Chapter Six - Unexpected Visitor.

I struggle to get through the next day.

After a silent car ride with Caleb, grocery shopping and my ten hour shift at the diner, I feel exhausted. Lila and I didn't go to bed till the sun was already beginning to rise. I sigh and reach up, rubbing at my eyes that are stinging from lack of sleep. When I glance at the clock in the diner, I realise I only have ten minutes of my shift remaining. It's dark outside and the diner is completely empty. I take a seat behind the bar and lean my head into my hands.

Involuntarily my eyes begin to flutter shut and I feel my body slump against the cold bar.

"Mia?"

My head snaps up at the mention of my name and I stare at Caleb Stonehouse who's standing in front of me. I blink once, twice, three times.

"Am I dreaming?" I mutter to myself. Caleb is watching me intently, looking slightly amused. He's still dressed in the cobalt blue suit and black tie he had on this morning. His hair is a little more dishevelled but even after a long day, he still manages to look good.

Damn those Stonehouse genes.

"Caleb! Hi. What are you doing here?" I say cheerily despite feeling my body ready to collapse and sleep for an entire decade. Caleb points at the menu behind me and I can't help but think how out of place he looks inside a diner like this.

"I'm hungry. Thought I'd try one of those chicken sandwiches I used to love." He says, a small smile on his face. I nod my head, surprised that he decided to choose Denny's for his meal tonight. For a brief moment, we lock eyes and I remain seated. The blue in his eyes are slightly dulled this evening, no doubt from a busy day at work.

"Tired?" I ask him, writing down his order. He nods his head, taking a seat at the bar right in front of me. A waft of his cologne hits me and I bite down on my bottom lip.

"Me too. Do you want a drink with that?" I ask him. He watches me for a few seconds, blue eyes burning into mine.

"Sure. I'd love a lemonade."

"Lemonade it is." I murmur, sliding his order to the chef behind us in the kitchen. I walk towards the drink area and pour him a lemonade before walking back to him. The entire time, I feel his gaze follow me and my body begins to heat up under it.

"Thanks." Caleb says as I place it down. He lifts it up, maintaining eye contact with me before taking a long drink. I mentally battle with myself whether I should stay and make conversation with Caleb or pretend to be busy elsewhere. Thankfully I don't have to decide because Caleb surprisingly wants to talk —

"How long have you worked here?" He says, placing the drink back down.

"A couple of months." I respond, pouring myself a glass of water. He nods his head and glances around, a far away look in his eyes. Silence falls upon us and I lean back against the wall, watching him. Every move he makes is smooth and full of confidence. His presence is always made known and if the diner was full, all eyes would be on him right now.

"I have some good memories of this place." Caleb says, his voice spoken in a soft tone.

"When I was a kid, I'd beg my parents for some money so I could choose a song on the box. I can't believe you still have it." He says, pointing to the old juke box in the corner. I smile at him because it's nice to see a human side to the usually closed off passenger.

"What song?" I ask him. He turns to look at me, eyebrows creased together slightly. I repeat my question —

"What song did you used to play?" I ask again. He grins, showing off a set of beautiful white teeth. I watch as he pushes his chair back and stands up, reaching into his pockets.

"I'll show you."

With that, he walks up to the box and presses some buttons. It doesn't usually get played anymore besides from the odd customer who wants to reminisce about the past. A song begins to play, the sound filling the silence in the diner. Caleb lets out a small cheer, his grin stretching right across his face. His blue eyes fill with a sparkle and I can't help but chuckle as he begins tapping his foot along to the upbeat jazz song.

"I wouldn't have guessed this one in a million years." I tell him, leaning forward on the bar. I rest my chin in my hands and smile at him.

"Why not?" Caleb questions, walking directly towards me. I shrug my shoulders —

"It's fun. You seem so serious sometimes, you know?" I tell him. He pauses and nods his head slowly, the sparkle dulling from his eyes.

"I guess there's more sides to me than you thought." He says quietly, taking a seat. Silence falls upon us and I immediately feel bad, wondering whether I judged Caleb too early. The only sound in the diner is the song continuing to play on the jukebox. I clear my throat and turn around, silently cursing myself.

"Order." The chef calls from behind the kitchen and I pick up Caleb's plate before taking it over to him. The scent of warm chicken sandwiches and fries fills the air and my stomach grumbles loudly. I place the plate down and give Caleb a sheepish look, trying not to appear embarrassed.

"There you go, enjoy." I tell him quietly. As I'm about to walk away, he reaches out and touches my hand. I freeze at the sudden contact and glance up from under my lashes. We both lock eyes and I feel my breath hitch inside my throat.

"Eat with me. You sound like you need it." He says quietly. I would usually protest but there's something trusting and good natured in the way he looks at me. I slowly nod my head and take a seat opposite him —

"Thanks."

We both eat in silence but this time, it's a comforting one. Caleb pauses at the end and pushes the last fry towards me. I smile and take it before biting it in half and offering him the other half. His eyes flash with amusement and a small smirk appears on his face. Without saying a word, he leans forward, completely invading all of my personal space before leaning down and taking the fry from my hands with his mouth. For a split second, his lips brush against the tips of my finger and I feel a shiver roll down my back.

"Even better than I remember," Caleb tells me quietly. There's a smooth tone to his voice and I glance up at him from under my lashes. My eyes fall on his lips and I can feel Caleb's eyes burning into my face as he watches me. For a second, I could have sworn he was going to kiss me but suddenly he shifts backwards, breaking the trance I'm sucked in.

"How about a ride home? I'll pay you for it." Caleb says, breaking the silence. The tone of his voice is back to normal, confident and blunt. I slowly nod my head, standing up and taking the empty plate with me.

"Sure thing." I mutter, disappointment filling me. I remind myself that I work for Caleb Stonehouse so kissing him would definitely have been a bad idea. As I'm getting my stuff and locking up, I can't help but feel like I wanted the kiss to happen. Despite every sane part of my telling me it's wrong, my heart disagreed.

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