“Do you like sports?”
“Never followed them.”
“You didn’t play?”
“No money for uniforms.”
I nod to myself, passing all the sports channels to look for something lighthearted or even funny.
“Ah, here’s a good one.” I click onThe Grand Budapest Hotel.“I haven’t seen it in years.”
I chuckle quietly at the movie and eventually feel eyes on me. Cassius is watching me with a curious expression.
“What?”
“I’ve never heard you laugh before.”
“Oh, please. Don’t be absurd. We’re together all the time.”
And that we are. We’re together all the time. I spend more time with him than I do with anyone else.
“That’s exactly my point. We’re together all the time, and I’ve never heard you laugh.”
“Impossible.”
He shakes his head. “It’s not.”
I hold his gaze a second longer, then go back to the TV but I can’t focus on it now. How has he never heard me laugh? I think back to our interactions, and I can’t pinpoint any one time when laughing would be involved, but surely…
“Do you think I’m boring?” I ask.
He huffs a laugh. “No, definitely not boring.”
“Good, because I’m not.”
“I know you’re not.”
“I’m very exciting.”
“Sure you are,” he says with a smirk.
“I am,” I say firmly.
His eyes shine with humor, maybe a little glossy from the alcohol. He brings his attention back to the TV, and I do the same a moment later.
We get the announcement that we’ll be starting the descent and should put our seat belts on. Cassius’s breathing starts to quicken again, so I offer him the last shooter that isn’t quite cold anymore.
He guzzles it, like he did the others, hissing after he swallows. He chases it with the iced tea, then closes his eyes and grips the armrests.
I reach over to take his hand, linking our fingers. He squeezes it tightly, holding on for dear life. I tell myself I’m only doing itto help him stay calm, but I can’t help but notice how well our hands fit together.
“It feels good to have two feet on the ground,” Cassius says as we walk across the tarmac. “So, do you have a fancy driver waiting for you?”
“I rented. Hope you’re okay with me chauffeuring you around all weekend.”
“Oh? Do you plan on going out often?”
“I told you… I have a surprise for you.”