Page 44 of Just Past Two

He laughed, reaching an arm around to squeeze her against him. “Nah. I’m teasing. If you want to climb the walls, you go for it.”

“You could come with us, you know.” Jo winked at him across the table. “The more, the merrier.”

Sam glanced at Stephan, who held up both hands in front of him in a defensive gesture. “Fuck no, don’t look at me. Jo stopped asking me years ago. I’m terrified of heights.”

“He is. You know, we went to the Grand Canyon last year, and he wouldn’t go anywhere near the edge.” Jo’s smile teased affectionately, and she gave him a little shove with her elbow.

Stephan shook his head emphatically. “You’re damn right I wouldn’t go near the edge. That canyon is old as hell, and I want to live to be just as old. I was perfectly happy to see it from a few yards away. Still just as impressive.”

“If you say so.” Jo smiled with her tongue poking out the corner of her mouth. “One of my dreams is to go climbing out west. I keep telling Stephan he can come with me.”

“I could go west. I’ll look at rocks. But I will keep my feet firmly on the ground.” Stephan lifted his chin toward Abby. “Take Abby. Drag her up a cliff. Sam and I can go do something else.”

“I’ve never been out west.” Sam looked over at the two of them, his eyebrows drawing together as he frowned thoughtfully.

“My family’s originally from New Mexico. We’re Southern Paiute. Stephan and I go back and visit them every so often.” Jo looked past Abby’s shoulder. “Finally. Food’s here.”

In the first few minutes of quiet after the food arrived, when they were all starting to eat, Abby mulled back over what Jo had said. What would it be like to go on vacation with another couple? They always went places alone, just the two of them, but people traveled with friends all the time for fun. It wouldn’t be weird or even have to be sexual.

Even if she couldn’t help having some new dirty thoughts when she looked across the table at Stephan. Sam had to know what she was thinking, but he didn’t say anything.

“So what about you, Stephan?” Abby was careful to sound nonchalant. “What are you into?”

He grinned, and it was a naughty grin. The grin enough was enough to send heat into her face, but she wouldn’t let herself look away. There was no reason to look away. Finally his expression softened into something less overtly flirtatious, and what the hell had that been about?

“I’m an artist, too. Like you. I blow glass.”

“That’s amazing.” Her nervousness fell away. “I’ve always wanted to see somebody do that.”

“You should go see his studio sometime.” Jo took a bite of her chicken, gesturing in midair with her fork again as she chewed and then swallowed. “It’s really cool. He could show you some things.”

“Oh. Yeah, maybe.” The thought of being alone with Stephan at his studio sent all sorts of feelings running through Abby’s body, settling in her stomach. That wasn’t what all of this was about. This was about Sam as much as her. Going to Stephan’s studio, alone, that was probably innocent, and she was being a pervert thinking it was anything else. The fluttery feeling was replaced by guilt.

“You should.” Sam looked over at her, his expression serious, and she felt even guiltier. “You’d love that. Glassblowing is amazing. Go, let Stephan show you a few things.”

“I don’t think we need another expensive hobby.” She tucked her hair behind her ear again, a nervous habit Sam could probably see right through. “But I’d love to see it sometime, sure.”

“How about later this week?” Jo looked over at Stephan again. “Don’t you have the studio to yourself on Thursday?”

“Yeah. Thursdays are good. Abby, you could come over this Thursday if you wanted.”

“Oh. Thanks. Yeah, maybe.” This felt…weird. Sam was acting totally normal, but didn’t he realize he was offering to send her alone to a studio with a guy she found hot? What the hell was he playing at? “Anyway. Have you guys watched any good shows lately?” Her voice sounded higher than normal in her ears.

“Abby, are you all right?” Jo paused in cutting her meal.

“Just warm all of a sudden.” Abby fanned herself.

“It is warm in here.” Sam reached over and set his hand on her leg. His touch started gentle and reassuring, and then he moved his hand to her inner thigh, and upward, sliding up beneath her skirt and lingering perilously close to her pussy. She smothered a gasp by pressing her lips together. Nobody else seemed to notice.

She was so focused on Sam’s hand on her thigh that she hadn’t even realized the conversation had changed.

“Can I ask you a few things about your open relationship?” Sam asked. “Since you brought it up, I mean.”

“Sure.” Stephan carefully sliced through his steak. “We’re an open book. Or Jo is, anyway.”

“Abby and I have been trying a few things and figuring out what interests us. Is there anything that surprised you about opening up like that? Anything you weren’t expecting?” He finally moved his hand back to his own lap, leaving her to catch her breath and try to eat something.

“Probably the guilt.” Stephan ate a bite of steak before continuing. “I thought I’d be jealous, but I was less jealous than I thought. Instead, I was worried Jo would be jealous, and feeling guilty.”