the family in the photo taken at least a decade ago when he was a pimply teen who hadn't quite hit his growth spurt. His sister and mother shared his red hair and freckles, while his older siblings and father had light brown hair. There was a more recent one with Tom in a tuxedo beside his youngest sister in a wedding dress.

Fortunately, Maria was the oldest in her family and didn't have to be the odd single one out yet. Tina's age and abrasive personality would give Maria at minimum half a dozen years.

"You've changed so much since you were a boy," Prae said.

"I hope that's a compliment," Tom said.

Prae grinned. "It is."

They shared a smile before Tom turned away. "Priya and Becca should be by soon, so I'll put the food out since it smells delicious. What type of wings are these?"

"Pepper and caramel," Prae said.

"That sounds amazing," Maria said. Good thing she declined dancing. Prae's presence made time with Tom more enjoyable.

He set the plate of nachos and the wings on his coffee table then they all took a seat on the black couch. Maria leaned against a green striped blanket draped along the back.

"Do you like it?" Tom inclined his head toward the blanket. "It's made of yak wool and handmade in Nepal. I picked it up while I was there."

Maria fingered the material. "It's soft."

Prae leaned toward him. "I've always found the mountains so beautiful, especially those with snow. How was it?"

"Better than you could imagine. Waking up surrounded by snow-capped giants, sipping hot chocolate in quaint villages." Tom's arms were as expressive as his words. "Nothing like over-commercialized Banff or Lake Louise."

"But Banff looks so magnificent," Prae said.

"It is in other ways." Tom looked past her to Maria. "Have you ever been, Maria?"

"A few times with my family. Always with a tent though."

"Really?" Prae's voice rose to an excited octave, and she clasped her hands together in her lap.

"The Rockies were a few hours drive from where I lived. It was one reason my parents chose the city to settle in other than having their relatives nearby."

"If they'd chosen Calgary instead, we might have met sooner." Tom grinned like he'd won the lottery.

"Are you two are close in Canada?" Prae asked.

Tom met Maria's gaze a little too long. "Not far at all," he said.

Knocks on the door spared Maria from having to answer. Once Tom got up, Prae beamed and clasped Maria's arm and softened her voice. "It's so perfect that you're neighbours!"

Maria forced a smile, although it felt like when her mother would bring home a top she'd spent her hard-earned money on for Maria that clung to all the wrong places but was on final sale so it couldn't be returned. Maria didn't want to be ungrateful for Prae's encouragement, but her feelings about him hadn't changed either. She still needed more processing time after her ex, despite everything she and Tom had in common. "I'll see."

"La-dies!" Becca called out as she rounded the corner with an orange-garnished glass in hand. "Drinks are here, or what's lefta' them. We got a lil' excited 'bout sampling our creations! Chok dee!" Becca raised her glass and took a long sip.

Priya joined them, as she held a pitcher filled with a red liquid and fruit, and frowned. "Darling, they're supposed to have drinks to cheers."

Maria pulled a beer from the table and held it up.

"No, no, I promised you a celebration drink, and a drink you will have. Tom, be a peach and fetch us some glasses," Becca said. She stumbled over while drinking and walking at the same time, neither of which she managed well. Red liquid splashed over the glass' lip.

Unaffected, Becca and Priya pulled chairs up opposite the couch. Tom returned with a couple of tall glasses and coasters for the table and paper towel to soak up the mess. Priya poured the drinks with more stability than her friend, which either meant she had better alcohol tolerance than Becca, which was debatable given that Becca towered over Priya's thin frame by a foot, or she'd drunk a few less.

Maria accepted the glass from Priya and thanked her. Her smile was warmer than in the past, but she still seemed a bit stand-offish. Maria's stomach knotted. Maybe Mitch was right, and they would interrogate her about him. She sipped the sweet drink and nearly coughed at how strong it was.

Becca grinned. "Sangria with a kick. Let's toast to being free of the assholes who hurt us. Chok dee!"

