Reaches Infinity.

Piya and Aor must have been able to sort out their disagreement as the very next day I get a call from Piya.

“Hey there. I did what you suggested and apologised to Aor,” Piya tells me as soon as I answer her call.

“Oh, that’s great. When was this?” I ask knowing very well it was after I’d dropped Aor off at their meeting last night.

“Last night. We had a lovely dinner at a restaurant and I apologised for being such an unforgivable bitch over the weekend.”

“Well, you must have been some way forgivable if she’s accepted your sorry.”

“She did. I had to promise I’d babysit for her anytime she liked,” Piya informs me.

“Aor has a baby?” It was one of the very few things I'd been able to work out myself. Piya had called Aor a 'hot little mummy' at the club and I'd sucked a fair amount of her breast milk afterwards. The baby must still be quite young if Aor was still nursing.

“She does. He’s adorable. Little baby Nuk. He’s only six months old and the cutest thing ever. Makes me wish…” Piya quickly trails off in her thinking.

So, it's confirmed Aor has a baby, then that must conceivably mean… “I’m guessing she has a husband too then,” I try and say as casually as I can. I don’t want Piya to think I’m too interested in her friend’s relationship status.

“Well of course silly!”

Huh! So, I just got sucked off and swallowed by a married woman. I don’t know how to feel about that, to be honest. Especially considering there’s a small child involved.

“Anyway, enough about Aor. The reason I was calling was last night made me realise I’ve been so mean to you lately too and I need to apologise.”

“No that’s not really necessary,” I try and stop Piya before she can say too much. I don’t find it necessary at all.

“No, it is! I was so drunk and out of order at your work on the weekend and then I was a right old grouch when you were just trying to check on me at Uni on Monday.”

“Water under the bridge.” There was really not much Piya could do that I wouldn’t forgive her for.

“Even so I want to make it up to you,” Piya offered.

“What were you thinking?”

“I said we'd catch up again this week so how about I come over tonight? We can watch a movie and I can cook you a special dinner to say sorry.”

“You don’t have to do anything special. A movie sounds nice.”

“Someone’s got to look after you and feed you. Have you been working out more lately?” Piya asked.

Is she fishing for hints about the workout I had with Yui the other day? Is that Piya’s roundabout way of asking about the damn photo Yui took of us in the gym together. I should have known it would cause waves.

“Umm, no more than usual.”

“Oh, I just thought you were looking extra fit and in great shape when I was out on the weekend. It must have been the club lights.”

Or the alco-goggles Piya had on that night.

“So, what time did you want to come over?” I ask to set a time.

“8 o’clock or is that too late?”

“8 is great. I’ll see you then.”

Piya has been over to my place several times before but I still made sure to give the place an extra tidy up before she arrived. Her own place was always so fastidiously tidy I didn’t want her to think I lived like a slob in comparison. If she was going to be doing some cooking, I made sure my kitchen was spotless and all the dishes had been neatly stacked away.

Right on the dot at 8 pm, my doorbell rang. I’d been waiting absentmindedly on the sofa flicking through the normal assortment of rubbish on evening TV. Endless reality cooking episodes, home reservations and dating shows.

Opening the door, Piya was dressed casually in an emerald green tight cotton maxi dress that hugged tight to her body and showed off her tall and thin frame. The fabric was so clingy I could make out the impression of her bra and even the side straps of the underwear she’d worn beneath. In her hands, she carried a pair of insulated shopping bags.

“Hey Piya. Here let me help you with that,” I offer.

I take the bags from Piya and she reaches in and hugs me, kissing me on the cheek softly once she is free of her load.

“Hi. I’ve been cooking up a storm today so whatever we have for leftovers I have to take home for Lawan,” Piya tells me. Lawan was her younger sister I’d never actually met but had only seen out with Piya the one time. She had only recently turned 18 and had been pestering Piya to take her out to the clubs for months leading up to her birthday.

I take the bag upstairs to where my kitchen and living room are located. Piya follows me and soon notices what I have on the TV, the last show I’d stopped on was a nauseatingly over-manufactured couples romance show.

“Are you watching Shags at the Reef?” Piya asked with a giggle.

“Oh God no! You can turn it off if you like,” I feel obliged to defend my manhood.

“No, I quite like it actually. I kind of hope Luca and Serena end up together.”

“Serena is the Asian girl. She’s from the same region as me actually.”

“Oh.” If I’d known that I may have actually watched it a little bit closer.

“And Luca kind of looks like you. At least I think so anyway. My boyfriend doesn’t see the similarities.”

Urgh. As if I needed to be reminded about Piya’s boyfriend. It did make me happy to think what sort of argument that conversation might have caused between Piya and her guy. I hoped he’d be as jealous as could be that his girlfriend was picturing the face of the guy who’d inappropriately kissed her when she watched the show.

Placing the bags down on the kitchen bench, Piya starts pulling out Tupperware containers.

“Most of this just needs a quick heating up but the pork belly needs to go in the oven for about 45 minutes. We could make a start on the movie while it’s cooking,” Piya tells me as she pulls out a black DVD case from her handbag.

“What is it?” I ask seeing as it has no cover at all.

“It’s the new Avengers movie. Infinity War. One of my friends just brought it back over from Thailand. It’s not even out in the shops yet.”

Piya shoos me away then so that she can work alone in the kitchen as I set up the DVD. The title screen showing all the different Avengers; Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, Black Window; had been playing on a loop for a couple of minutes when Piya came and joined me. She passed me a glass that she found in my cupboards filled with wine and sat down right next to me, her feet tucked up under her on the sofa and her back against my chest and shoulder.

“Cheers,” Piya says as we clink glasses and start the film.

{Author's Note: I've just noticed this is the 300th chapter I've written for Asian Persuasion! Go me!

I keep forgetting this Aor branch is even here so it was a nice little surprise when I discovered it again yesterday. It's so fun and worth a quick couple of chapters added on while I've got a few ideas in my head.

Hope you all enjoy.}