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It’s just a fun project to do when I have a spare minuteI lied.

By the way, your books should be heading to you tomorrow. I packed them up today so they’re ready to go. You really think you’re so sneaky.

Maybe I wanted you to knowI sent.

What do you want from me, James?Even seeing my name typed by her gave me a thrill. Almost as good as hearing her say it.

Nothing. I told you. I don’t want anything from you. Anything you give me is a gift.

I realized how it sounded the second I read it back to myself in the context of our conversation.

Fuck. I’d revealed too much again. This was what came with talking to her too much. With dropping my guard.

Well now you’re definitely blowing smoke up my ass, James. Come on. Did you really think I was going to buy that?

Phew. She thought I was being sarcastic. That was so much better than her knowing that I was sincere. You couldn’t read tone in a message and that had worked to my advantage this time.

It was worth a try, wasn’t it?I responded, playing along.

She and I had been furiously messaging back and forth since Monday and I still couldn’t believe we were talking like two regular people.

I’d also heard from Lea, who had been sending me funny stories from teaching Pilates and fitness memes that cracked me up. I needed to get to her classes more often and maybe see if we could hang out again. Lea was a solid potential friend.

Connor hadn’t reached out and I was starting to get suspicious, but I was also grateful that he wasn’t pestering me and neither were my parents. They wouldn’t start the full-scale attack until the holiday season started and then it would be relentless. Every year it was a nightmare and I wanted to disassociate about it as long as I could.

It’s MillieDelaney said after I’d pared down my name list to my standard ten options. Millie meant “gentle strength” or “strong in work” and it was really cute as well. I’d gotten very creative and silly with my suggestions.

Millie was one of my favorites too. I was hoping you’d pick that one.

Delaney had named her air fryer because of me. I had named an object in her home. It wasn’t her declaring that she was actually queer and in love with me, but it wassomething. Probably the best I’d ever get.

Millie says hellowas accompanied by a picture of the air fryer with a sticky note with HELLO written on it in swooping letters.

I needed to see her again. I wanted to ask her what she was doing this weekend and suggest maybe we go out for drinks or something. Or a walk. Or to get an obscene amount of croissants again. Something, anything. I was setting myself up for an epic crash and I’d only have myself to blame.

Are you going to Pilates this weekend?she asked, as if she’d been listening to my thoughts.

Maybe, why?

It took her a few minutes to answer.I was planning to go on Saturday afternoon. You know, if you were going to go.What did that mean?

Are you saying you want me to go on Saturday afternoon or you want me to avoid that class?I responded. Better to spell it out than dance around things.

Ugh fine, I meant if you were going to go on Saturday afternoon I would also be there. And I guess that would be okay with me.

Wow, she was putting in a lot of effort to invite me to go to Pilates with her. If that was what she was doing.

Delaney. Are you saying that you want me to meet you at Pilates? You can just say that.

She sent me several angry emojis.I’m not INVITING you. I’m saying that if you came to that class that I would also be there.

Semantics. Very adorable semantics.

Ohhhhh, got it. So if I were to show up to the afternoon class, would there be a space next to you to put my mat? Or would I be forced to be on the other side of the room so you can pretend we don’t know each other?

I really wished I could see her face.

Why do you have to make this into a big thing? I don’t care where you put your mat, James. Forget I even said anything.