Chapter 7: Dinner With Friends

Two nights later, we met Ryan and Roxie for dinner. Roxie stood when we walked up to the table, a big, warm smile on her face. She hugged me warmly, pulling me in close and kissing my cheek the way she always did. I marveled at how good her perfume always smelled and how her body always seemed to mold perfectly to mine when she gave me one of her hugs, but her kiss on my cheek surprised me. Perhaps her lips lingered on my cheek a little longer than normal, or perhaps I was just imagining it. When Roxie released me, I could swear her hand and then fingers had held onto me just a second or two longer than normal. When she let go and pulled her arm back, the nail on her extended ring finger trailed lightly down my arm absently, before she turned to Sarah. She was not looking at me when she did it; there was nothing overtly sexual in the act. It was almost like she was just pulling her arm back after the hug, and her finger just happened to occupy the same space as my arm. I am sure it was innocent, and maybe the only reason I had noticed it was because the huge diamond on her wedding band stood out so clearly and my eye was drawn to the movement; maybe it was the sharp feeling of her nail sliding along the skin of my arm, or because Roxie is such a gorgeous and sexy woman, but whatever the reason, it affected me. I am pretty sure my face had gone a nice shade of pink before her finger had fully left my arm. Thankfully, no one else noticed my reaction because they were focused on Sarah and Roxie, but I definitely had noticed. As Roxie reached Sarah, she pulled her in for their usual hug, and then their lips met. It wasn’t a peck or a quick brush. Roxie pressed in and held it for a second or two longer than a normal greeting. Sarah’s eyes stayed open and went perhaps a bit wide. When they pulled apart, Sarah’s face was flushed all the way down her neck.