Page 6 of Happily Ever Laughter

Felix grins as I hand back the aluminum key. “Sorry, I kinda zoned out there.”

“No worries. I do it all the time.”

He leans closer, his hand falling to my knee. “I’m glad. Some people say that creative people shouldn’t be with other creative people, because it’s too much chaos. But I think that only another truly creative person would understand these sorts of bizarre moments that we have. Right?”

I nod slowly. “I guess so. I mean, I was once dating someone briefly when I was in university, and he couldn’t understand that when I was writing the first draft of a paper, I couldn’t be disturbed for twenty-four hours no matter what. He took it personally.”

It was hard to speak coherently as his fingers trailed lightly over my knee, but I found myself leaning closer.

“Exactly,” he says. “It’s not personal, it’s art. Or writing. Creating. Whatever. There are many instances where the work comes first, and a casual coffee date has to be canceled.”

“With extensive apologies the next day, of course,” I said, lifting my eyebrows slightly.

“Oh, of course. But see, a creative person would actually understand when they got a text two hours before a date, that said something like – sorry – creative zone – can’t form sentences for next ten hours.”

“Some people get offended at the tiniest things,” I say. “It seems so strange.”

“Right?. I dated a few girls many years ago that expected us to be in constant contact at all times. They would text me while they were in line at the supermarket, and would get bent out of shape if I didn’t stop working to entertain them for the three minutes they were bored. Who lives like that?”

I laugh again. “If you’re never apart, what do you have left to talk about?”

“Exactly.” His hand lifts from my knee to slowly slip my fingers through his. I appreciate that he moves cautiously, giving me every opportunity to pull back. But I don’t.

Having only had one short, bland relationship that had zero spark, I feel like I’m completely unprepared for this. With Felix, the spark happened the second our eyes met. Now there is a wall of fire that might burn up all common sense and leave me helpless.

“Tanis, you feel this, right?”

There’s no way to explain the things I’m feeling, since I haven’t had a chance to straighten them all out yet. “I feel something, yes.”

“Then please…” He pulls his phone out of his pocket with his free hand. “Can I have your number?”

I take the phone, and a beautiful flood of relief spreads across his handsome face. Reluctantly taking my hand back, I try to open the contacts app but it’s locked.

“It wants your code,” I say, handing it back to him, but he waves me off.

“7483.”

My mouth drops open. “You’re telling me your password? Just like that?”

“I want you to trust me, Tanis. I know there’s a lot more going on here than we’re even aware of yet. I live at 748 Mortimer Street on the third floor. So now you have my address as well.”

Unlocking the phone, I type my name, number, and email. “Maybe you could send me some links to your music?”

“Maybe I will.”

I shouldn’t feel his smile running up and down my spine like this. I shouldn’t feel the intensity of his gaze across my lower lip like this. Everything about him is lighting me up, and I’m shocked at how strangely satisfying it is.

Felix glances back to his friends, who are waving him over. “Do you want to come meet the guys?”

“Not tonight. I should probably leave you to your roommate meeting .” I finish my drink, then pack up my laptop.

“Dinner tomorrow?” he asks hopefully. “Yes?”

“Yes.” The word pops out of my mouth before I can even consider stopping it.

As I stand, Felix leaps to his feet. “Tanis?”

He’s taller than I realized, at least six foot three. It makes me feel tiny and girlish. “Yeah?”

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