Page 59 of Laugh

“Come on, gorgeous. We can finish this up tomorrow. It’ll take an hour. If you leave with me now, maybe I’ll even do anotherthingtonight.” His brows bounce up and down, making me clamp my teeth down on the inside of my lips to stay silent.

Beau grabs my hand as he stands up, yanking me along with him. “Baths and pizza and pillows. Let’s go.” His order is accompanied with a smack to my ass and I squeak, hopping forward from the sting.

Just before I reach for the light switch, I spin around and run back to the tote in the center of the room. “Wait!I want to bring this with me.” Tucking the puzzle under my arm, I hurry back to him, flicking off the light as I follow him out of the room.

“You think you’ll be in the mood for that tonight? I give you five,maybeten minutes before you’re passed out.”

Beau takes my keys from me to lock up the apartment once we step out the front door. “It’s not for tonight,” I tell him. “I’m going to bring it with me to the hospital tomorrow because I guarantee that stinker is bored out of hismind.”

I know this because he’s already texted me three different times with GIFs of someone groaning and throwing their head back. There was also one where a guy was tapping his fingers on a table and blowing out a slow breath, looking super sad.

Chuckling, he holds the passenger door to his car open for me, and I sink into the seat, groaning at the way the soft leather cradles my sore body. Both today and yesterday have been some of the most physically draining days of my life. I’d do it every day for my friend, but I’m not ashamed to admit that I really hope I never have to do it again.

I don’t even realize he’s started the engine because I’m asleep before we pull out of the parking lot.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Hugging Mrs. O’Brien goodbye, I feel relieved that Beau and I woke as early as we did. I think Beau’s use of ‘absolutely wrecked’ is much more fitting for her. I can’t even imagine how stressed and worried she’s been with her only child having this huge medical emergency.

On top of looking haggard, her eyes are swollen, like she’s been sobbing for a week straight. I don’t think she’s slept anywhere other than the chair next to Marcus’s bed since they admitted him on Thursday. Considering it’s Sunday, she deserves a shot of tequila and a thick blanket at a minimum.

Beau is with me, but he told me he had only planned on staying for a few minutes. Long enough to say hi to Marcus and see how he’s feeling. I smile when he asks if there’s anything Marcus would like him to pick up at the store, offering to swing it by this morning. When he declines, Beau bumps fists with him, then comes back to me where I’m hanging back by the entrance to the room and brushes his lips across my cheek.

“Call me if you need anything, Happy. I’ll come pick you up when you’re ready. I want you at my place tonight. You barely got to see it and I’m feeling the urge to christen some very specific areas.”

With a wink, he walks out the door, my eyes following him until he disappears around the nurses’ station. The three women sitting behind the counter all follow his body and I wish I could yell at them for ogling my man,but…I don’t fucking blame them. Superhero. That’s what he is. God-like. Otherworldly.

“You’re drooling,” Marcus’s raspy voice calls out behind me.

Whipping my head around, I quickly wipe the back of my hand across my mouth, then scowl when it comes away dry. Laughing at me, he clutches his stomach and winces from the pain.

“Asshole. I’ve brought you something. Actually, I’ve brought youtwothings, but one is lame.”

Hurrying over to him, I drop my oversized bag I stole from Beau’s place into an empty chair. Then I tug the rolling table that fits over his bed around until it’s between his bed and my chair.

Watching me, he covers his smile. “I’ve alwayswanteda bedside table. Especially one of the ones with the beautiful plastic wood grain tops. How did you know?”

Giggling, I whack his foot because it’s the only thing I can reach. “You’ll be thanking me a minute because…” I pause for dramatic effect as I pull our puzzle from my bag, holding it up for him to see, and sing, “I foooound something!”

I’m absolutely thrilled by the excitement and happiness I see on his face. I’m also relieved that I’ve distracted him from his shitty hospital stay.

“I totally forgot I even had those in my place! Shit, were theyallin there?”

“Fuck yes, they were. Seriously, Marky, we’re going to redo every single one of them. Screw reruns. I want card tables, puzzles, and wine for the next three years’ worth of friend nights.”

Marcus throws a fist pump into the air, completely on board with my idea. “Sold. What else did you bring me?”

He eyes my bag, eager for more presents. He’s always been easy to please, and even though the second thing isn’t anything special, I know he’ll get a kick out of it. Grinning, I reach into the bag and pull out a card I grabbed at the gas station this morning. Holding it away from him, I explain some things first.

“It’s not exciting, and you need to know that the Stop’n’Shop really needs to upgrade their greeting card selection. Pathetic, really. I actually considered starting another side gig designing cards. Got a sliver in your finger? Go check out Bananamark’s seventeen different options. Dog was spayed or neutered? Bananamark has atleasttwenty, most of which would include some version of Bob Barker on the front.”

“Catch phrase: ‘And don’t forget to get your cats spayed or neutered, folks’,” Marcus finishes for me, causing us both to dissolve into a fit of giggles.

Finally sitting down, I hand him the get well soon card and can barely control my pleasure over his reaction reading the stupidest card I’ve ever found. There’s a single round rock on the front where I’ve drawn an arrow pointing at it and wrote ‘YOU’ at the end. The inside reads:

I know this isn’t an impressive card, but thanks for always being my rock.

Get well soon so we can rock and roll.

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