RiaLoves2Cook: Do you find your comfort foods change when you adapt to a new place or hang out with different people? At home with my family, my comfort food is my mother's soothing Sinigang soup which I'll have to make again soon. Now that I'm feeling cozier in Bangkok, Pad Thai and coconut shakes with friends are a weekly go-to. Believe it or not, grilled convenience store ham and cheese sandwiches can even amaze with the right company.

#eatingwithfriends #familiarfavs #nocooking2nite #comfortfood #mystomachneversaysno

Em&Em: Yes, pad thai and fruit shakes ftw!!! Hit me up anytime ; )

RiaLove2Cook: Haha, it's a mystery why you're so down for pad thai :P

Em&Em: Food is more delicious with a view ; )

YourOnlySunshine: I am soo craving that sandwich and the company that came with it! Nothing closes out an epic night in Bangkok quite like those. You're giving me all the feels <3 #pregnancyhormonesaretheworst XD

***

Maria sat across from Emma at the small sidewalk table as they waited for the handsome pad thai chef to finish cooking their meal. He tossed noodles and tofu with a bright yellow edge into the giant metal wok on his food stand then added sauce, peanuts, onion, and bean sprouts. Maria's mouth was watering already from the savoury scents.

Emma sipped on a pineapple shake. "This weekend was wild, huh? I can't believe we finally get you out clubbing in the city, and some asshole pulls that crap."

Maria sighed and picked at her nail beds. "I wish Mitch hadn't gotten a black eye because of it."

"You didn't tell him to take the first swing. He could have stayed with you and insulted the guy from a distance."

The moment had made her heart race. He cared about her enough to punch a rude stranger, even when he could have been gravely injured. Why had he done it? When they were alone in the bathroom, she swore the look in his eye was more than lust. A similar feeling burned through her, and she'd run because she couldn't handle acting and being wrong. They'd both been drinking, and it was her imagination at work. Mitch had always been clear; it was short-term or nothing. A sample of a fling would break her heart.

"What is up with you and Mitch?" Emma asked.

"What do you mean?"

"The sexual tension between you is thicker than a T-Bone steak." Emma grinned. "You guys aren't hooking up, are you?"

Maria's face flushed with heat that competed with the humid evening air. "No!"

"You sure? I sure as hell would be in your place." Emma's gaze shifted to the pad thai chef with the long hair and sharp features.

Maria chuckled. "I know what I'm doing with my body, thanks."

"But is he trying to sleep with you?"

"Is he ever not trying to sleep with women?"

Emma laughed and turned back to Maria. "Touche. You two are always together, so Shawn and I thought something was going on. We might have a betting pool."

Maria shook her head. She wasn't surprised. "Speaking of sexy tension, what is the deal between you and Shawn?"

"Friends."

"You sure? He seemed bummed when you were dancing with that handsy guy at the club."

"That's why we're friends. He's more like you, sweet and breakable."

"He wandered off with his date and Mitch's at the beach. Seems flexible to me."

"Really?" Emma leaned forward on her elbows and grinned. "Way to go, Shawn. I knew that man had a wild side. So did Mitch ditch his date for you if you witnessed it?"

The pad thai vendor saved Maria by setting a plate of steaming rice noodles in front of Emma. She flashed her teeth at him and responded in Thai while twirling her blond hair around her finger. He hung around and bantered with her in Thai until a customer in line called him back.

Maria chuckled. "That's how you get your food so quickly."

Emma blew across the noodles on her fork. "You avoided my question."

Maria chewed on her lip. It wouldn't hurt to hear Emma's thoughts on the situation, and she was enough like Mitch that she would be less biased against it than others. While Maria wanted a second opinion, a firm 'no' would crush her dreams.

"He ditched his date, but not for the reason you think. A few weeks before that, I'd called my ex on Mitch's phone, and since I'd blocked the jerk on all my accounts, then he was harassing Mitch, assuming he'd reach me. Mitch figured something was up and came to check on me."

