Page 34 of Happily Ever Laughter

“Are these two going to hook up?”

“Royalty does not ‘hook up’,” he says with an eye roll. Then he shrugs. “But yes, eventually.”

“He’s afraid of her,” I say without thinking. “She’s too beautiful, too wonderful, and he doesn’t know if he’ll be able to handle the humiliation if she rejects him.”

“But he’s a knight,” Oliver explains patiently. “He’s slain the Warriors of the Samsarri. The beast of the Markentia. Why would he be afraid of a woman?”

Sometimes I forget how oddly sheltered he is, living more with books than people.

“Hey – do you see that blonde on the rowing machine?”

He casually glances so as not to draw attention. “Yeah.”

“Go over and ask her out.”

I see the reaction immediately. Everything inside him cringes, his breath becoming halting as he shakes his head violently. “No. No way.”

“That. Right there. That reaction of pure terror. That’s what most men feel when they go to ask a woman out. The knight is afraid he’s going to be anything less than perfect for her.”

Oliver blinks hard, then grabs his paper and pen, rushing out of the gym as he mutters something that may have been, “Oh-my-god-you’re-right-thanks.”

I lean over to turn off his treadmill that was set at approximately half a mile per hour.

Even though I was simply trying to illustrate a point, I suddenly have a creeping feeling. What if I’m not good enough for Tanis? What if I’m not the perfect man she deserves?

I’m going to have to focus on every single detail, and make absolutely certain she gets everything she needs from me.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

~ Tanis ~

I’m not used to nearly crying with joy first thing on Monday morning. But when a delivery of a flowering plant arrives for me just past nine-thirty, my eyes fill with tears. The note says, “Just in case your desk needs a pet. xox Felix.”

The workday passes as it usually does, but now I hold this happy thought in the back of my mind at all times. Felix is falling in love with me. I’m not quite sure how I’m so certain, but it’s something I feel straight through to my bones. I’ve noticed his lips quivering occasionally as he gives me a very intense stare, and know that he is holding something back.

It’s indeed a bit odd how we both feel so much so fast, and I don’t blame him for waiting a bit longer to speak the words. Any other woman would probably be completely freaked out, or might even think that was grounds to run away.

Not me.

I’ve been holding back those words as well.

I’ve never been in love before. I’m extremely fond of my friends, and of course I care for my leafy green buddies, but love?

It seems to be a giant, mysterious, mystical concept that I’m not sure I’m meant to understand. Some people say it’s like being struck by lightning.

I definitely feel the heat, but it’s softer than lightning. Not a blinding flash of yellow orange. It’s fluffy and peachy pink and glows from within. It feels like it wraps around me, holding me tight without ever holding me back.

Answering emails and filling out paperwork isn’t as boring as usual. It’s somehow outside of the real world. An abstract task. It’s just a thing that has to be done before I get to see Felix again.

It’s a bit of a pity that I don’t know when that will be. Sure, I’ll see him at Wednesday’s event, but it sounds like he’s incredibly busy until then.

At least I can picture him working in his studio now. Strangely, that’s a great comfort. Now that I understand precisely how he seems to fall out of time and space, I won’t be offended if I don’t hear from him now and then.

After clearing my in-box, I go to the break room for another cup of coffee. Marla is standing there, waiting for a fresh pot to brew. “You beat me to it today,” I say with a smile. “Thanks.”

Marla rolls her eyes. “We certainly can’t expect any of the men around here to do something so basic.” We laugh together, the joke never getting old even though one of us makes it at least once a week.

Marla is probably in her late forties, and has been with the company since it began, I think. She always seems a bit grouchy, but now I know her well enough to see that it comes from boredom.

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