“Scott isn’t so clean.” He smiled. “But he’s hardly ever home, so I keep the rest of the house neat.”
I nodded and circled around to sit on a single white leather couch at right angles to the flat-screen TV that took up a large portion of the wall.
“I really like this,” I said, mostly to myself. “It’s incredible.”
“What?” James asked.
I turned to look at him as he poured the water into his mug. As per usual, he was dressed in business-looking attire. Only this time, he wore dark jeans with his normal rolled-up sleeve shirt and black tie. He almost matched the room. Black and white.
“This place, the white with splashes of black,” I answered. “Even though I studied interior design, if I could design a place, I think I’d stick to the basics like this, black and white, then maybe introduce colour with cushions or something.”
“That way you can change your mind on colours and not have to redecorate the entire place,” he said. “I completely agree.”
I smiled and then felt my heart sink further into my stomach. That was all that I needed, another reason to like him. As if I wasn’t quite convinced enough already.
“So have you given any more thought to the interior design thing?” he asked, sauntering over to sit on the white loveseat that faced the television. I looked down at my fidgeting fingers.
“I think about it all the time but, like I said, I can’t get a job without experience, and no-one will give me the experience,” I replied.
“I’d hire you.”
“You and what structure?”
He leant forward to rest his elbows on his knees. “When I buy my first hotel, I’ll hire you to deck it out. Deal?”
I raised an eyebrow. “You’re kidding, right?”
He smiled. “Deal?”
“Okay, deal,” I said with a laugh.
“Good,” he answered. “So, do you want to watch a movie or something while we wait? I don’t imagine Greg will be too long. Kylie’s parents are pretty strict.”
“Um, sure okay.”
“Okay.” He nodded, reaching for the remote control. He pressed a button, which made the television glow to life and then a couple more to bring up a menu of a list of movies. “Any preferences?”
“Not really.” I shrugged. “You pick.”
“I don’t mind. What do you like?”
I sighed. “James, we’ve known each other since we were thirteen and you have to ask?”
He laughed. “I don’t know. It’s been a while, and we never did this sort of thing.”
“What? Hang out? Watch movies? We saw one together a couple of weeks ago.”
James rolled his eyes. “You’re making this harder than it needs to be, Alice.”
“Then just pick one, James.”
James rolled his head over to look at me, his thumb still scrolling up and down the list. Then, with one final press, the television went black and the music swelled to introduce the movie he had randomly selected. The two of us turned our attention back to the screen to see what we would be watching.
This opening music gave it away instantly: The Breakfast Club.
James laughed. “Remember we watched this at school?”
“Yeah, it’s a great movie.”
“One of my favourites,” James said, looking down. “You can come and sit here, you know, I won’t bite.”
I glanced over and my stomach gave a squeeze. “I know.”
“Well?”
I cleared my throat and slowly made my way over to him. James took a sip of his peppermint tea and sat back, watching as I lowered beside him.
“Are you okay?” he asked. “You’ve been acting weird.”
I rested my head back on the couch and glanced over at him. “Weird how?”
He shrugged and turned towards me. “Just different.”
“Different. Different bad?”
He shook his head. “You’re still you. That will never be a bad thing.”
I smiled, watching the sincerity shimmer in his eyes, like a sunrise over the water. He looked at my face as if trying to memorise it. I’d never seen him look at me like that before, unguarded and curious like maybe he found what he saw attractive. I felt my smile fade and didn’t move, I didn’t even risk a breath. James was silent too, and then the curiously admiring expression lifted as his lips pulled into a smile.
“Judd Nelson is the greatest, isn’t he?” he said. He turned his attention back to the movie. “Emilio Estevez gets all the credit because of the Mighty Ducks and stuff, but Judd Nelson made this movie a classic.”
I sighed and then jumped as a strange noise sounded. James pulled his phone from his pocket.
“Greggles,” he said. “What’s the happs?… oh really?… ha… okay, sure-sure… bye.”
He pressed a button and moved the device back into his pocket.
I stared at him blankly. “So?”
James glanced at me. “Hm?”
“What’s the, um, happs?” I asked, half rolling my eyes.
“Greg’s around the corner. He’ll be here in a few.”
“Oh.”
James took a large gulp of tea and slid to the edge of the couch. He stopped the movie, switched the widescreen off, then looked back at me.
“So are you ready?”
I drew in a breath. “I’m kind of tired now actually.”
James groaned. “No, you’re not.”
“Sure I am. It’s been a long day.”
He patted my knee before standing. “Well, it’s not over yet, Alice. Let’s go.”
**
Greg drove too fast, but I appreciated James for giving me the front seat of the vintage sports car. The size of the backseat and the sudden movements would have surely made me throw up everything in my already churning stomach.
“So, you and James went to high school together,” Greg said, weaving in-between two cars on the merging highway. I clutched at the door and felt James’ hand squeeze my elbow from behind.
“Yep,” I answered.
Greg smiled. “Did you two ever hook up?”
I glanced in the passenger-side mirror and saw James roll his eyes.
“Uh, n-no. It, uh, it wasn’t like that,” I stuttered awkwardly. “Besides, he was with Jacinta then.”
