in more than two years—and it made me wonder why I hadn’t done it sooner. I loved cooking for people. And I loved seeing Jason enjoying something I could do as much as I enjoyed what he put into the universe.
Kristen was right. I’d chosen this life. And I’d had enough. I was going to make a concerted effort to get out of this in-between I was trapped in. I was going to actively pursue joy. I’d cook. I’d maybe start updating my blog again. I had too many paying commissions to be able to dedicate time to painting any of my own stuff, but maybe eventually I’d even get back to that too. And I was going to start now. Not for Jason. Not because he was here to reap the benefits. For myself. I should have done it a long time ago.
When the credits came on, I stretched and Jason sat up and hit the Power button.
“I need to ask you something,” he said, turning to me.
“If you ask me one more time if I’ve lost that loving feeling—”
He laughed. “Not that.” Then his face went a touch serious. “I’m not seeing anybody else. It occurred to me that maybe you might be dating. I just wanted to make it clear to you that I’m only dating you.”
“Is that a question?” I asked, buying time while I processed what I’d heard.
Even though he hadn’t said it before this, I knew innately that he was seeing only me. I just knew. But I guess it was good we were talking about it.
He smiled a little. “Are you seeing anyone else?”
I snorted. “No, of course not.” The idea was almost laughable. Me? Dating? Besides, I liked him way too much to look at other options. But Jason looked…relieved, maybe?
“I would like it if you and I only dated each other,” he said, looking at me intently.
I shrugged. “Okay.”
“You agree?”
“Yes. I won’t see anyone else. Just you.”
He gazed at me for a moment, something soft playing around the edges of his smile. Then he leaned over and kissed me. It was a gentle, closed-mouthed kiss, and when it was over, he stroked my cheek with his thumb, looking in my eyes. My heart fluttered. Then my cell phone vibrated in my lap and we both looked down, reading the text at the same time.
Kristen: Tomorrow. Get here by 5:00. I want help with the sides. BRING HIM.
I groaned.
“What?” Jason asked.
“Kristen is conspiring to meet you. It’s her birthday tomorrow, and Josh is grilling steaks. She wants me to bring you.”
“Sure,” he said.
I shook my head. “No. It’ll be awful. They’ll make you so uncomfortable. They’re shameless. No.”
“So you’re just going to hide me from your best friend? Forever?”
“Yes. That’s the plan. You don’t understand, I can’t even let her know you’re over here right now. She’ll show up just to show you pictures of me at my eighth-grade dance.”
He laughed. “What time should I pick you up?”
“You really want to do this? It may test our relationship.”
“So you admit it’s a relationship,” he said, smiling at me.
I narrowed my eyes at him, suspecting a trap. “Well, what would you call it?”
“That’s exactly what I’d call it. But you have a tendency to rob me of the titles I’m due.”
“Like what?”
“Like calling our first date an appointment.”
I rolled my eyes. “Fine. We’re in…a relationship,” I said, forcing out the last word. It was way early for that, but it kind of was one, I guess. He wasn’t wrong.
“A monogamous relationship,” he added.
“Yes, we’re not dating anyone else, so I suppose that’s also true.”
“So that makes you my girlfriend.”
I choked. “Jason!”
“What? What else would you call it?” He looked completely amused at how flustered I was.
“I don’t know? We’re seeing each other, exclusively. That’s how I’d say it.”
“And that would make me your boyfriend,” he said, his eyes dancing.
He was right. And I was terrified.
“We’ve only known each other for two weeks,” I said. “This is only our third date.”
He shook his head. “I don’t care.”
I bit my lip. “Jason, I take that status really seriously.”
“I hope so, because so do I. Look, I don’t care what the rule books say we should be doing right now. I like you. You like me. We agree that we’re exclusively seeing each other. And I want you to be able to tell random a cappella groups that hit on you that you have a boyfriend.”
Then he leaned in and kissed me. “And your boyfriend should