I could barely remember how I ended up in this position—sitting across from JB Cox at a candlelit table in a restaurant, waiting for him to make the first move. I had known JB for years, but this… this was different. No longer were we the friends who could laugh about anything and everything. Now, we were on a blind date, and that somehow felt more awkward than the time we tried to run a marathon together.

"So… this is fun," he said, his voice light but tinged with something I couldn’t quite place. His eyes were softer than I remembered, but still full of that teasing spark that always made me roll my eyes.

I took a deep breath, trying to relax, but the truth was, the more I looked at him, the more I realized how much I’d grown to care for him—more than I probably should.

"It’s definitely… different," I replied, a small smile tugging at the corner of my lips. I knew I was probably overthinking it, but I couldn't help it. Every time JB’s gaze lingered just a bit too long, I could feel the air between us shift.

He leaned back in his chair, that classic grin of his spreading across his face. "I’m sure you’ve had worse blind dates. You can admit it."

I let out a short laugh, shaking my head. "Oh, no doubt. But there’s something about this one that’s a little too… comfortable."

"Comfortable?" He raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued. "What do you mean?"

I shrugged, avoiding his gaze. "It’s just that… well, you know me. And I know you. So this whole ‘date’ thing feels weird."

JB’s expression softened, and for the first time that night, he looked a little serious. "Yeah. I get that." He paused for a moment, his voice quieter now. "But maybe that’s not such a bad thing."