she is very much the opposite of james in a way, but he would find her sensitivity and optimism refreshing. he tends to be a bit pessimistic at times, a little less than empathetic in the way that he says things and processes his emotions with other people. he's a rather schedule oriented guy. his work since a major portion of his job is staying ON schedule as a pilot, so sometimes maintaining a schedule for himself makes him feel in control. would 2017 work in your timeline for when they went on a few dates? maybe they realized they weren't compatible, or james was just very clearly not over his ex at the time and made no real indication that he would be a good partner to settle down with, and decided to be friends after?