Cousins (#1)

8:40 PM

“So what do you want for your birthday?”  James asked the question without any trace of emotion, not an expectant smile blooming on his mouth, not an impatient shuffle of his arms.  He might have been conducting a job interview.  Jaime laughed and shook her head slyly.

“I don’t know!  Surprise me, James, like you always do.”  Jaime looked down and watched the candlelight dance in the large, awkward, garnet-studded ring that James wore on his right hand.  She once asked James about it, but only received the answer that it was a family heirloom.  That was her first surprise from him. 

Jaime had been dating James for a year already, and even after that time he seemed a bit of a mystery to her.  He worked for the FBI, but wouldn’t talk about his job, not even about old cases that had no bearing anymore.  He would on occasion tell hilarious jokes, but never seemed to think them funny himself.  Not once did he ever display signs of male insecurity over the fact that the two of them shared nearly identical names.  James was mysterious without a doubt, and Jaime was honest enough with herself to admit that his mystery was part of what made him so attractive.

Their waiter arrived with the check, which James deftly swiped off the table before Jaime could even look at it.  Jaime sighed and took another sip of her wine.

“I’m so happy you have the weekend free.  Maybe we can go into the city?”

 The fan overhead teased the few loose brown hairs on the top of Jaime’s head.  She looked at James’ thick nose and his smoothly planed jaw, and had the funny notion that he was a farmer just come in from the fields after a bitter day’s work.  James narrowed his blue eyes and observed his girlfriend.  The candlelight jumped off the surface of the garnet.

“We can go wherever you want.”