Chapter 23 Liana

"So, this is your room, hmm?" Liana said when they cuddled in bed a while later, taking in the beige tufted headboard of his queen bed, the nightstand, wardrobe, and desk that looked like they had all come as a set from Crate & Barrel. "It's nice. I knew you'd have a headboard."

He furrowed his brow, seemingly unsure if she were mocking him.

"It's a good thing," Liana assured him. "Some guys our age are man-babies and just sleep on a mattress on the floor. One time, I went over to the apartment of a guy I was seeing. He literally had a bare mattress with a blanket thrown on top. No sheets. I turned around and left right then."

James grimaced, looking disgusted that anyone would find that acceptable.

"I'm just saying," Liana continued. "You have your shit together. You say your life is a disaster, which I disagree with as a whole, but I think you shouldn't lose sight of the little things. Like the fact that you have a headboard, and your apartment is super nice and well put together."

"Thanks," said James. "I'm really glad you like it."

"I really like you, James," she replied quickly, repressing something deep inside herself that said she more than liked him.

"I really like you, too," he said, and kissed her. He looked deep in thought for a long moment, and then, seeming to decide something, turned to Liana. "You know, my friend, one of the other pickleball players, called you my girl earlier."

Liana's heart pounded wildly. "Did he now?"

"Mm hmm," James said, and kissed her. Liana kissed him back, trying to answer the unspoken question he was letting hang in the air.

James finally said, slowly, "It's totally cool if it's too soon. In fact, I'm sure it's too soon, but I just had to ask anyway. I'm not seeing anyone else. I don't want to see anyone else."

Liana's heart seemed to explode, and was that roaring in her ears normal? "I know it should be too soon for this conversation, but I was kind of hoping you'd ask. I don't want to see other people, either," Liana admitted, and James couldn't hide his wide grin. Liana matched his ebullient smile.

"That's — that's fucking incredible news," James beamed. He ran a hand through his hair and then looked at her again. "Do you want to be exclusive? Do you want to be my girlfriend?"

She planted a quick kiss on his lips. "Yes."

James fist-pumped the air and then tugged her closer. Liana couldn't help the laugh that escaped her. "My girlfriend," James murmured as he kissed her. Liana knew they'd barely been together, but she was already falling for him.

After a moment, James pulled his head back and chewed his lip nervously. "Actually," he said, "I have something else to ask you."

"Yes?" she said. For a quick second, she had thought that maybe he would say he loved her, but he'd said "ask," implying that what he had to say was a question and not a declaration. She tamped down her mild disappointment. Stop it. You just became his girlfriend. It's too soon to think about love.

James chuckled nervously. "For some reason, I'm just as scared to ask you this as I was to ask you to be my girlfriend. I don't know why. But… you know I'm hosting the pickleball event next weekend?"

"Yes?" she questioned. Of course she knew he was hosting the event.

"Well," he squirmed a little nervously. "As I told you the other week, I don't have a doubles partner. I was just going to pair up with someone the day of, but I realized I would really like you there. Will you play with me?"

Liana somehow found herself taken aback, despite having thought he'd ask her all those weeks ago when they were making sandwiches. "Of course I will," she said. "If you'll have me. As you know, I'm not very good at pickleball. I wouldn't be offended if you actually wanted to try to win the tournament. I know you're competitive, and I wouldn't blame you in the least. In fact, I kind of want you to win the tournament, just to stick it to your dad."

He laughed. "I absolutely love that. But I feel more like I'm winning when I'm with you than any time I win at pickleball. You're the win for me."

"Cute, but kind of cheesy, Alonso."

"Yeah, I heard it as I said it. Not my best work."

"Okay, there is one other problem." Liana squirmed uncomfortably. "I'm kind of… unemployed? I want to support your event — I really do — but I'm sorry to say I'm not in much of a position right now to pay the entry fee."

"Oh, please," he said, waving her off with a hand. "I'm the event organizer. If I say you can be there, you can be there."

"The paying guests won't mind?"

"If they do, they can go fuck themselves."

She smiled. "That was kind of an aggressive thing to say about a bunch of elderly people, but I appreciate the sentiment."

"When it comes to my girl, I won't hesitate to punch a fucker in the nose, elderly or not."

"I'm kind of scared that I can't tell if you're joking."

"Does this look like the face of a joker?" James scrunched his eyebrows in mock seriousness, and they both burst out laughing.

After a moment, a thought occurred to Liana. "Why were you so nervous to ask me? If you were going to waive the entry fee, it doesn't seem like such a big deal."

He ran a hand through his hair, sobering. "Well, the truth is, my ex is going to be there. Mary Grace. Obviously you know her. When I originally told her about the event when we were together, months ago, she said she wanted to play with me, but clearly she won't be anymore. A few weeks ago, long after we broke up, she actually signed up to play with someone else."

