Page 16 of Huge Dynamite
“But?”
“But it’s not the car I wanted. I know I sound crazy and spoiled… but it’s the car they wanted me to drive. Not the car I wanted.”
“What car do you want?” This woman gets more and more fascinating by the moment.
“You’ll laugh.”
“Well, now I’ve got to know. I won’t laugh. Promise.”
Shaking her head, she presses her lips together. “Don’t make promises you can’t keep.”
“Never do.”
“Okay, then, let’s make a bet.”
“A woman who bets? This gets better and better. What’s the wager?”
“Don’t know yet. How about a prize—agreed upon by both parties—but to be named at a later date?”
“I like it. Okay. I’ll take your blind bet. So? What kind of car?”
“I probably sound like a walking quarter-life crisis, but I want a Jeep. A hot pink Jeep.”
Stifling a chuckle, I turn and look out the driver’s side window.
“Seth?”
Leaning forward, she tries to look at me, but I stay facing away from her. I’m fighting hard not to laugh, but I keep picturing this gorgeous, classy woman pulling up to the hospital with her hot pink Jeep covered in mud.
“Seth?” Her voice is flirtatious. “Are you trying not to laugh?”
“No, no.” Clearing my throat, I fight back a chuckle. “Nope.”
“Well, if that doesn’t make you laugh, how about the image of me in that car with a lucky rabbit’s foot hanging from the rearview?”
“Rabbit’s foot?” My chest is rising and falling with a chuckle that’s building in my gut and wants to burst free, but I refuse to let it out. Lifting my hand, I cover my grin and keep my head turned, looking out of the driver’s window.
“Yup. A big, neon-green lucky rabbit’s foot, one that’s so big that every time I go off-roading and over a bump, it bounces back and forth.”
She leans even closer and rests her hands on the console between the front bucket seats. If I were to turn now, she’d be inches from me, and I could just reach out, stroke her beautiful cheek, and kiss her so very gently.
“I want one so big it looks like it came off of Bugs himself.” Miming, she pretends she’s holding a carrot like a cigar. “What’s up, Doc?”
“Ha!” A huge, rolling laugh pours out of me. There’s nothing I can do. The moment isn’t all that funny, but it’s like all the millions of pounds of stress pour out of me, and I feel happy. For the first time in a long time.
“Ah-ha!” Pointing her finger at me, she smiles. “You are laughing.”
“That wasn’t fair,” I protest. “That was an awful impression. It was more like Groucho Marx than Bugs.”
“Yup. I’m the worst at impressions, but that doesn’t stop me. I do them all the time.”
“I look forward to hearing more, maybe.”
“The important part is that you’re laughing.” She grins at me. “That means I win.”
“But you’re laughing, too.” Catching my breath, I’m once again caught by how beautiful this woman is. “So, doesn’t that mean we both win?”
Shaking her head, she smiles. “Nope. There can’t be two winners. It doesn’t work like that. Besides, I’m not laughing. Just chuckling. There’s a difference.”
