Issa

Nero Padilla is more than her mother's cousin to Issa. He has always looked out for her, been a shoulder to cry on and a strong connection to her latina roots. When she decided to move to Charming permanently, her and Nero started having weekly lunches together. Even if it was a little weird to have lunch at a porn studio. Issa has learned to block out any noises that filter into Nero's office.

It was during one of their most recent lunches that Nero once again brought up her feelings for Jax.

"Pequeña, you can't keep waiting around for Teller to come to his senses."

"I'm not waiting around for anybody," Issa denies, really not wanting to go down this road again. " In case you haven't noticed, I'm a bit busy trying to open a business."

Nero leans back in his office chair, arms folded and one eyebrow arched. "I don't know what's worse. You lying to me or you lying to yourself."

She made the mistake of blurting out she was in love with Jax when Nero wouldn't stop playing matchmaker. Ever since she moved to Charming, he's been a one man Cupid. She thought admitting her feelings would make him drop it. If anything, it's made him even more determined to set her up.

"There are a lot of great guys out there that you're passing up. I'm not saying Jax will never feel the same way. In fact, I think he does. But will he ever admit it? That's another story."

Issa tries to steer the conversation to other things - the newest numbers for Redwoody, Juice expressing an interest in helping out on the tech side of things, hell even Nero's car. But the man is relentless. Then he mentions the one thing that worries Issa the most.

"Even if he does love you, the guy doesn't have the best track record," Nero says, voice gentle as if trying to soften the hard truth. "Don't settle for someone who's going to fuck around on you just because you've loved him since you were kids. You can do better."

And that is the very reason Issa never confessed her feelings to Jax. She has watched him plow through the female population of Charming ever since he hit puberty. When he was with Tara, he still slept around with croweaters. How she never found out is beyond Issa because croweaters are gossipy as hell. They even ranked their sexual experiences with Jax against each other. Apparently he never went down on any of them and it was a competition to see who could get him to do it first. All of it made Issa's skin crawl.

Jax has said time and again he's not looking for a relationship. He likes being single, likes the freedom of sleeping around and not being tied to one woman. That's fine for him, especially since he's upfront about it with any girl he beds. At least he's decent enough not to string them along just to get in their pants. Even if Delilah Harper thinks she has a magical pussy that will change Jax's mind.

But Issa is a romantic at heart and wants something meaningful and solid. She wants a partner that loves and respects her and would never even consider cheating on her. As much as it hurts to admit, she doesn't think Jax is capable of giving her that. And she loves herself too much to settle for anything less.

"Look, I know this guy," Nero says, reaching for a pen and piece of paper. " He's smart, sweet, very respectful. I think you and him would get along. Just give him a call. If you don't click, I'll drop it."

Issa sighs, putting down her sandwich. She thinks about all the times she's turned down dates in the past, claiming it's because she's too busy. It dawns on her that Nero may have a point. Whether she meant to or not, she has sort of been hoping Jax will come to his senses. Maybe it's time to let this foolish, school girl crush go. And Nero is a good judge of character. Why not let him set her up?

"Fine. I'll give him a call. No promises though!"

And that's how Issa has ended up here, trapped on the worst date of her life. Because while Brandon may be nice, he is dull as dishwater. Did Nero purposely find the most boring man in all of San Joaquin county?

After chatting a few times on the phone and exchanging text messages, they decided to meet for dinner. Brandon insisted she pick the restaurant. Issa decided on Hog Heaven because even if the date turned out to be a bust, she knew the food would be good.

Red flag number one came when Brandon showed up at her door wearing a bow tie. Who the fuck wears a bow tie to a barbecue joint? Red flag number two came when they were seated at their table and Brandon announced he was a vegetarian.

"Uhmm, I'm sorry," Issa says, wondering why a vegetarian agreed to go to a place that smokes their meat on the premises. "Had I known, I wouldn't have suggested another restaurant."

Brandon waves away her apology, a bland smile on his face. "Don't worry about it. You said this was your favorite place in Charming. I'm sure they have something I can eat."

The conversation doesn't pick up from there either. He seems to love the sound of his own voice because he's dominating most of it. Going on and on about his job as a sports statistician. Issa has no interest in sports unless it's boxing or hockey - both of which involve fighting. No one cares about statistics if you can watch two guys beat the shit out of each other.

When Issa orders the brisket platter, Brandon rattles off facts about the dangers of red meat.

"Did you think I wanted to come to a place called Hog Heaven to order a salad?" she snaps.

If there's one thing she hates, it's someone trying to tell her what to do. To spite him, Issa stops the waitress and asks for a side of ribs to go with her brisket. When their food comes, she chucks her table manners and goes to town on her ribs. She knows there won't be a second date and she's hungry.

It's thirty minutes into this disaster masquerading as a date and he's yet to ask her a single question. She's imagining ways to exact revenge on Nero, all of which are far more entertaining than Brandon. Around the time he starts blathering on about his adult kickball league, Issa's eyes trail to the parking lot and a suspiciously familiar pickup truck. She squints a bit and sure enough, there's Jax, with goddamn binoculars, and Opie. She can tell this wasn't Opie's idea because he looks like he wants to be anywhere but here. Which means Jax, the fucking entitled prick, took it upon himself to spy on her date.

Issa is livid.

She cuts into whatever Brandon is saying and excuses herself for a moment. She makes a beeline for Jax and Opie, a wave of anger radiating off of her. Opie, because he has some sense, jumps out of the truck and puts his hands up in surrender.