Greg laughed. “Oh right, Jacinta… but seriously, I know James pre-t-ty well, and he would not let someone as—hey!”
James sat back after slapping the back of Greg’s dark, wavy head.
“I’m just saying,” Greg groaned. “It’s really a compliment to Alice.”
“Is that what it is?” James huffed.
“Well, is there any chemistry here?”
I breathed a nervous laugh and turned towards the window. I saw James glanced at me in the side mirror.
“Way to put a guy on the spot,” James muttered.
“Seriously, dude, you’d be absolutely crazy to let someone as good looking as Alice slip through your fingers… again,” Greg said to James as if I wasn’t here.
“Mate, just give it a rest.”
I felt my heart sink and cursed it.
“What about you, Alice?” Greg asked. “Would you give this guy a go?”
I reflexively stole a glance in the mirror at James before looking to Greg. James had lifted his head in anticipation of my answer. I swallowed to ensure my answer sounded casual.
“Well, it doesn’t matter much what I think, James is leaving soon.”
“There’s still some time before he goes,” Greg replied. “But I guess if you’re not up for it, Logan mentioned he thought you were cute.”
“All right, Greg, enough,” James sighed. “Leave Alice alone.”
I exhaled, both flattered and embarrassed by the attention, and subtly pressed my cool hand to my flushed cheek.
Greg didn’t bring the subject of James and me up again for the rest of the night, but that didn’t mean the idea didn’t linger in the air around us. It was as though a fragra
nce had been sprayed and it couldn’t be retracted. I wasn’t sure the reasoning behind it, but James and I always seemed to be within reach of each other the entire time. His hand was always in contact, either resting on my leg or lower back, and we were always linked in some way. The butterflies in my stomach seemed to subside as time ticked by, and instead of being nervous of his closeness, I felt comforted by it. Though, at the back of my mind, the thought of it going away and him going away scared me to death.
Greg drove me home at the end of the night, or morning as it were, with James in the backseat. His hand reached through and his thumb swirled on my skin the entire journey. The gesture warmed me against the freshness of the evening since Greg had his window down.
When we pulled up my driveway, I was halfway to the door when I heard Greg muttering to James, and then footsteps sounded behind me.
“Alice,” James called, jogging to catch up. “Wait up.”
My brows pulled together, but my heart responded in a leap. “You don’t need to walk me to the door, it’s too cold.”
James chuckled. “Greg practically kicked me out the car.”
“Oh.”
“So, thanks for coming tonight.” He smiled. “It was almost bearable with you there.”
“Almost,” I sighed. “You’re welcome.”
“Okay, more than almost.”
I glanced up at him and pressed my lips into a tight smile, watching as the light from my porch danced in his eyes. Staring into them was like being hypnotised, and I looked away, fear of falling and drowning in the depths.
“Well, um.” He chuckled. “I suppose I’ll see you ‘round.”
I dropped my glance to the floor. “Yep.”
“I’ll be in touch. Maybe we can grab a coffee or something.”
“Okay.” I nodded, too afraid to look up.
He was silent and unmoving, and I slowly returned my eyes to his, wondering what he was waiting for. A beat passed, and all he did was look at me with the same kind of secret curiosity that he had earlier on his couch.
My heart squeezed.
“Goodnight, Alice,” he whispered, taking a step back before turning on his heel. He didn’t even wait for a reply.
“Goodbye, James,” I breathed into the darkness.
I heard Greg’s car door close and turned to unlock my front door, returning to the emptiness that awaited me.
**
I woke the next morning to a strange noise, and it took me a moment to realise that it was my mobile moving along my bedside table on vibrate.
It was James.
“Hey, what are you up to?” he said.
It was loud.
I groaned. “I’m sleeping.”
He chuckled. “Do you want to grab some ice cream with me?”
“Ice cream? What?”
“Ice cream. Are you in?”
I exhaled. “Sure. When?”
“Well, I’m out front now, so you might want to get up.”
That woke me up.
“What?” I gasped, sitting up so quickly I felt like I’d left my stomach and brain on the pillow.
“Okay, now that you’re up, get dressed.” He chuckled.
I threw the covers back and pressed the speakerphone button as I began to change.
“James, you’re not seriously out the front of my house, are you?” I asked. “Like, seriously.”
“Like seriously,” he said. “No.”
I groaned. “You are such a jerk.”
“I’ll be there in five though, so be ready.”
“I hate you. I’m not going anywhere with you now.”
He laughed. “Sure you are. See you soon, darling.”
Dial tone.
I hated him. I could feel my heart beating erratically in my chest and tried to draw deep, even breaths to steady it. When that didn’t work, I sat down on my carpet and rested my head on my knees. It felt a little better, but I was still flirting dangerously with hyperventilation. When I was confident that I could stand again, I found some shorts and a clean T-shirt to wear, then pulled on my boots. My hair was still relatively straight from when I’d straightened it yesterday before for work, so I didn’t bother much with it. I grabbed my wallet and phone and headed to the door.
I opened it to find that James was already standing there, casual as ever. His teardrop sunglasses were halfway down his nose.
