“I can get drinks,” Dave asked after Kareena sat down. “What would you like?”
“A medium latte, please, with no foam. And definitely no cinnamon. Not even on top.”
He grinned at her, flashing straight white teeth. “For a second I was thinking you were going to give me a super complicated order. Half caf soy whatever. I was ready for it, too.”
Kareena smiled. “Medium latte, no foam, no cinnamon is as adventurous as I get.”
He nodded. “Yeah, now that you mention it, you look like a straight black coffee kind of person with that plain latte for special occasions.”
“Uh, I don’t—”
“I’m right, aren’t I? Dave said. He pointed a finger-gun at her. “I have made it a game to guess my date’s drink based on what I think their personality will be like. I’ll be right back.” Dave turned without another word and walked toward the counter.
Kareena whipped out her phone from her small bag.
Kareena: Do I look boring?
Bobbi: What?
Veera: No, of course not. Why? Aren’t you supposed to be on your date right now?
Kareena: I’m on my date. Dave. Hedge fund guy. Really nice teeth. He just said that I looked like the type to order black coffee, and then plain lattes with no foam for special occasions.
Bobbi: Did you tell him you freeze bottles of peppermint coffee creamer so when it’s the off-season, you always have it?
Veera: Or that you only order lattes to avoid an allergic reaction?
Kareena: I didn’t tell him any of those things! Ugh, I’m so off my game as it is. DR. DIL IS HERE.
Bobbi: What?
Veera: What??
Kareena: I’ll tell you later. For now, I’m counting this as a red flag. I need a way to weed out dates without wasting time. Three red flags you’re out.
She glanced up, and Prem was looking right at her from a small table across the café. He’d gotten what looked like iced black coffee, and smirked in that I-know-I-look-good way that drove her insane. No, she was not going to be attracted to someone who put her in this predicament in the first place.
Kareena put her phone away right as Dave returned with two large cups in hand.
“The mediums looked pretty puny, so I got you a large one. I hope that’s okay.”
“Oh, uh. Thanks.”
She took the cup from him and glanced around to see Prem sitting at one of the bistro tables directly in her line of sight. As if he knew that she was watching, he saluted her with his cup and went back to scrolling on his phone.
“I hope it’s not too much caffeine for you late at night,” Dave said. “I’m a night owl, so it doesn’t bother me. I didn’t even think about it.”
“Law school was where I lost my sensitivity to caffeine,” Kareena said with a smile. “I appreciate it.” She cupped her hands around her drink and sat straighter, remembering that she shouldn’t hunch during these things. Some magazine article once told her that hunching gave off signals of low confidence.
And Prem was still . . . there.
After a moment of staring at the floor, Kareena realized that they were dangerously close to creating an awkward silence.
“I appreciate that you didn’t want to spend a month texting,” she started. “I’m back online after a while and that’s the one thing that I was dreading the most.”
“Oh no. At our age, we have no time to play games, am I right?”
“Right,” Kareena said. Wait, was he calling her old? “Uh, are you local?”
Dave spread his knees and leaned back against his chair. “No, but my parents still live here in Edison. I’m trying to get them out of New Jersey, though. Maybe Delaware. The property taxes in this area are just too difficult to manage, especially since my father is going to retire next year. It’s such a burden, you know?”
“I know,” Kareena said. “I’m a Jersey girl through and through, though.”
“Yeah?” he said. “I can see that.”
Now what in the hell did that mean?
“Where do you live?” Kareena asked.
“I’m in Guttenberg. Awesome apartment. Right across the river. I even have a little balcony. I do scotch tastings on my balcony with some of my friends. It’s classy.”
That sounds like the most boring thing in the world, Kareena thought. Was that in his profile? No, his profile basically said he liked movies and hanging out with friends.
“Sounds like a lot of fun.”
“Oh, it is,” he said. “In fact, my roommate and I are thinking of going into business together and starting our own premium liquor brand.”