Emma finished chewing her noodles. "That seems un-Mitch-like."

"Oh, he mocked me and chased off the guy I was with before helping."

Emma's eyes brightened. "Helping?"

The memory of his raspy voice filled her ears, and warmth spread through her chest like an undulating wave. Their kiss had gone from uncertain to awakening a side of her she feared her ex had broken forever. If he hadn't stopped so she could confront that jerk she'd wasted three years of her life on, she wasn't sure she would have had the self-control to pull away from Mitch.

"I was nervous about calling Adrian and telling him I'd moved on cause I hadn't been with anyone else since him. Flirting with the guy from the bar was awkward, and with Mitch it was natural."

Despite his flirty nature and him making the first move by offering his help, she was the one in charge of how far they'd go, which was hotter and more thrilling than she'd imagined. It brought out her bolder side and made her feel both safe and powerful.

Emma leaned forward and grinned. "Don't skimp on the details."

Maria looked around to ensure none of their coworkers were walking by. Only residents jumping off buses and songtaos lined the sidewalks. "We made out a little."

Emma squealed. "So proud of you. How was it?"

Maria groaned. "I can't stop thinking about it when he's around." And when he wasn't too.

"That good, huh?"

Maria pouted and nodded. His lips had sparked a flame that burned strongly despite neither of them backing down about what they wanted and refused to accept. The steady desire defied logic. How could she still have feelings for him if she knew he'd never reciprocate them, and why wouldn't he run if he hated commitment?

"Or maybe I'm wrong?" Emma said.

Maria sighed and ran her hand through her hair. "Neither of us wants the same thing. He's looking to hook up casually and I... I know I'll get too attached if I try."

"He's certainly not helping with your little date this weekend."

"Date? You mean curry on the balcony? That's just us hanging out."

Emma played with one of her rings. "You hang out like that often?"

Maria shrugged. They shared meals regularly, but as Mitch said, it beat eating alone. It was like having a roommate with good taste who was always around to hold her. "Sometimes I'll make something, or Mitch will pay me back with takeout."

"Sometimes? Shawn says he hardly sees your dinner buddy anymore, not even after the meals."

"We might hang out after too, just watching shows or chatting or drinking."

Emma raised an eyebrow and laughed. "That's amazing. You have Mitch whipped without ever sleeping with him. Shawn would laugh his ass off at this, and he owes me twenty bucks."

"He bet on us sleeping together?"

"He bet on nothing happening and said he'd make Mitch pay up if he turned him into a liar."

The pad thai chef returned with Maria's plate and a flirty smile for both women. Maria had to force herself not to dive into the sweet tamarind and citrus-scented dish. She squeezed lime juice on the noodles and licked the remnants off her fingers. "Please don't tell Shawn about what went down between Mitch and me. If he hits Mitch up for money about it, he'll know I'm being weird."

"You've given off pretty strong relationship vibes since you got here. He's the one being weird. But I'll keep this to myself, don't worry."

Maria sighed in relief. "Thanks, Em."

She twirled the rice noodles dripping with sauce around her fork and coated it in peanuts. If she couldn't have a relationship with the man she wanted, at least the delicious meal was a distraction.

***

On Tuesday evening, a knock came at her door a few hours after she'd eaten. As she'd cooked in her room, she'd waited for Mitch to interrupt her, but the weekend's events must have unsettled him too, and he'd probably realized what Emma had noticed. He had accidentally landed himself in a relationship he'd never wanted and needed to avoid her.

When she opened the door, his cinnamon and cedar scent mixed with a hint of chlorine made her want to drag him into the apartment and continue where they left off after the club. Beads of water dripped off his hair and onto the royal blue t-shirt that brought out his eyes.

Even though her heart ached, she couldn't resist teasing him. "Supper was a few hours ago. The food's cold now."

Mitch laughed and leaned against her doorframe. She mentally slapped her brain as it imagined those muscular arms lifting her up and carrying her to the bed.

