Awkward Love (Stumbling into Love 2)

“Oh my God.” Jameson groaned.

“Aww!” Kira covered her mouth with her hand.

“You are so what he needs,” Ali added.

I stood up. Jameson had his eyes closed and his mouth pursed. I gave his lips a smacking, playful kiss. “Well, would you look at that, Professor. I’m what you need.” I liked that name better than Mumbles.

“You’re going to be the death of me is what you are,” he replied.

“Someone could have told me they had company,” I added under my breath.

“I didn’t know they were going to show up! They do so at random times!” Jameson didn’t bother lowering his voice.

Kira smiled. “We’ll hang something on the doorknob when we come over. That way Will knows not to just come in and ravage you.”

“I’m very good at ravaging.”

“So we’ve heard.” Kira swatted Ali as if she wasn’t supposed to let that slip.

Jameson rushed out, “What the hell. I didn’t tell them anything—well, everything. I told them a little, but that’s because it’s been really fucking good, and oh my God. I’m shutting up now.”

I chuckled. God, I loved it when he got all rambly around me. “Please don’t shut up. I like hearing how good I am.” Then I reached over and threaded my fingers through his. Jameson must have been as taken aback by my action as I was because he was stiff for a moment before he relaxed. “It’s surprisingly cool outside today. We should go to Piedmont Park for a little while. Is that okay with you?” Jameson gave a startled sort of nod, as if I wouldn’t want to hang out with him again unless I was blowing him. “Do you guys want to go?” They were his friends, and if Jameson and I were going to be hanging out, I figured I should know them some.

“Yeah, sure,” Ali replied.

I let go of Jameson’s hand so he could get his cell and keys, and the four of us headed out. It was a quick walk to Piedmont Park, and the weather was amazingly comfortable, with a low humidity we hardly ever had this time of year.

“What do you do?” Kira asked. We were in the park now, walking along the sidewalk over one of the rolling, green hills.

“We don’t talk specifics about some things,” Jameson told her. I had a feeling it was as much for his benefit as mine. He was telling her, Don’t say anything I wouldn’t want him to know.

“I’m a PA,” I replied. “You guys?”

“Kira just finished art school,” Ali told me. “She’s amazing. The painting over the fireplace in Jameson’s place is hers.”

“No shit? Wow. That’s incredible.”

Kira smiled at Ali in this way that had my spidey senses going. Were the two of them more than friends? Jameson had never mentioned it. Or hell, maybe Kira just liked her and Ali didn’t know.

“Ali’s heading to law school in the fall. Both my best friends are smart as hell.” Kira put her arms around Ali and Jameson. “That’s how this started—us going to the bachelor thing and all. We wanted to celebrate all our accomplishments and have lots of fun before these two continue on their paths to save the world.”

“I guess lucky me, then.” I nudged Jameson, and he glanced over, smiling bashfully at me.

We found a spot under a tree to sit in the grass. I could tell Jameson was a little nervous as he tapped his finger on his thigh over and over. I reached over, placing my hand on his, hoping to soothe him. He gave me another grin that caused these funny little twitches to my insides, but he stopped tapping.

We chatted for a little while about random things. The longer we did, the more relaxed Jameson got. Somehow, we got into a funny story, Jameson telling us about something silly Kira did when they were little. “Oh my God. Shut up.” She playfully punched his arm. “At my fifteenth birthday party—”

“Don’t. You. Dare,” Jameson warned her.

“Dare!” I countered.

“Oh, I’m gonna. I had a huge party at my house, and—”

Jameson let go of my hand and lunged at Kira. She laughed, falling onto her back. He tried to cover her mouth, but she shook her head and kept talking.

“We were downstairs, and there was this really fine guy there. Jameson was trying to avoid him so he didn’t do something silly.” They were still wrestling a bit, Jameson trying to keep her from telling the story, but smiling as he did so. “Well, Jameson was at the table, and he put one of those mini sausages into his mouth just as the guy came over, and he sucked it down this throat. We damned near had to do the Heimlich on him before a sausage shot out of his mouth.”

We all started laughing, my stomach cramping because I couldn’t stop. Luckily Jameson was laughing too.