Liana's heart dove into her stomach. Of course, Mary Grace could afford to pay the entry fee. Of course, Mary Grace had wanted to play with James.

James looked Liana in the eye. "I promise you, I have no lingering feelings for her. None. I swear to you."

"I believe you."

"I'm glad. I would never cheat on you. I never have cheated on anyone and never will. I'm not afraid to see her because I know I feel nothing for her. But, knowing her, and knowing… how jealous she gets, I wouldn't put it past her to try to do something to piss you off and thereby piss me off. And I'll protect you, but I still don't want you in an uncomfortable position. So if you want me to uninvite Mary Grace, I will. Just say the word."

"You think I can't handle a mean girl?"

"I know you can," he hastened to reassure her. "I saw the way you brushed her aside in high school. I would just feel guilty for putting you in the path of her misdirected anger."

"James," she kissed him. "Don't think about Mary Grace. Pretend she's not coming. Would you want me there?"

"Of course."

She nodded resolutely. "Then I'll be there. Don't uninvite Mary Grace. It's fine. More money for charity is a good thing."

James let out a little whoop of victory and gathered her into his arms, kissing her thoroughly. He suddenly pulled back, looking sheepish. "Sorry for calling you my girlfriend earlier. With Kels, I mean. I kind of jumped the gun on that one."

"Don't be sorry. It made me really happy. I was hoping it was an actual Freudian slip, something you wanted, rather than just a figure of speech."

"Oh, I wanted it, all right. But even now that we've talked made things official, do you want to tell her? Tell people in general?"

"That I'm with you? I definitely want to tell anyone who will listen," she said, and he laughed.

"Same. Maybe shout it from the rooftops. Maybe make a sign that says ‘Liana Abrams is my girlfriend.' Not to bring to a pickleball tournament or anything, just to carry around on a daily basis."

"You kind of wear your heart on your sleeve," she teased.

"So I've been told."

"I like it," she said, and snuggled into him.

"Liana?"

"Hm?"

"Will you stay over tonight?"

She pulled back to look at him, surprised. She had figured they were in their last few minutes of post-sex cuddling before she would start getting ready to leave. It hadn't crossed her mind that he would want her to stay over. "You really want me to?"

"You know the whole heart on my sleeve thing? I kinda just tell people things when I'm feeling them, you especially. And yeah, I want you to stay over. I want to wake up with you next to me. I want to cook you breakfast, make you coffee. Not just tonight." Despite herself, Liana's breath hitched a little nervously.

James said quickly, "Don't worry. I know it's too soon to talk about the future. I'm not asking you to move in with me or anything. I just want there to be a lot of other nights like tonight."

Liana exhaled a little sigh. She was on the same page.

He continued, "I just can't help telling you where my head is. Did I scare you?"

"No," she said. "Not at all. I'm usually pretty cautious, but you make me want to throw caution to the wind. My own feelings are scaring me a little, but you're not scaring me. I really like you."

"I'm right with you," he replied and kissed her. "But don't get scared. We move at our pace, remember? Right now, I'm only asking about tonight. Will you stay?"

"Yes, I will."

He smiled and stood up, walking to his chest of drawers. He retrieved a pair of boxers and pulled them on. Next, he pulled out a T-shirt, but instead of putting it on as Liana had expected, he moved back to Liana on the bed. "Sleep shirt?" he asked. "It's really soft, I promise."

"Yes, thanks." She held out her hand to take it from him, but to her surprise, he lifted it gently, tucking her hair over one of her shoulders with care as he pulled the shirt over her head. He ducked into the en suite bathroom and returned a moment later with a glass of water, which he handed to Liana. He placed an unopened toothbrush on the nightstand beside her. "No rush," he said, pressing a quick kiss to her cheek. "Whenever you're ready, feel free to use anything of mine in the bathroom."

As she walked to the bathroom, Liana was surprised to find herself grateful for his ministrations. She couldn't remember a guy whose aftercare had been more than perfunctory.

She felt a strange twist in her gut as they brushed their teeth side by side. The domestic scene simply felt right.

A few minutes later, she settled back into the bed, James having asked her how many pillows she liked, if she needed extra blankets, and what temperature she preferred the room. Liana had never really been one for cuddling while sleeping, but she found herself oddly comforted as James pulled her into his side and she rested her head on his shoulder.

"What are you thinking about right now?" he whispered.

"I'm thinking that ‘boyfriend' has a nice ring to it. James Alonso is my boyfriend. That sounds nice."

"Sure does," he said sleepily. "I'm so happy right now."

Liana abandoned any pretext of keeping her heart under wraps as she said, "Me too."