“But you like it,” he said mildly, leaning back in his seat and stretching his arm around her. His foot found hers beneath the table. “You like that I want to crawl into every corner of your mind.”
She chewed her bottom lip, pointedly avoiding his gaze. He tickled the back of her calf with the toe of his newly-purchased dress shoe—courtesy of Logan’s credit card.
“Stop that,” she said, pulling away as her neck flushed.
“Here you are!” the hostess chirped, returning to their table.
Ophelia looked up, and all the color drained from her face. “Laura?”
Laura clutched the purse at her shoulder in both hands, her eyes darting between Sam and Ophelia. “Hey.”
“What are you doing here?” Ophelia asked.
Laura frowned. “Um, you texted me to meet you here.”
Ophelia’s expression turned thunderous for a moment, but she recovered quickly, laughing nervously. “No, I know! It’s just… you’re here! Wow! Please, sit.”
Ophelia kicked him under the table, wincing as she doubtless bruised herself against his shin.
Laura sat and put her purse in her lap, still looking uncertain. She eyed Sam and leaned forward.
“You could get in so much trouble for having him in public out of uniform like this,” she told Ophelia, with genuine worry in her tone.
“Yeah, I know,” Ophelia rubbed the back of her neck. “It’s, um, just that his designation makes people stare, you know?”
Laura huffed, sitting back. “I’m sure. It doesn’t help that he looks like that. Every head on the sidewalk must turn.”
“Yes,” he said.
Laura gave him a wry grin. “At least tell me you’re taking good care of her, Thirty-One.”
“I am Sam now,” he told her. “Ophelia gave me the name.”
Laura’s expression turned pitying. “Eff…”
“I know,” she said, hugging her arms around her chest. “I’m getting attached, and I shouldn’t.”
“I know it’s hard not to.” Laura sighed, and her gaze drifted over Sam, appraising in a heatless way. “We work so hard to make them lifelike, but sometimes I think we’re going too far. What does Logan think about it all?”
Ophelia stiffened. “It doesn’t matter what he thinks.” She pressed her fingers to her lips as soon as the words left her mouth, looking oddly mortified by them. “Sorry, I shouldn’t… I know you work together. I don’t want to put you in an awkward position.”
Laura’s expression was inscrutable for a moment. Then she leaned forward. “Are you breaking up?”
“I-I don’t know.”
Sam didn’t like that. He nudged her under the table. She gave him a withering look.
“Yes,” Ophelia amended. “I… Yes, I think so. But he doesn’t know that yet. Please don’t say anything.”
Laura blew out a long breath. “Oh, thank God. Ihatethat guy.”
Ophelia’s eyes widened. Sam made a sound like he was trying not to laugh. Of course, she hated him. She’d seen what he was like when Ophelia was not present, when there was no reason to perform at possessing a better nature.
“I always wondered what you were doing with someone like him,” Laura said. “It just, you know, wouldn’t have been polite to ask. You’re too good for him by a mile.”
Ophelia began to giggle. Softly, at first, and then so maniacally that the people around them turned to stare.
He squeezed her thigh under the table, casting her a concerned look. Her hand fell over his.