"I wanted to come, but Shawn's been..." He scratched at his stubble, the same that had tickled her face weeks earlier. "Apparently I can't take a swing at an asshole who's insulting you without Shawn believing we're sleeping together, so I have to convince him otherwise just for now."

Her stomach somersaulted as his voice smoothed over the words 'sleeping together'. The moment he'd stared into her eyes after they danced in the rain lingered in her mind.

"Why are you here?" Her heart raced. Would he pull her into his arms and admit she was worth breaking his hook-up only rule over? She pinched her leg to get a grip.

He tucked his hands in his pockets. "I came to..." His gaze met hers before they darted away. "See how your classes are going?"

"Fine," she replied more snippily than she intended. "I mean they're great. I've been following your advice, and it's improved my lessons." A few had gone so well she'd improvised at the end because the kids were so on-task they completed all her tasks.

"Told you that you'd be amazing." Why did his smile erase any fear or insecurity she had? "You still hungry?"

She wasn't, but Mitch's presence was an addition she wasn't ready to kick yet. "I could eat."

He flashed his white teeth at her. As they walked down the hall, he slipped his arm around her shoulder. She wanted to rib him about being a hypocrite but wasn't willing to risk it creating more distance between them. Once they descended a few floors, he kept his arms at his sides. She fought the urge to frown.

They only got as far as 7-11 before they tucked into the icy air-conditioned store. As she shivered, Mitch wrapped his arm around her again. "Aren't you supposed to be built for this weather, my little Canadian polar bear?"

"Winter jackets and central heat help a lot."

"I know something that'll warm you up."

Her mind was like a damned dirty movie with every innocent word that left that man's mouth. He'd clearly meant the sandwiches that the clerk at the counter tossed in the hot press. Mitch presented the warm cardboard sleeves to her after he paid. She should have tried to offer him money, but she was too busy pretending to look at candy bars to hide her warm cheeks.

When they didn't return to the apartments, but down the alley toward the school, Maria asked, "Where to now?"

"A little place nearby."

They approached an area that at lunchtime bustled with vendors and food carts, but was more of a Thai food court graveyard at this hour. Mitch helped her climb onto the platform where they'd stacked some of the wooden tables and colourful cushions. They sat together on one of the open lower ones like they were in a Japanese teahouse, minus the pretty décor. Tarps of ads were their wallpaper and street lamps, their mood lighting. The discarded furniture reminded her of dancing on the beach. When she stared into Mitch's eyes she felt the ocean breeze and heard the gurgling of the waves.

"I used to come here with your cousin." His neutral tone made her unsure where this conversation was heading. Was he going to confess his attraction to Sunshine and cite them as a reason he couldn't be in a relationship? She had never mentioned a romantic past with anyone like Mitch, but it didn't mean he wasn't harbouring those feelings.

"A lot?"

Mitch shrugged. "When we both needed space from the world."

"She didn't get sick of you hitting on her?"

He laughed. "She shut that down the first second I tried. Plus, she was in love with Dan even if they both were too chicken shit to admit it back then."

Maria took a bite of the warm, gooey ham and cheese. Its salty cheesiness was ten times more satisfying than the last one she'd eaten after drinking too much.

"You hit on me plenty when I thought I was still in love with my ex."

"First, Dan is an amazing person, unlike your horrifying ex, and second, Sun and I weren't... she was like my—" His content expression faded, and he tensed.

Maria leaned into him and ran a hand along his back. Would he ever trust her enough to share whatever was eating him up inside? He sighed and stroked her bare shoulder with his soft fingers. "I wouldn't have done what we did on the beach with your cousin, nor did I want to." His voice was as gentle as his touch.

Her answer, "good to know," made him laugh. She didn't wish to push him any further and have him shut down. Maybe he needed time to process his feelings as Sunshine had with Dan, or their relationship would always be a blurry line between friends and dating.