Chapter 12: Laps

Roxie didn’t slow down. She steered Sarah the last few steps to the table and, before I fully registered what was happening, dropped onto my lap. The motion was casual, like she had done it a hundred times with a hundred people. One second she was standing. The next, her weight settled across my thighs and her arm looped around my shoulder for balance. At the same time she reached back, caught Sarah’s wrist, and tugged her down onto Ryan’s lap. Sarah made a small surprised sound but didn’t fight it. She landed sideways, one hand braced on Ryan’s shoulder, and started laughing.

I went still. Roxie’s bare thigh pressed against mine. The thin fabric of her bikini bottom was the only thing between her ass and the front of my shorts. She smelled like sunscreen and something citrusy and expensive. I kept my hands on the chair arms and told myself this was just how she was. Handsy. Friendly. The same way she had been at the restaurant. Ryan had said it didn’t mean anything. Sarah was right there, smiling, not freaking out. If I made it weird, I would be the one who ruined the afternoon.

Roxie kept talking like nothing unusual was happening. “Sarah is so much fun. I know we’re going to become close friends. Poor thing has been cooped up with two kids, with no one to talk to, almost since she got out here. We’re fixing that ASAP.”