Page 72 of Make Me Laugh

She tucks a piece of hair behind her ear. “Hi, I’m so sorry. I just… Gosh, this is so silly. I’m not normally nervous like this.” She gestures to me and giggles. “But you’re West Parker.”

“I am,” I say, nodding with the smile I save for fans. It’s not my real one, but it’s as close as I’ve been able to get. Dimples included.

“Me and my friends have tickets to your show tonight. We’re having a party afterwards. You should come.” She holds her hand out, passing me a folded up pink sticky note. Her number is scrawled across it in bubbly handwriting with the name Megan and a heart.

“Thanks, bu—” I watch her face fall, but before I can finish turning her down, a tattooed hand steals the paper from me.

“West Parker at a college party? I dunno, Hotshot. I think that’s something the world deserves to see.” Joey winks at me, turning to the young college girl who now looks more terrified under her frosty green witch-trying-to-steal-your-soul stare than she had mine. “I’m assuming this party is at a fraternity?” Joey asks, raising a brow, because she already knows the answer.

Megan nods, staring at Joey with scared doe eyes.

“Mmm,” Joey hums, popping her hip and throwing a look over her shoulder at me. “We’ll be there.”

“You’re…” This girl must believe Joey’s a real witch with how nervous she is.

“Hex,” Joey finishes for her with a smile I know isn’t real, but it’s a good fake.

She never introduces herself as Jo to people who know her as Hex. I’ve noticed since our first night together in Portland.

“Are you two…” Megan trails off again.

Joey chuckles. “It’s open.”

Is it?

I don’t think it is.

Actually, I know it isn’t. I mean, maybe technically… but I’m not open to exploring anything new right now or adding anyone else into whatever the hell’s going on with us.

Is she?

What’s happening right now?

Megan laughs like she doesn’t know what else to do. “Oh, okay.” Her eyes shoot to mine. “Okay, cool.”

I truly have no idea what to say. Without thinking, I raise my hands and give Megan two thumbs up with a smile I catch in the mirror. A monkey would be able to tell it’s fake.

“You’ll text me then?” she asks, still hopeful.

“I will,” Joey interjects, and I don’t miss the tone she takes. “West’s a busy guy, and between you and I, he’s an awful texter,” she lies with a shrug.

A real smile creeps across my lips. She doesn’t like the idea of me having this girl’s number, and I couldn’t care less about it either.

“Great, well, then… I’ll see you later.” She waves at me, eyes shooting to Joey before she scampers out of the gym, leaving us in silence until a deep chuckle rumbles my chest.

“What?” Joey eyes me suspiciously, crossing her arms and popping her hip.

I stand from the bench, regaining my height on her. She’s not a petite woman, standing taller than average, with curves she works for, but I’m still a 6’2 retired athlete who’s kept himself in near peak shape.

She tips her head back to hold eye contact.

Before I answer, I take a second to scan her face while I’m this close. She’s not wearing any makeup, showing the splattering of freckles that call the bridge of her nose home. I wonder how long it would take me to count them all. “Oh, nothing. You’re just really cute when you’re marking your territory.”

Her lips make a soft popping noise when she purses them together and scoffs. “I was not marking my territory. I said it’s open.”

I narrow my eyes on her, and she pauses mid-bend on the way to her bag on the floor. “Open? Really? That’s what we’re going with?”

“What else was I supposed to say?” she asks, pulling a pair of large black sweat pants from her bag. “No, we’re not together for real, but we have had sex before, and now we’re just letting everyone think we’re dating online so we can make a bunch of money off the clout?” Joey steps one leg in at a time and ties the drawstring snug.