Everyone clinked glasses before drinking. Tom and Prae both did a double-take, like Maria had, while Becca and Priya chugged theirs easily. Maria grabbed a few of Prae's chicken wings and some nachos. The wings had her licking the delectably sweet and peppery sauce off her fingers.

"These are amazing, Prae," Maria said.

Tom said "Mmhmm" in agreement as he finished his. "Maria should have you on as a guest chef again."

Prae smiled and tucked her hair behind her ear. "She's flattered me with enough features and her food is wonderful already."

"You're a better guest than Mitch, and he's been on there far too often," Priya said with a pointed smile.

Maria's gaze dropped to the stripped bones on her plate. Was that what her cooking platform meant to them, a way to judge her for the people she spent time with?

"Leave her be. The man's a snake charmer, which helps to get more views, right Maria?" Becca looked at her over a nearly empty sangria glass.

Were those her two options, either she was hooking up with him or using him to her advantage? She couldn't enjoy his company and vice versa while they remained friends. "It doesn't hurt. We're neighbours and he invites himself to my meals." He also invited her to countless situations that had turned out well.

Prae laughed. "He does."

Becca's jaw was rigid as she stared at the bottom of her glass, her forehead marred with wrinkles. It contrasted the energetic woman she was at work or when they went drinking. As casual as Mitch acted about that relationship, Becca had seemed quite attached. She didn't deserve Mitch's snub at all.

"I'm sorry about what happened between the two of you," Maria said. "It's devastating when someone casts you aside like you meant nothing to them."

Tom knitted his fingers together and muttered, "There is no worse feeling."

"It wasn't like I wanted to marry the bloke. I'm not that dense, but he couldn't spare one weekend to meet with my family while my friends were away. We've been to that bloody beach a thousand times."

"I would have stayed if you asked," Priya said quietly.

Becca shook her head. "It wasn't just that. The bastard said I was overbearing, clingy, and delusional to assume he'd want to meet my family. Even if we told them we were only friends."

"He called also you pathetic and sad," Priya spoke with malice. "Bloody wanker."

Tom scoffed. "The man was born without a heart."

Would Mitch treat women so coldly, or was Maria being misled by people with an agenda? Turning down the request was one thing, but to attack her character over it? Could he be so ruthless? Becca unsteadily poured herself another glass of sangria, which Tom shot forward to steady. When she glanced up for a fleeting moment, the normally composed woman's eyes were glossy. She took the glass teeming with fruit and red liquid, crossed her long arms and legs, and averted her gaze. That was enough of an answer.

"Sunshine wanted us to take care of you," Priya spoke in a soothing tone, "so be careful with whatever you're doing with that parasite."

Where were they during the months Maria had suffered from Adrian's emotional abuse? The person they were calling a parasite had got her through it like no one else could. Tom, Emma, and Prae had helped in their own ways, but Mitch's brashness had given her the confidence to sever the cord with Adrian. He'd sacrificed his preps to observe her classes to give her tips about classroom management after she'd grumbled about it. His suggestions made her lessons run smoothly and her relationships with the kids. He may have done or said hurtful things, but he wasn't a monster.

When Becca clutched her head in her hand, Tom stood and returned with a condensation-coated bottle of water. She shooed him. "Let me drink away this pain, Tommy Boy."

"It's not healthy."

"Bloody hell, the only healthy one here is her." Becca directed her drink toward Prae before taking another sip. "The resta' us are all messed up."

The room grew quiet, and Maria drank the sangria, which became more palatable as she reached the bottom of the glass. She knew what Becca's deal was, Priya was her good friend so there must be truth there, and Maria hadn't quite hidden her pain given her rants and blog posts. Did Becca know more about Tom's feelings about his ex? Was he hiding some dark secrets?

Becca set down her drink and motioned Maria closer until the alcohol wafted off on Becca's breath overwhelmed Maria's senses. "Don't fall for Mitch. He'll eat a sweet thing like you alive."