"This was not my idea!"

Issa hears Jax yell "traitor" from the cab of his truck.

"Oh I know you've got the sense god gave you. This one is a different story," she points to Jax.

"How did you know we were out here?" Jax asks, stepping out to face her wrath.

"Because my dad trained me to be hyper aware of my surroundings and the two of you fucking suck at surveillance. For one, don't park under a goddamn streetlight!"

Opie and Jax look up as if that's the first time they noticed the blinding spotlight on the truck.

"Second, don't park so close to your surveillance target that they can see your face clear as day!"

Opie steps away from the truck a bit, trying to distance himself from what's about to go down. Jax, the fucking dumbass, decides now is the best time to get in Issa's face.

"Well if you hadn't been so damn sneaky about your date, we wouldn't have resorted to this!"

"Do not include me in this dude," Opie shakes his head and steps even further away.

"Sneaky? So wanting you to respect my privacy is being sneaky?"

"It is when you could be putting yourself in danger! The fuck did you even meet this guy? He's driving a Honda for god's sake!"

Issa will never admit that she also silently judged Brandon's choice of cars when he pulled up to her house.

"I can take care of myself, Jackson! I could snap Brandon like a twig and you know it!"

"That's not the point! We have no idea who this asshole is and you were being all weird about it!"

"Since when do I have to run my dates by you? I don't see you asking me if it's okay to stick your dick in whatever warm hole happens to walk by you!"

"That's different!"

"How the fuck is that any different? Why is it okay for you to whore it up all over Charming but I have to sit at home like Little Virgin on the Prairie?"

"Because I fucking love you, damnit!" he roars.

They both stare at each other in silence, Issa looking shocked and Jax looking panicked.

He can't possibly mean… Issa starts to think but that goes out the window when Jax grabs her face and crashes their lips together. It takes her a few seconds to realize he's kissing her. When she does, she gets with the program quickly. His lips are fucking soft and… oh my god he just slipped his tongue into her mouth.

His hands slide down to her waist and somehow she ends up with her back against his truck. He nips a bit at her bottom lip before diving full tilt into her mouth. He trails a hand up to her neck and holds her in place. Issa hears tiny whimpers and is shocked to discover they're coming from her. Jax plasters himself against her and does a thing with his tongue that makes her see stars.

No wonder Delilah was rubbing up on him like a cat in heat. If he's that good with his tongue in her mouth, holy hell. What else can he do with it?

She moves her hand into his hair, scratching her nails lightly against his scalp. He must really like that because he somehow manages to bring her even closer to him. He lets his lips trail from her mouth down to her neck, licking and nipping on her skin. She shudders, throwing her head back to give him better access. He chuckles because the asshole knows her neck is Issa's weak spot. That's when she remembers just how much he knows about her. And fuck, does that mean she's in trouble.

Only when they hear Opie say, "It's about damn time" do they separate. Issa has to blink away the lust because she really wants to climb Jax like a tree.

"I'm in love with you, Issa," he whispers, cupping the side of her face. "Have been since the day you knocked out Billy Turner because he said girls can't ride bikes."

"That was… Jax I was ten when I punched that little shit."

He gives her a gentle smile. "I know. It's always been you, Isabelle. Only you."

His eyes are boring into her, almost pleading with her to believe him. It takes her breath away because she has never seen Jax look at anyone like this before. He leans forward to kiss her again but she stops him with a hand to his shoulder.

"And all this time, you've what? Secretly been in love with me while you fucked everyone else BUT me?"

Jax steps away from her, clearly exasperated.

"We didn't live in the same town! I'm never leaving Charming and I wasn't sure you'd ever stay. I was terrified of risking our friendship. I can't lose you, Issa! You're too important to me."

God, the way he's watching her, waiting for her to say something. She can see his hands twitching at his side, as if he needs to touch her again. She can feel her resolve, her very heart melting.

"Shut up, you fucking idiot," Issa says before grabbing his hoodie and pulling him into another kiss. Hopefully one of the first of many.

Thank god I wore a dress, is the last coherent thought she has as his hand trails up her thigh.

Opie

Opie is happy for his friends (and his sanity), really he is. But he can do without watching them practically dry hump on the hood of Jax's truck.

He's about ready to go find a hose to turn on them when he hears a "What the hell's going on?" behind him.

He turns around to see Honda Dude staring at Jax and Issa all over each other. Opie looks the guy over, trying to figure out how he managed to get a date with Issa in the first place. He's wearing a goddamn bowtie. Who the fuck wears a bow tie to a barbecue joint?

"Think the date's over," Opie points toward the couple shamelessly groping each other in Hog Heaven's parking lot. "You may wanna leave before he comes up for air and beats your ass."

"I'm not the one kissing someone else's date!" Bow Tie Wearing Honda Dude scoffs.

"Doesn't matter. Whether these two idiots knew it or not, Issa has always belonged with Jax."

The guy prattles on about red meat and cholesterol as he stomps toward his milquetoast car.

Opie smiles fondly at his friends. He was this close to locking them in a closet or some other cliche, rom com shit. Anything to put all of them (but most especially him) out of their misery. They belong together, everyone else can see it. Maybe now they see it too. Opie can't help but feel all gooey inside.

Until he sees Jax's hand go up Issa's dress.

"For fuck's sake! This is a family restaurant!"