That made her laugh, she couldn't help it. Even her exploding head didn't matter in that moment. There was something very beautiful about their friendship, Paul, Josef and her, which made her happy.
"Boys are so violent," she observed, blinking back a fresh flood of tears. She was lucky to have the two of them as friends.
"Girls are so mushy," Paul countered, leaning down to drop a kiss on top of her head. "Don't go all sobby on me. Can you imagine what will happen if Josef comes in and finds you crying? Sheesh, I'll be dead meat."
She made a face at him and gave him a little push, her stomach churning at the reference to meat. "Ugh. Go away before I throw up all over you."
"You already did that," he pointed out.
"I did not," she denied, uncertain if it was true, but adamant all the same. "I carefully and politely turned my face away from you." She gave him a little huff of disdain, just to emphasize that he must have remembered the sequence of events incorrectly.
"Then why did I have to spend half the day in the laundry room?" he asked with a smirk.
Now she knew he was teasing her. This little room was not in a hotel. She could tell it was a private residence renting out rooms. No hotel was this cozy or had the detailed quilts, obviously handmade, in them. There wouldn't be a laundry room.
"Go away, mean boy," she said. "If I don't take my shower soon, Josef will show up before I'm out."
"Lock him out," Paul said as he crossed to the door.
She laughed again. "You try locking him out."
"He can't come in if the doors and windows are closed and locked, not without an invitation," Paul said.
"Really?" She arched an eyebrow. "This is Josef we're talking about. He's very adept at picking locks, as you well know. You both have studied enough to be criminals."
Paul put his hand over his heart. "Ouch. Such a hurtful woman."
He hurried out the door laughing, slamming it quickly so that the pillow she threw hit the door instead of him.