"By the way, Manaia, you lost the bet, don't forget to pay," I reminded her with a mischievous smile.
"What bet?" Vira asked, curious, but Manaia quickly cut her off before she could say more. Manaia just shot me a warning glance, while I laughed and told them it was a secret.
"It's a secret, girls, you can only ask Manaia," I added, enjoying their intrigue.
I approached the sea. Some steam was still rising from the water due to the heat radiated by the process. I started pulling out the cooked clams. The girls looked at me, intrigued, and asked what I was going to do with them.
"They're delicious, but be very careful," I warned them. "You need to eat them slowly, a small piece at a time, and don't overdo it, or you'll pay dearly."
