“Yep, that’s right.”
An awkward silence came.
Caleb looked off somewhere. “I’m not really sure what we’re supposed to talk about. I’ve not been on a date with a new girl at all in almost twenty years.”
She leaned forward. “Is that how long you were with Ashley?”
He paused and got caught in memory. Evie could easily see he was hurting. The way his eyes looked down and to the right, still slouched back with one leg proper but the other stretched far out under the table, it was clear as day he hadn’t fully recovered from whatever happened.
“Caleb, I still want to know more about you. I don’t think you know how fascinating you are. I see what things you do on Facebook. Tell me about those things. I’d love to hear! I see you love the outdoors, and we can talk about the Mojave Desert! I know that’s your favorite place.” She sat upright cutely. “I love deserts, and your photos are so cool. I miss living in Los Angeles. So, you could tell me about that. Or, even if we talk about your kids, which honestly over texts it seems to be all you talk about.” She smiled, trying to cheer him up. “Since they make you so happy you can tell me things I don’t know about them. Like your favorite memories with them, their favorite foods, anything. I’ll listen.”
He sat forward and smiled, brushing her arm with his hand. “You told me you had a shitty day at work. What happened?”
“Oh,” she muttered, shaking her head. Without thinking, she stroked the top of his hand that was touching her left one. His presence soothed her. It made her feel stable. “I didn’t know I was supposed to have three marketing campaign designs done, and I only did one. My boss wants me to embrace AI and?—”
“Fuck AI.”
“Right? Like, I get that it has a place for some things like enemy motion in video games or even like tailored learning on apps, but damn. I felt so expendable.”
“It’s because you are in your boss’s eyes. Somewhere else there’ll be another pretty woman like you strolling along to make her next big move, but you have a brain and can think for yourself.”
Evie ruminated on the remark.
“Maybe you can do freelance work and build yourself up as a freelance designer? Fuck those people who tell you to use AI. It literally eradicates your decades of hard work and building your own style.”
“I wouldn’t even know where to begin.”
“You’re well-known in the community now with all your little charitable acts and candid posts. And I know Joey is looking for a new design for her menu at the café.”
“She is?” Evie said with a piqued look. “I just saw her new menu on Facebook the other day.”
“Yeah, and it looks like shit. She needs a new design.” He smiled spiritedly.
Evie busted out laughing and he chuckled with her.
She nodded slowly in agreement, trying to come out of the laugh but it wasn’t easy to do. Evie loved his blatant honesty.
Then Caleb gave his dimpled smile. “You’re the professional. Tell me what you think of her new digital menu. If you’re going to ask me aboutmyprofession, I’m going to ask about yours.”
Evie smirked. “Yeah, but you haven’t told me anything about your profession.”
“Okay, I shoot guns and fix houses. Your move.” He smiled again, knowinghe was a rascal.
It was unimaginable how many times he got her to laugh. She sat back and put the back of her hand to her mouth, feeling tears of laughter coming to her eyes. Through her laughter, she said, “I already know that. Tell me something I don’t know.”
He shrugged, smiled, and played along. “Alright. I shoot many different guns, and I fix many different houses. Your move.”
“You’re an asshole, you know that?” she said through their robust laughter.
The food finally came, and they began eating. Evie ordered a grilled chicken salad with an unsweetened iced tea, and Caleb ordered the avocado bacon burger with fries. She watched him eat like nothing. “Ugh, if I ate like that, I’d be all the way back up to 250 in no time.”
“If I had a desk job too, I’d have to eat like you.”
She shrugged with a grin, stabbing her salad. “You know, that’s a fair point.”
People came in and dined. Families left, and tables were wiped down. Occasionally Caleb would glance up at the TVs around to see what the scores were for the games, and he would make comments about them. Evie never understood the obsession with sports, but then again, she knew people didn’t really understand her obsession with her cat or flowers. Even though small talk was made, Evie grew frustrated with still not knowing much about him, despite being in contact with him for several months. Was it even logical to be upset with that? Was that a reasonable amount of time? That was a question she had no answer for.
She tried again, but this time she was far more direct. “I know you’re probably going to get upset with me, and I’m sorry, but…”
