"No, uh, nothing, nothing specific." Al took a breath, then launched into the speech he'd been practicing all night. He spoke slowly, but distinctly, not wanting to stutter through this.
"I think that you and I should try to get to know each other, and, and I don't think that's going to happen at the lunches. I know things with you and Jamie and Lilu are weird, but I want to have my own relationship with you, whatever that may be."
He let out the breath he'd been holding, relieved that he'd actually made it through the whole thing.