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He nods.
“Yeah, they just opened up, and it’s a cool place because they don’t specialize in just one thing. There are cuisines from all over the world, from Tex-Mex to traditional African.”
I whistle.
“Goodness. African?”
He nods and winks.
“Yep. Do you like injera bread?”
I think for a moment.
“Is that the bread that’s moist and kind of sour? And it’s really thin?”
Caleb nods.
“Yep.”
I giggle.
“Then not really because I don’t love the sour taste, although I guess that’s sort of hypocritical since I love San Francisco sourdough. Maybe I’m just not used to it.”
My date chuckles, his handsome features lighting up.
“No, it’s not hypocritical because they’re totally different breads, even if they both kind of have a sour tang to them. But here, take a look,” he says, handing me a menu. “We can actually order because these tables are staffed.”
With that, I nod, looking down at the selection.
“Any recommendations? I’m in the mood for noodles.”
He thinks for a moment, those blue eyes taking in the fine print.
“Actually, everything here is amazing, but if you want noodles, I’d go to the Thai section. That stuff is fucking tasty.”
I giggle again.
“Do you come here a lot?”
He winks at me, and I practically melt.
“I come pretty much every day for lunch, sweetheart, so the answer to that would be yes. I’ve had everything and then some. Heck, I even put comments in their comment box recommending new dishes sometimes.”
I laugh easily again, and when the waitress comes over, I request pad see ew with BBQ pork while Caleb opts for tangy Kansas City-style ribs. I sigh.
“OMG, this is going to be so good because I love pad see ew, and especially when they make it with dark soy sauce and not light.”
Caleb shoots a glance at me.
“Don’t they use both types at once though?”
I nod.
“Yeah, some places do, but on the menu, it says that theirs is made only from dark, so it’s going to be richer and nuttier. Can’t wait.”
Caleb laughs.
“Personally, I like it when there’s a heavy dose of oyster sauce because that’s what gives the sauce an umami flavor.”
My eyes widen.
“You know what umami is?”
He looks smug.
“Baby, I live for umami,” he chuckles, referring to a savory flavor that has been described as a fifth basic taste alongside sour, sweet, bitter, and salty. I’m impressed by my date because this is a man who knows his food, and that surprises me. A lot of guys who come to Valley Cryo look like frat boys who eat cafeteria food, and wouldn’t know the difference between a sprig of rosemary and a sprig of thyme. But obviously, my man is different. For one, he’s older. This is no twenty-year old college student. I peeked at my date’s file, and he’s thirty and a graduate student, so he’s too old to be in a fraternity. But I have to pretend I didn’t take stalk him like a girl possessed, so I take a moment to sip my water before smiling innocently.
“So Caleb, what do you do for a living?”
He grins, like he can read my mind.
“I’m a grad student working on my Ph.D. in Kinesiology.”
My eyes widen as if in surprise. “Seriously? I wasn’t expecting that.”
He smirks.
“Really?” Uh oh, I’m about to be caught. But then he just smirks again, that handsome mouth turning up at the corners. “Actually, I’d think most donors at Valley Cryo are students because don’t you need young, virile men to donate young, virile sperm?”
I blush. “Yeah, we have an age limit, and it’s 39. Even though guys can manufacture the swimmers all the way until death, we put a hard stop at 39 because donations are less likely to be viable the older men get. But you’re different,” I say, cocking my head. “Most of our clients are broke undergrads who need extra cash, and not grad students.”
One black brow rises.
“Grad students can be broke too,” he says lightly.
I stare at him.
“But are you?”
He grins. “No, but it was one of my undergrads who gave me the information for Valley Cryo. I’m a TA for Kinesiology 101 and one of my students let me in on the secret.”
I stare at him.
“That seems like a strange conversation to have with a student.”
He shrugs.
“You get to talking with these kids more often than you think. They come to office hours, and sometimes it’s not about the coursework at all. They just want someone to chat with, especially since I come off as an easy-going guy.”
I giggle.
“Do you now?”
He grins deviously.
“Hell yeah.” But then Caleb gets serious. “Actually, I don’t need to work as a TA either, but I do that as my third job because I like interacting with kids.”
I stare at him.
“You have three jobs?”
He nods.
“Yep. I’m in school, so that’s one. I’m a teacher’s assistant, so that’s two. But I also run my own business.”
