And yeah, this "romance" with James is one of the few things I disliked about the Citadel DLC (that and the Javik sex joke, it was also of poor taste). If they wanted a casual flick between the too, there were way better ways to do it.
Oh gosh, Javik is just... STRANGE! On the one hand, it's so damn awkwardly funny and stupid, and on the other I really want to forget that I ever watched this scene.
I agree there are better ways to do that btw, just... I'm thinking that James needs the alcohol to overcome his own fear and worries. He would need it to make it easier for him, loosen up the tension. I mean, it's even him that brings alcohol into play. I'm not totally defending what they did there, but I can understand too.
Shepard's sentences after that are what makes it quite bad imo, but then she's very horrible at flirting, haha. I just remember Jacob. Ew. I didn't talk to him in my current run because that woman was outta control! 
Too bad she doesn't get it 
On topic, James grew on me but in a different way. I was not very interested in him initially, because he seemed too much like Ash in terms of loyalty to Alliance and all the soldier stuff. But after taking him with me, I realized that he also has a non-formal side and likes to mix it up. 
Haha, this sentence is so much win 
As Mac described him: Headstrong, tenacious, mischievous 
Today I started reading this thread from page 1 on, finally through with the old one, and it's heartbreaking to see how many wanted to romance James, and how they lost hope after some guy came in and said he had a good source that said he's no romance. Kinda makes me sad, they've been pumped for half a year and then their dreams all got crushed. Another reason not to get your hopes up to high before a game comes out.