Page 15

“Yes, but it's for girls. With guys dancing, likeMagic Mike.”

Skye is already shaking her head in a silent no.

“That was my initial reaction too. I don’t much care for some guy shaking his junk in my face. Watching it in a movie is one thing, but in real life and 3D? But you know Becca,” River says with a sigh. “I agreed to go, as long as they aren’t buying me any lap dances.”

River breaks another piece of the muffin and into her mouth it goes. Skye is mute.

“I can’t picture you in a stripper club. I hate to be apart on our birthday, but maybe you should go on a date with Hot Cop.”

River says it like I’m not here and can’t hear everything that comes out of her mouth.

“He has a name. It’s Logan. Not Hot Cop.”

River lifts an eyebrow at that, a little smirk forming on her face.

Skye is about to say something else when her phone starts vibrating. She pulls it out of the jacket pocket behind her.

“It’s Bruno,” she says distractedly.

“He’s at our door and wants to know where I am.”

She replies to the text message and puts the phone between us on the table, noticing for the first time that River is eating her muffin and pulling it back to her side. Half of it is gone.

“I told him we’re here.”

“So about this date,” River says, glancing at me. “You’re not going out with Bruno?”

“No, Bruno is going away for the weekend with Sidney.”

River huffs at that.

“Who’s Bruno?”

My voice is casual, but I’m feeling oddly irritated by this guy I don’t even know.

“Bruno is her fuck buddy,” River says with a shrug and a side glance at Skye. She does it on purpose, I can tell. Sisterly tease, or something else?

“He is not!” Skye is quick to deny.

“Friend with benefits, or whatever you want to call it. It's all the same.”

River says it with such a casualness, as if she’s talking about her favorite color and not her sister’s sex life.

Skye looks upset.

“Bruno is my friend, my best friend, and there are no benefits at all. At least none of what you’re talking about.”

River just rolls her eyes and tries to get another piece of Skye's muffin. Skye pulls it farther away, so River takes one of my cookies.

I raise an eyebrow at her but don’t say anything.

“I’m hungry. She’s not sharing hers with me, and you're not eating yours.”

The playful, fake innocent smile on her face tells me she’s used to getting away with this type of thing. She’s not exactly rude, but somewhat forceful. I pity the fool who falls for her. He’ll need balls of steel to put up with River.

I may know her for all of five minutes, but I can already tell she’s a force to be reckoned with. She manages to be pushy and cute about it.

There’s no denying she’s used to getting her way. And yet she doesn't seem to be full of herself.