Page 3 of Love at a 7-Eleven

"It's okay. You seemed to forgive me for my character's choices."

I smiled at him and pointed to my own head. "I'm managing to remember that you're an actor. Barely. But I'm managing."

"I do appreciate that," he said, smiling at me.

He was an amazing looking guy. I could see why someone would randomly cast him to be in a television series. I wanted to tell him who I was and ask him if he ever went to my brothers' gym. But I couldn't. I didn't normally gush when I met new people, and my tendency to do so with him left me feeling nervous and speechless. I stepped away like I was going to leave, but he held eye contact with me. I wasn't going to break it, so I hesitated, not walking away. I blinked, thinking he would look away, but he didn't.

"What's your name?"

"Lila. What's yours?"

"Caleb."

"Hey," I said.

"Hello, Lila." He gestured to the cooler. "I guess neither of us really wanted to get in there."

"Yeah, I, uh, I’m going to a meeting thing, and I'm a little nervous about it. I'll stop on my way home. And good job… on, your, television, show. It's great that you were given an opportunity, and you just… did it. That's cool." I spoke in a choppy tone because this guy was so hunky and intimidating that I couldn't think straight.

Caleb. He had said his name, and it was Caleb.

"Thank you," he said, smiling at me.

I reached out to shake his hand, and when he shook mine, I noticed the feel of his skin. I was sensitive to his touch.

But the conversation was over.

I had enough social skills to know that it was time for me to turn and walk away. We were strangers in the middle of a gas station, after all.

I was shaken from the encounter, and I hesitated there, at the other end of the candy aisle while he turned to face the cooler again. I stared at the candy knowing I was going to pick out something along with gum. I grabbed three things before checking out.

I called my friend, Blake, when I got in my car.

She and I didn't talk quite as much since she moved to Milwaukee, but she worked with my brothers at their gym there, so we were still close.

"Hello, Lila," she said. "What are you up to?"

"Hey, I'm heading to the Bears' offices."

"What's going on over there?"

"I have a meeting with one of the managers. That's not what I'm calling about though. You're going to be excited about this because you watch this show. You will never believe who I just ran into at a gas station."

"Is it an actor? Do you want me to guess, or are you just going to say it?"

I knew she ran into famous people all the time at my brothers' gym, so I figured she might not even care. "Are you busy right now?" I asked her.

"No, I'm off for the day. I just didn't know if you wanted me to guess."

"You'll never guess it. I didn't even know he lived in Chicago. It was that bad guy from Kings of the Pacific with the tattoo on one arm. Makoa's son."

"Kai?" she asked.

"Yes!"

"You're kidding. Ooh. You met him? Where?"

"At a gas station. And we had a moment."

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