On Sam's lap.

Chapter 8

"Well," Georgina announces with the confidence of someone used to creating her own solutions, "**** times." Before anyone can react, she perches herself on Sam's lap, her blue hair brushing against his nose, her firm, perky butt wiggling tightly against his dick. Sam freezes, his hands hovering awkwardly in the air.

"I... uh..." he stammers.

"Oh please," Georgina waves dismissively, helping herself to the paella Lisa has just placed on the table. "Consider it your initiation into Casa de los Suspiros. That's what we call this place, by the way."

Sam catches Sonia's eye across the table. She gives him a small shrug that seems to say "This is just Georgina being Georgina." Laura is hiding a smile behind her hand, and even Maria has put down her gaming console to watch the scene unfold. This is the first time Maria seems to take an interest in anything happening around her. Her blue eyes seem to analyze the situation with unexpected intensity, as if she's studying the interactions like moves in one of her games. A slight smile plays at the corner of her mouth – the kind of smile that suggests she's already figured out how this particular game will end.

"We'll get another chair tomorrow," Lisa says quietly, her first words of the evening.

"But then where would I sit?" Georgina protests, shifting her weight to reach for the bread basket. Sam's leg is starting to go numb, but he doesn't dare move. "I'm quite comfortable here."

"So," Laura jumps in, clearly trying to move past the awkwardness, "Sam, tell us about yourself. What brings you to Barcelona?"

As Sam starts to explain his exchange program, the initial tension begins to dissipate. Georgina settles into a more comfortable position, and Sam gradually relaxes, finding places for his hands that don't feel inappropriate. The conversation flows as naturally as the wine Laura keeps pouring, and the paella disappears slice by slice.

He learns that Maria and Lisa are taking the same Art History course, though Maria attends virtually most days. Sonia is training for what she mysteriously refers to as "an upcoming event," and Laura gives riding lessons to "spoiled rich kids" to help pay for her own stable time. Georgina, it turns out, is studying theater and runs a surprisingly successful social media account, though she won't say what it's about.

"Oh, and we're all on the university's underwater hockey team," Laura adds casually, as if this explains everything about their odd mix of personalities and athletic builds. Sam nearly chokes on his wine.

"Underwater... hockey?" he manages. In his mind he quickly imagines all his housemates wearing tightly fitting one piece swimsuits battling their underwater opponents and struggling for breath. The image combines two of his biggest and most secret fetishes: one piece swimsuits and underwater breathplay. He hopes that the girls didn’t notice his jolting response.

"Barcelona's finest female team," Georgina preens, shifting on his lap, rubbing her ass on his erection. Surely she must notice, but she pretends that she doesn’t. "Sonia's our captain."

"It's an elegant sport," Lisa says softly, her first contribution to the conversation in several minutes. "Like dancing underwater."

"More like warfare," Maria mutters, but there's a glimmer of enthusiasm in her eyes that wasn't there before.

Sonia watches this exchange with that same knowing smile, and Sam gets the distinct impression that underwater hockey is more than just a sport to these women. It's something that binds them together, like the house itself.

Through the window, the Barcelona night spreads out like black velvet, and the kitchen grows warmer and more intimate. The gargoyles and shadows of the house's facade feel distant now, replaced by the comfortable clatter of plates and overlapping conversations.

"More wine?" Laura offers, and Sam realizes that despite the strange seating arrangement—or perhaps because of it—he's starting to feel at home in this peculiar house with these eccentric girls. Georgina shifts on his lap, reaching for her glass, and he catches a whiff of her perfume as well as a more primal smell. Her perfume blends with the smell of her sweat and her sex. “If she keeps wiggling like that, I am going to jizz my pants right here, under the table, surrounded by his new house mates.” Sam thinks.

“I think that will be all for tonight.” Sonia suddenly says. Georgina immediately stops wiggling and everybody focusses on what Sonia has to say. “You girls have an intense training session ahead of you tomorrow. So let’s call it a day and go to bed. Sam, we have not yet gotten round to explaining the house rules to you yet. Today we just want you to get comfortable and settle in your new home. Tomorrow I will meet with you to explain how things work around here.”

Sonia’s sudden strict, dominant address catches Sam by surprise. The girls continue as if this is normal though. Laura and Lisa clean the plates and start washing up. The other girls and Sam leave the kitchen and return to their rooms.