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The look he threw her way made her heart squeeze in her chest. “Why? We’ve got an expiration date, remember? You said you were only looking for a good time. Fun and easy. No strings.”
“I know.” Only she wasn’t having fun anymore—and clearly neither was he.
“I’m just giving you what you wanted.” He leaned down and kissed her cheek. “I’ll see you.” The way he said it sounded like maybe it wouldn’t be a such a tragedy if he didn’t see her again.
Penny gathered the sheets around her, wondering what had happened as the door slammed behind him.
Maybe she wasn’t so amazing at the no-strings thing, after all.
At half past eleven the next day, Penny pulled open the door of Antidote, unsure what kind of reception she’d get from Caleb. Assuming he was even working today. He might not be—
Caleb’s head swiveled at the sound of the bell, and he froze as his eyes met hers. His expression wasn’t exactly warm, but she wouldn’t call it cold either. More like guarded.
He was in the middle of filling one of the large grinders on the counter, and as they gazed at one another, a few errant coffee beans made a break for it and went skittering away. He swore under his breath and turned his attention back to his task.
Penny walked across the linoleum to the register, clenching her purse strap as she waited for him to finish. Elyse was leaning against the counter staring at her phone, and she glanced up at Caleb and then over at Penny, eyebrows lifted in silent inquiry. Caleb shook his head at her as he swept the stray coffee beans off the counter, and Elyse went back to whatever she was reading on her phone while he stowed the bag of beans under the counter and made his way to the register.
“Hi,” Penny said, lifting her eyes to his face. He looked even more chiseled and intimidatingly handsome than usual this morning, which did nothing to bolster her courage.
“Hi.” He rubbed his palms on his jeans and his mouth twisted into a grimace. “I’m sorry if I was a jerk last night.”
“You weren’t,” she told him, even though he sort of had been. She was still smarting from the unexpected flash of anger. “I’m sorry if I put my foot in my mouth.”
“You didn’t.”
He was lying just as surely as she was lying, the apology he’d offered no more sincere than hers. They stared at one another across the counter. Neither of them having any fun.
“So everything’s okay?” she asked, feeling like it was anything but.
“Sure,” he replied in his old monotone. “Everything’s great.”
“In that case, can I have a lavender latte?” She hated how small her voice sounded, like a scolded child asking for a special favor.
“Of course.” He rang her up and went to go make it. When it was ready, he dropped it off without a word and retreated out of conversational range. A plain fern leaf adorned the foam. He hadn’t even bothered to sprinkle dried lavender over the top.
Their no-strings fling seemed to have crashed and burned.
Penny sat at the counter, watching Caleb take orders and make drinks as she sipped her latte. In between customers, he tried to teach Elyse how to make foam designs. They pulled shot after shot of espresso and Caleb stood over Elyse’s shoulder giving directions as she poured the steamed milk. He didn’t so much as glance Penny’s way, much less come over to talk. No more flirting for her. He’d put up his walls again.
Maybe it was for the best. They’d spent an awful lot of time together the last few days. If she wasn’t careful, she might start wanting more than the easy fun she’d promised him. And she wasn’t allowed to have more. He’d be gone soon, and the closer she let herself get to him, the harder it would be to give him up.
Might as well let go of him now.
She finished her latte and went home.
Chapter Seventeen
Since Caleb obviously wasn’t coming over that night, Penny decided to go visit George in the hospital. On the way, she stopped off at Antidote to get him a cherry Danish. Even though she knew Caleb probably wouldn’t be working this late, she still felt a stab of disappointment when he wasn’t there.
This was definitely getting out of hand. No strings meant she should be able to let him go at any time. Without pining.
“When did you start eating pastries?” Roxanne asked when Penny ordered George’s Danish and a nonfat latte for herself to go.
“It’s for George,” Penny told her. “I’m on my way to visit him at the hospital.”
“Awww, tell him we miss him.”
Penny took her Danish and latte and drove to the hospital. When she got to his room, George was alone and sitting up in bed, pushing a square of lime Jell-o around on his dinner tray. He wore a burgundy velour robe over his hospital gown, and seemed to have gotten a lot of his strength back.
