“And?”
“And… I don’t think I can say anything else without my attorney present,” Warren joked.
Though I laughed along, I wasn’t sure what he meant by that. Was he alluding to the fact that Caleb was my boss? Was he talking about labor laws?
“Well, if you ever want to get together again, you should have my email,” I offered without giving it a second thought. “It was fun going out with you guys, and if you ever need help with any work, I’ll be happy to lend my services.”
Warren took it eagerly, and though he had to make it to a meeting with some graduate student, he assured me that I would be the first he contacted next time he wanted to publish a paper… or just go out for more Korean food. Lured into his magnetic charisma, I didn’t question any of the conversation. I waved and smiled before moving back towards Caleb’s office, all my notes weighting down my leather tote.
I stopped short just before reaching my destination. There, at the street corner, my eyes went wide. People passed me like a statute, not giving a rat’s ass about the realization consuming me.
Was Warren trying to tell me that Caleb was interested in me, or even him?
And… had I just given him my email, showing interest in going out?
If I was right about what Warren had implied with his little joke, I might just get my chance at the kind of relationships I always wanted. I knew I was getting ahead of myself in so many ways. There would have to be lots of honest conversations. Comfort levels would have to be gauged, and expectations would have to be set with whomever I chose. Still, I could feel the tension building inside me like a pressure cooker. There were too many stolen looks and fragile moments with Caleb, and Warren had too much allure to ignore. No matter what came next for all of us, I would have to take things one step at a time, slowly but inevitably, forward.