Page 124 of A Perfect Fit

“That’s right, Mom,” Jackson says. “This is my girlfriend, Isabelle.”

A tiny butterfly flutters around in my stomach.

Jackson’s mom clasps her hands together. “Aw, you two look so cute together! Lovely to meet you, Isabelle. I’m Suzie.”

“Nice to meet you, too, Suzie.” I smile sheepishly at her, my palms turning clammy. “Apologies for, uh, intruding on your call.”

“Oh no, not at all.” Suzie laughs and then frowns at Jackson. “Jackson, why didn’t you tell me you had a girlfriend earlier when I was talking about Georgie?”

Jackson chuckles. “Sorry, Mom. Slow reaction.”

Suzie smiles. “Well, I have to get ready for an appointment, so I’ll let you both go, but, I’m sure we’ll be seeing each other soon.”

After we say our goodbyes, Jackson ends the call and stands. “I can tell my mom really likes you.”

I fiddle with my fingers. “Did you really mean what you said? About me being your girlfriend?”

Even though we’ve been open about our feelings for each other, we haven’t placed any labels on our relationship yet. I don’t think Jackson would say that to his mom if he didn’t mean it, but I want to bring it up.

Jackson’s brows furrow. “Why wouldn’t I mean what I said?” His tone isn’t accusatory, only genuinely curious.

“I just thought …” I scratch my head. “I know we haven’t talked about what we are yet, and we’ve only been on one date so far, so maybe you’d want to go on more dates or spend more time together before we make anything official.”

“I don’t need to go on any more dates to know I want to be your boyfriend.” Certainty traces Jackson’s voice, and he glances at me, brown eyes full of sincerity. He holds my hands in his. “But only if you want this, too.”

His words send a rush of heat to my belly, and my heart warms because I know he’s so sure about me.

Because I feel the exact way toward him.

“I want to be your girlfriend, Jackson.”

A smile slowly stretches across Jackson’s face, like he’s soaking in my words, his dimples making an appearance. “Then it’s official.”

Hell yeah.

He leans forward, lips meeting mine in a sweet kiss, as if to seal our relationship. I stand on my tiptoes and loop my hands around his neck, feeling like a giddy schoolgirl.

Maybe confirming our relationship after one date is too soon, but I firmly believe there’s no such thing as a one-size-fits-all timing, and to me … taking that next step with Jackson couldn’t feel more right. Besides, it feels like we’ve already been together for so much longer than just one date.

“For the record, I’m the funnier one in our relationship,” I say.

“If we’re talking about third-grade-level humor, then sure.” Mischief scatters on Jackson’s cheeks.

My mouth drops open. “Excuse me? Third-grade-level humor?”

I refuse to be insulted like that by my boyfriend, especially when it’s about my sense of humor.

“The first time I went to The Daily Brew, you gave me a napkin that said fuck you with a drawing of a stick figure man, Isabelle.”

My lips purse, and I fold my arms. “All right, I admit that was a little childish, but you still found it funny.”

Jackson laughs. “True.” He touches his neck, his ears turning pink. “I just realized I still have that napkin. I think it’s sitting in one of my drawers at work.”

I stare at him with an incredulous look. “You kept it?”

He shrugs. “I found it funny, like you said, and I guess I didn’t want to throw out your artwork.”

I thought he would have tossed it away without a second thought, but the fact that he kept it … my insides are going all gooey.