Thai sounds good

“Thai sounds good,” I said as we got in the car.

We drove to a small Thai place not far from her house and ordered a bunch of food to take away — green curry, pad Thai, spring rolls, and a couple of drinks. When the total came up on the screen, I tapped my card without thinking.

Alice went quiet.

She stood beside me, arms crossed, watching the transaction go through. When the receipt printed and the guy handed me the bag, she shifted uncomfortably.

“You didn’t have to do that,” she said as we walked back to the car. Her voice was a little tight. “I can pay for my own food.”

I glanced over at her. “It’s fine. I offered.”

She didn’t answer right away. She just got into the passenger seat and stared out the window while I drove us back to her place. The vibe had shifted. She was suddenly closed off in a way I hadn’t seen before.

When we got back to the caravan and started unpacking the food onto the small table, she finally spoke again.

“I just… I can’t believe you paid for me,” she said, still sounding weird about it. “You don’t have to do that. I’m not some broke girl you need to take care of.”

She wouldn’t quite meet my eyes. It was the first time since we’d met that she seemed genuinely uncomfortable instead of confident or horny.

I sat down across from her with the food between us.

“It’s just Thai food,” I said carefully. “Not a big deal.”

Alice poked at her pad Thai with a fork but didn’t start eating yet. The playful, shameless girl from the beach was gone for the moment.

She finally looked up at me.

“I just don’t want you thinking this is something it’s not,” she said quietly. “The ground rules still stand.”