[What is she supposed to say to that? She looks surprised and uncomfortable, and like she's trying to figure out how to still be polite after hearing that.]
Darin, you know I'm not very good at jokes. You..
[She searches his face for a tell, something to reveal the joke that she's apparently not getting.]
... you're serious? You are serious. Or I'm even worse at jokes than I realized.
[But it sounds absurd, to put it mildly. But is he going to start getting worked up if she actually says that? What's the polite way to ask someone if he's lost his mind?]
But what... I mean, how... [She pauses to collect herself.] Where did you hear such a thing about yourself?
no subject
[What is she supposed to say to that? She looks surprised and uncomfortable, and like she's trying to figure out how to still be polite after hearing that.]
Darin, you know I'm not very good at jokes. You..
[She searches his face for a tell, something to reveal the joke that she's apparently not getting.]
... you're serious? You are serious. Or I'm even worse at jokes than I realized.
[But it sounds absurd, to put it mildly. But is he going to start getting worked up if she actually says that? What's the polite way to ask someone if he's lost his mind?]
But what... I mean, how... [She pauses to collect herself.] Where did you hear such a thing about yourself?