"Have you never seenDirty Dancing?"
I shake my head.
"That's it. Adding it to the list." She turns to D'Rett. "Let's show her the lift."
"Now?"
"Yes, now." D'Rett rises without further protest, sweeps Chelsea up and lifts her overhead like she weighs nothing. Her delighted laugh fills the room.
"Nobody puts Chelsea in a corner," L'Tarne says solemnly, and Chelsea laughs even harder.
I have no idea what any of this means. But watching the three of them, I find it doesn't matter. There's an ease to the way they move around each other, a freedom in how they touch and tease without hesitation. No careful, measured responses. Just joy, unguarded and unreserved.
I feel more than see Cody crossing the room toward me. His footsteps are light for a male, but I'm always aware of him. He pauses at the edge of the sofa.
"Mind if I join you?"
"You may sit wherever you wish," I say with a sniff. "I have no authority over seating arrangements."
His grin only widens, entirely undeterred. If anything, he looks pleased. He sinks onto the sofa beside me. He's close, closer than strictly necessary. Our shoulders are nearly touching.
"Peace offering," he says, holding up two bowls.
I examine the bowls. One contains gherro. The small green leaves are slightly different from what I remember. They're slightly too uniform because they were generated by a foodreplicator. They lack the subtle variations that come from traditional preparation, but I'm excited all the same.
I don't recognize what's in the other bowl. It is filled with small white puffs, irregular in shape, and coated in something that smells faintly of salt and rendered t'karra, the rich oil we used for frying.
"What is that?"
"Popcorn." Cody beams like he's presenting me with a precious gift. "It's made from dried corn kernels that are heated until they explode. Standard movie snack. Mandatory, actually. There are laws."
"There are not laws."
"Movie laws. Sacred and ancient. Passed down through generations of couch potatoes." He settles the bowls between us, positioning them so we can both reach easily. "You have to try some. It's a crucial part of the human movie-watching experience."
I pick up one of the white puffs and examine it skeptically. It's lighter than I expected, almost weightless. When I bite into it, the texture is strange. At first, it's crisp but quickly softens, with an oily, salty flavor that's quite pleasant.
"Acceptable," I pronounce.
Cody's grin widens. "I think that might be high praise coming from you."
I elect to ignore his teasing and reach for a handful of gherro instead. The familiar flavor settles my rising nerves. It's a tiny piece of home.
"Got it!" Chelsea announces triumphantly. "Everybody got their snacks?"
Once everyone gives their assent, the lights dim and the screen flickers to life.
I settle deeper into my chair, hyperaware of Cody's presence beside me. I try to ignore the warmth radiating from his body,the faint scent of his cleanser, and the way his arm brushes mine when he reaches for the popcorn.
This is fine, I tell myself. This is just friends watching a film together. Nothing more.
The movie opens quietly. It begins with a couple at a restaurant, debating dessert options. Then the woman announces she wants a divorce. In the vehicle on the way home, she admits she had sex with another male, and her mate, Cal, throws himself out the door. Thankfully, the vehicle doesn't seem to be moving very fast.
I glance at Cody. "Is this typical human behavior?"
"Just watch," he murmurs.
So I do.
