Page 142 of The Pacifist
“You’ll have to get your drinks yourself,” Mila informed them and pointed to the bar. “They have both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks to choose from. You should go and check out their menu card.”
“Okay.” Nero had already turned and I was hoping Anne would follow him, but she nodded to Mila’s drink. “What are you having?”
“A sweet pear mocktail.”
“Can I try yours?”
“Sure.” Mila leaned forward to hand her drink to Anne, but to reach it she would have to get up from my lap and it was too risky. With a strong hand around her waist, I pulled her back in place and it was almost impossible not to moan from the exquisite feeling of her sliding down on me again.
Giving me a strange look Anne stood up and picked up Mila’s drink herself. “Why are you being so weird?”
“I’m newly married and can’t get enough of my wife, that’s all.”
Anne tilted her head. “Huh.”
“Is it too sweet?” Mila asked Anne in a slightly high-pitched voice, and watched as she took a small sip.
“No, it’s delicious. Nero, do you think I could get one of these?”
“Of course.” With a smile he left.
“Aren’t you going with him?”
Anne shot a look over her shoulder to Nero. “Why? Do you think I should?”
“Yes. It’s obvious that being seen with you makes him proud.”
Anne sighed. “To be honest, I think it stresses him out. We were walking arm in arm and he kept getting strange looks from other men. At one point I thought he was going to get himself in a fight, but our guard stepped in and told the other man to get lost.”
“Where is your guard?”
“He’s right outside. With so few people in here, it seemed like a good place to relax a little.”
“Why don’t you go and fetch him? There are plenty of seats for him to relax too.”
Anne frowned at me. “What’s going on? You’re being weird. Why would I go and tell a grown man what to do?”
I was getting desperate for her to give us a minute to get apart. “Well, then at least help Nero carry the drinks.”
Anne lowered her brow and looked hurt. “If you want to get rid of me you can just say so. I know I’m not your favorite sister after what I did, but I thought you had forgiven me.”
My shoulders fell in a long sigh. “No, Anne, that’s not it.”
Mila sunk her face into her hands for a second, before she admitted, “Sweetie, it’s not you. It’s us.”
“What do you mean?”
“The thing is that Jonah and I were kind of having some fun when you came and we’re still attached.”
At first Anne didn’t seem to understand but then her mouth dropped open and she whisper-shouted, “You were having sex? In here? In public?”
I closed my eyes with embarrassment, while Mila dealt with the situation. “Until you’ve been in love and felt the addiction to having sex morning, noon, and night, you don’t get to judge us.”
“Who’s judging you?”
I opened my eyes to see Nero come back. Handing a drink to Anne, he sat down next to her, oblivious to our predicament.
Anne’s eyes were double the size, I was looking away, and Mila had crossed her arms.
