[James takes on an awkward air, implementing another pause before he replies. He doesn’t want to be unfair to Maria, because she wasn’t exactly given a lot of choice when it came to anything at all, but…

It’s complicated.

And this time, the tea does make him looser-lipped.]

She had [has?? had??? has??!?] a… a thing for me. She came on kind of strong, and I had to tell her pretty firmly that I didn’t feel the same way. She didn’t take it…

[Uh.]

…well. So things are a little awkward now. But she hasn’t tried to tear my head off yet, so I guess that’s progress.