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When she glanced up, Caleb was watching her. She blew across the top and took a sip. “Mmmmm. Delicious.”
His eyes sparked again, and the corner of his mouth dimpled.
Forget ordering a different drink every day. If his eyes were going to twinkle like that every time, she’d happily order this for the rest of her life. One lavender latte with a side of gorgeous eye twinkle, please.
“You should definitely get Reema to put this on the menu,” she said.
He ducked his head almost shyly. “Maybe we should start up a secret menu that only the best customers know about.”
A silent squeal lodged in her throat at the implication that she was one of his best customers. She’d made it, finally. She was on The List. “Like at In-N-Out.”
“Exactly.”
The music that had been playing in the background stopped, and it suddenly felt eerily quiet. She hadn’t even noticed the music until it stopped, but now its absence was glaring. Caleb threw a glance at Malik, who tossed down the rag he was holding. “On it,” Malik said as he disappeared down the hall that led to the office in back.
Caleb turned back to Penny, evidently in no hurry to move along. “It’s your turn in the hot seat today.”
“For what?”
“I answered all your questions Friday. Now I get to interrogate you.”
Penny only barely managed to restrain herself from bouncing on her stool like a manic Bounce Around Tigger. “I’m an open book. Go for it.”
“Hmm.” His mouth twisted sexily to one side. Having actual conversations with him was amazing, because it gave her an excuse to stare at him unashamed. What a gift. “You work from home, right? That’s why you’re always in here in the middle of the day.”
“Correct.”
“And you do something with…chemistry?”
“I’m a patent examiner.”
His eyebrows drew together. “What’s that involve?”
“Whenever a person or company thinks they’ve invented something new, they apply for patent protection. I’m one of the people who reviews new applications to determine if their claim makes scientific sense and is legally new and distinct from what's already known.”
“Sounds cool.”
“It can be, but it can also be dull. Today, for instance, I spent the whole morning reading up on polymers used to make contact lenses.”
“Was today one of the cool days or one of the dull ones?” His eyes were finely lashed and shockingly expressive for someone so stolid. The gold depths seemed to flicker as he gazed at her.
Was it warm in here today? Penny squirmed on her stool and looked down at her latte. “Depends how you feel about silicone-based hydrophilic copolymers.”
The music started up again, louder than before, and she jumped a little. It was some sort of bass-heavy electronica and hip-hop fusion that sounded out of place for a quiet morning at a low-key coffee shop.
Caleb rolled his eyes at Malik when he emerged from the back. “Come on, man.”
“This is good shit. Don’t hate.” Malik grabbed the tray of dirty dishes Penny had bused and marched them over to the sink.
Caleb shook his head and turned his attention back to Penny. “So how long have you lived in Los Angeles?”
“I moved here from Washington, DC, last year.” Her eyes slithered over the curve of his shoulder and down to his biceps. He had his sleeves pushed up, exposing his thick forearms. They were all veiny, with a fine coat of light-colored hair, and his skin was smooth and golden and—
“Is that where you’re from originally?”
She cleared her throat and reached for her latte. “Close. I’m from Richmond, Virginia.”
Having actual conversations with him was torture, because it gave her an excuse to stare at him unashamed. What a nightmare.