“Morning, Alice.” He smirked. “Are you ready?”
I just stared at him, hating myself for loving him so much, and for so long.
“Ice cream,” I said flatly. “Really, James? Ice cream?”
He shrugged and tipped his head towards his car. “Most girls would get out of bed for less.”
I grabbed the key from the back of the door and pulled it closed.
“I thought I told you that—”
“You’re not most girls. I know,” he finished for me. “That’s why I used a little more encouragement.”
I shook my head. “What?”
He glanced over his shoulder and beamed a smile. “Me.”
“You’re so full of yourself.”
He chuckled. “But am I wrong?”
I couldn’t argue with that.
**
James took me to a cute little ice cream parlour in town, which I had never seen before. It seemed to be tucked in-between two large café franchises, like 12 Grimmauld Place in Harry Potter. It was beautifully decorated, with cream-coloured booth seats, and large, round, fuzzy cushions in a multitude of colours.
“Wow,” I gasped, taking in the funky décor. “This place is incredible.”
James grinned. “I thought you of all people would appreciate it.”
My eyes moved to him and he looked away, pointing towards the array of flavours on display.
“Wait until you try the ice cream though, it’s a whole other level of incredible.”
I bit my lip and moved towards the glass window, resting my fingertips against it.
“Which flavours have you tried?” I asked, scanning the labels. There were tens and twenties of flavours – vanilla bean, vanilla-blueberry, coconut, banana, banana-berry, apple-pie, strawberry-fields, strawberry shortcake, strawberry cheesecake, coco-banana, white chocolate raspberry, white chocolate-caramel, choc-peppermint, mocha-latte, cookies and cream, honeycomb choc-chip, bubble-gum, English toffee and cream… the largest range I’ve ever seen, in the smallest store-front, I’ve ever ignored.
“I’ve tried… a lot of them.” He shrugged. “They’re all homemade.”
My eyebrows lifted. “Which is the best?”
He pressed his lips together, those glorious lips. “I really like choc-peppermint, but that probably makes me boring.”
“That doesn’t make you boring.” I smiled, drawing my attention back to the flavours. “I think I want to try the white chocolate caramel.”
“That I haven’t tried.”
“Seriously? That sounds like the most decedent of the lot.”
He chuckled. “Why don’t you find a seat and I’ll order.”
“No, you’re not paying. You paid last time.” I frowned, stepping in front of him as the ice cream lady smiled at us.
“We’re not doing that silly tit-for-tat thing. I dragged you out of bed, so it’s my shout.”
I folded my arms.
James smiled at the lady. “Can I get a white chocolate caramel and a vanilla-blueberry. Both regular.”
I sighed.
“Cup or cone?” he asked me before the lady could ask him.
“Cup,” I mumbled.
“Both in cups,” James added. “Thanks.”
“Please let me at least pay for my own,” I whispered to him, opening my wallet. It was quite empty, but I was sure that I at least had enough in coins.
“Find a seat, Alice,” he replied, nodding towards the chairs. “I know you have a preference for seating.”
I reluctantly turned around, locating a stretch of couch towards the end of the pokey shop. T
here were a few other people in here, but it wasn’t over-crowded. Most people, I imagined, would pass by the shop without noticing it.
James sat down beside me, passing me my cup of ice cream. It looked better and creamier in the cup than it had behind the glass – if that was even possible. My mouth watered at the sweet scent, and I pulled out the plastic spoon to scoop some up.
“How is it?” James asked, watching my face intently. The ice cream melted instantly in my mouth, sending the diffusion of flavour around my tastebuds like a puck in an ice hockey game. The flavour was delectable, and unlike anything I had ever tasted before.
“Oh my God,” was all I could murmur as I exhaled the scent, tasting it deeper. I wondered if it was possible to burst from ecstasy.
James nodded, taking a spoonful of his. “Right?”
I smiled at him.
“Can I try it?” he asked. If it was anyone else, I might have refused. But it wasn’t anyone else, it was James, and he had bought it for me, after all.
I raised the cup towards him and he scooped a little bit.
“Oh, wow,” he murmured. “That’s sweet.”
I nodded. “Can I try yours?”
He raised an eyebrow and offered me his cup. I carefully scraped a bit onto my spoon and into my mouth. It tasted like blueberries if blueberries were made of ice cream. The vanilla swirl running through it might have just been the most delicious vanilla ice cream I’d ever tasted in my life.
“How did I not know about this place before now?” I asked.
He shrugged. “It’s easy to miss when you’re not looking for it.”
I put another spoonful of mine in my mouth and pressed my lips shut to seal in the flavour.
James looked down, carefully crafting another spoonful himself.
“I could have kissed you last night, Alice. I mean, I wanted to,” he said as casually as if talking about the changing seasons.
I nearly choked, though there was nothing to choke on. I felt my cheeks burn in the slightest, and my heart somehow rose to block my throat. James looked up at me and smiled. I wasn’t sure what expression was frozen on my face, but I bet it was some shade of confusion.
“Oh,” I said.
He chuckled. “Oh.”
“So, uh, why didn’t you?”
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