they look too close (more than friendly) to me in that picture.
when i was in college, and engaged, my fiance and his friends would never sit right next to each other at the movies. always skipped a seat, or if i went along, i was in the middle.
i am the same age as barack. guys back then, at least in my crowd here in phx, didn’t sit that close unless they had to.
i only see one hand in the middle, holding a ciggy.