Page 17 of Laugh

The ride back to my apartment begins in silence. Not the good kind where it’s compatible, but the kind where we’re both aware that neither of us knows what to say. I feel like I’ve done something wrong and pissed him off. Whether it was before today, during the drive, or something I did while in the library, I’m unsure. I just don’t like this feeling, knowing he doesn’t want to be around me.I can’t stand the quiet anymore, so I do what I do best, forcing myself not to care if he finds me annoying.I make jokes.

“Why did the football coach go to the bank?”

“Huh?” Beau must have been lost in thought, because he jerks his head sideways briefly to glance at me when I break the silence. “What’d you say?”

Sighing, I turn to watch him. Joke delivery always falls a few notches when you have to repeat yourself. The worst is when you have to explain the punchline, though.

“I said, why did the football coach go to the bank?” Drumming my fingers on my thigh, I relax slightly when the corner of his mouth tilts up.

“I don’t know. Whydidthe football coach go to the bank?”Thank you for playing along, Captain.

“To get his quarterback.”

Huffing out a tiny laugh, he shakes his head at me. “Terrible, Happy. That’s just terrible.”

I grin at his unprompted use of ‘Happy’ and deliver another one. “What happens to football players when they go blind?”

Flashing me a smile, he signals his car to exit the highway when his GPS indicates my exit is coming up. “Hmm…” He thinks it over then shrugs. “What happens?”

Chuckling, I say, “They become referees.”

“Facts.”

“Which insect doesn’t play well in football?”

Snorting out a laugh, Beau asks, “Did you prep yourself on corny football jokes before I picked you up today?”

“Clearly,” I sniff at him. “Answer my question.” I relax into the seat and hope for a few extra red lights to prolong the drive to my place. Even if he doesn’t want to spend an extended amount of time around me, I find that I like his stoic demeanor. He’s a challenge to me and I really want to know what a full-bodied laugh sounds like coming from him.

“No clue, funny girl.” A shiver runs through my arms when he delivers a wink.

“A fumble bee.”

Shaking his head, he doesn’t laugh, but he is reluctantly smiling. “Jesus. Where did you find these? Just awful.”

Pointing at him, I glare playfully. “I’ll have you know, I only scour the highest of quality google websites. The first link is always the best.”

“Sure, I’ll let you believe that. What’s a librarian’s favorite drink?”

I’m not sure I hear him correctly, but I know all the words that came out of his mouth.Is he telling me a joke?Slowly, I blink at him in shock and ask, “What is it?”

Completely serious and without cracking a smile, he rocks my world.

“Tequila Mockingbird.”

Peals of laughter burst out of me. There’s no way he knows how perfect that was for me. Beau has a proud smirk as I wipe my tears away. “Perfection, Captain. Absolute perfection. Tequila is my favorite, too!”

“Why am I not surprised? You seem like a tequila girl.”

My smile is huge even though I don’t know what it means to be a ‘tequila girl’, then falls when I see my apartment up ahead.

“Ahh, home sweet home. Thank you for the ride today.”

Parking on the street, he turns to face me as I grab my bag and prepare to jump out of his SUV. “Thank you for today, Had… Happy. I’m sure the guys really appreciate all your help.”

The guys appreciate me. Not you?I don’t ask because no one needs to seek out compliments. It’s a pathetic move and I honestly don’t need it. It’s what I’m good for, after all.

“Sure thing. I’m happy to help.” With a quick look toward my building, I face him after I open my door. “Guess I’ll see you around, Beau.”

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