Dangerous Desires

20

I took a fork-full before nodding "It's really nice," I covered my mouth.

The men exchanged looks of bewilderment and curiosity. Some of them looked curious, while others looked sceptical. "I don't know... syrup on stir-fry?" one of them said, scratching his head. "That's a new one for me." Arsenio just watched me with a hint of amusement, fascinated by my unique food combinations.

"Well, you know what they say," he said, a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Pregnant women can get some pretty weird cravings. Maple syrup on stir-fry is probably the least crazy thing I've seen someone pregnant crave."

The men snickered, clearly enjoying hearing about my unusual food preferences. "Oh yeah, I remember my wife craved some bizarre stuff when she was pregnant," one of them said. "Peanut butter and pickle sandwiches, anyone?"

The other men laughed, nodding in agreement. "Yeah, pregnancy hormones can do some crazy things to your tastebuds," one of them chimed in. "I remember one time my sister craved sauerkraut ice cream."

The men's expressions turned to shock and disgust. "Sauerkraut ice cream? That's just wrong on so many levels," one of them said, wrinkling his nose.

"I know. It sounded like the nastiest thing ever," another man added, shaking his head in disbelief. "I don't know how anyone could enjoy that combination."

Arsenio chuckled, clearly enjoying the conversation. "Well, I'm willing to bet that your maple syrup stir-fry is a lot better than sauerkraut ice cream," he said, giving me a wink.

"No. Absolutely not," I replied.

The men burst out laughing, taken aback by my strong reaction. "Damn, really? You're saying sauerkraut ice cream is better than maple syrup on stir-fry?" one of them blurted out, still laughing.

"Hey, hey, let's not make any hasty decisions here," another man interjected, a teasing tone in his voice. "I think we need to do a taste test to really settle this debate."

"No, I don't like sauerkraut for starters. I thought you meant it was better than the stirfry," I said.

The men chuckled, clearly amused by my adamant dislike for sauerkraut. "Ah, gotcha," one of them said. "Well, in that case, I think we can all agree that maple syrup stir-fry is probably a lot better than sauerkraut ice cream."

"And who knows, maybe your baby will have an even weirder taste in food than you," another man chimed in, grinning. "Maybe they'll be craving something truly bizarre like... chocolate-covered anchovies or something."

The men's laughter filled the air, their imaginations running wild with the idea of the baby's future food preferences. "Chocolate-covered anchovies... Now that's a new one," Arsenio said, shaking his head in amusement.

The men's laughter filled the air, their imaginations running wild with the idea of the baby's future food preferences. "Chocolate-covered anchovies... Now that's a new one," Arsenio said, shaking his head in amusement.

"Or maybe they'll go really crazy and want something like... durian-flavored hot sauce," another man suggested, barely able to contain his laughter.

The men's laughter grew louder and more contagious, their faces turning red as they tried to come up with the most ridiculous food combinations possible. "Or maybe they'll want some peanut butter and sardine sandwiches," one snickered.

"Or maybe they'll insist on only eating pickles dipped in barbecue sauce," another man said, struggling to speak through his laughter.

"You making me feel sick-" I said softly.

The men immediately sobered up, realizing that their silly suggestions were making me nauseous. "Ah, hey, sorry about that," one of them said, his tone apologetic. "We didn't mean to make you feel sick. It's just... pregnancy cravings can get pretty out there, y'know?"

"Yeah, don't worry about it," Arsneio said, shooting a look at the men to shut them up. "We'll cut it out with the crazy food combinations, okay?"

The men nodded, their laughter subsiding. "Yeah, we got a little carried away there," one of them admitted, still looking a bit sheepish. "Sorry about that, Indira."

"It's okay," I replied.

Arsenio placed a gentle hand on my shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "You good? Need some water or anything?" he asked, concern etched on his face.

"I'm still hungry," I sighed.

Arsenio's expression softened with understanding. "Yeah, you need to make sure you're getting enough to eat," he said, his hand caressing my shoulder. "You're eating for two now, remember?"

The men nodded in agreement, their attention now focused on my well-being rather than silly food combinations. "Yeah, gotta make sure you're filling up that belly for you and the baby," one of them said.

"And hey, if you need an extra serving or two, don't hesitate to ask," another man added, gesturing to the pot of stir-fry. "We've got plenty to go around."

Arsenio smiled at the men's thoughtfulness. "That's right. We want to make sure you're well-fed," he said, his hand now gently rubbing circles onto my back. "If you're still hungry, please, go ahead and have some more."

The men watched me as I got up to get more food, their eyes filled with affection. "Atta girl," one of them said, a hint of approval in his tone.

"You need to keep your strength up," another added, watching me with a proud smile.

As I served myself a second helping, the men continued to watch me, clearly concerned about my pregnancy and well-being. Arsenio, in particular, kept a watchful eye on me, his gaze never leaving my form. 

"You sure you're not going to get sick after eating all that?" one of the men asked as I returned to my seat and my plate loaded with more food.

"I'm fine," I replied.

Arsenio nodded, seemingly reassured by my response. "Well, if you say so," he said, his hand once again squeezing my shoulder affectionately. "But let us know if you start feeling nauseous or anything, okay? We don't want you making yourself sick."

The men chimed in, agreeing with Arsenio. "Yeah, definitely let us know if you start feeling like you're going to heave," one of them said, his expression a mix of concern and protectiveness.

"We don't want anything to happen to you or the baby," another man added, shaking his head. "So please, be careful and listen to your body, okay?"