I sat across from a couple on the J train a few weeks ago. The J is an above ground train. You walk up at least two sets of steep stairs to get to the platform. I tend to jog up them out of habit. I've missed a train a time or two by taking my time with those steps.

The temperature was around 80 degrees that afternoon, and yet I jogged up the steps anyway. By the time I got to the platform I was dripping sweat. I couldn't wait for that blast of cool to come. When the train arrived, I stepped onto an icy car and felt the instant relief that always comes from the subway in the summer. It is unreal. On my usual commute there are quite a few people crammed into each car. I tend to travel with rush hour. This day, however, the train wasn't as crowded as usual. I was even able to find a seat. I sat down and immediately noticed the two people across from me were together.

There is always a good few inches of distance between people that don't know each other on the train, as long as the crowd allows it. These two people were crammed up against each other and enjoying it. I took quick glances at them, trying to be subtle.

The woman had light brown skin and long dark hair. It was wavy and thick and I could only imagine way too hot for this weather. She was wearing a loose fitting white dress and sky blue flip-flops. The purse that sat beside her seemed rather generic to me. It was small and light brown. The man wore a navy blue t-shirt, that said something in Spanish on it, and khaki shorts. He also had light brown skin, but he was bald with a goatee.

They sat talking quietly between themselves, draped over one another, very thankful for the air conditioned car, I'm sure. I noticed that they were speaking in Spanglish. I could only understand a few words, and even then the train noise covered a lot of what they were saying. At one point they got a bit louder and the woman started to tell the man something amusing, and then it happened.

The man laughed. His bald head flew back and his goateed mouth opened up and he cackled a maniacal chuckle that I never would have expected. "Ah ah ah ah ah!" This man laughed exactly like The Count. I couldn't help but smile. The best part was that the woman also let out a chuckle. Her's wasn't quite as maniacal but it matched his in cadence almost perfectly. They laughed together for the rest of my train ride and I tried so very hard to keep my attention paid elsewhere, but in the end I couldn't.

I see this couple regularly now and they are always giggling together. I can always hear it, even when the train is full of rush hour riders. Human beings are so amusing.

-J