“Do you even know what we do at Lamina?”
She waved him off. “Something like stopping evil corporations? Or busting bad guys named Thomas?”
Callum laughed. “Close enough. I’m an accountant. I track data leaks and internal operations.”
Her face twisted in mock horror. “So, like, numbers?”
“Yeah, numbers.”
“Ew.”
“Not as hot as surfing, I get it,” he said, daring a smirk.
“If that was a compliment, it was smooth, nerd.”
“I try my best.”
“You played sports, right?” she asked, shifting as they moved away from the buffet. “No one just looks like you without working for it.”
“Looks like me?”
Alejandra grinned. “Come on, you know you have an athletic body.”
“I used to swim. Got a scholarship to Harvard.”
Her eyes widened. “Are you serious?”
“Do I look like I’m joking?”
“You’re smiling. That’s suspicious.”
“Why?”
“Because I can’t handle you being academic-smart and athlete-hot at the same time. It’s excessive. I only have room in my life for one overachieving goddess, and that’s Sofia.”
“That sounded like a compliment, Alejandra.”
“It was a very annoyed affirmation,” she said with a shrug, hiding a real smile behind her wine glass.
“Did you study something?”
“Yeah. Sports recovery and training. Online. I couldn’t attend properly with competitions and training, but I powered through.”
“Well, then you’re smart, too. Why the shock about me?”
She looked honestly puzzled. “I just didn’t expect you guys to look the way you do.”
“I never had the body for skinny genius. When I was a kid, Iwas bigger than many of my friends back home, and even after I stopped swimming, the build stuck around.”
She narrowed her eyes. “You’re saying this,” she gestured dramatically to his torso, “is just leftovers?”
“I work out. Functional training. Still swim, just for fun.”
“That explains it,” she said, chewing slowly. The way her lips wrapped around each bite, it wassonot helping.
A pause. The chatter, the music, the clink of silverware faded into the background. It was just the two of them now.
“You off-season?” he asked, needing to say something or risk staring like a perv.
