“You speak Italian?” Jamie asked.
“I speak French. I can order in Italian.” Hawk shrugged. “I’ve been studying.”
Caleb thought maybe Jamie didn’t see the uncertainty that flashed in Hawk’s eyes for a moment, but Caleb was looking hard. Hawk wasn’t any less socially awkward, he thought. He was just better at hiding it after eight years. And since he was a broadcaster now, Caleb would bet he’d had training on how to be confidentand shit.
“Neat.” Jamie sat there for a moment, then chuckled. “So are you staying in the village?”
He grinned at Hawk, who smiled right back, and he had a feeling they were both thinking about the no small talk rule.
“No. No, I’m in a hotel. I got my own room, in fact. The network I’m here with offered, but I wanted someplace closer to the action where I didn’t have to wait for transport every morning.” Hawk’s expression was telling him all sorts of shit, and he jerked his chin in acknowledgement. That gray gaze burned when it met his, Hawk asking a very hot question. Like no time had passed.
Yeah, he could revisit his short-lived Olympic romance.
Their number was called, and he got up with Hawk to get their drinks and pastries. Hawk had gotten some kind of iced bun with cream in it, and it was huge. “Still a sweet tooth, huh?”
“Yep. As long as it’s?—”
“Not chocolate,” he finished. “I made sure your basket was all like, Twizzlers and Hot Tamales.”
“I noticed. And Slim Jims.”
Caleb felt a laugh bubble up from deep in his chest. “Protein.”
“Yeah. You two, uh…” Hawk jerked his head toward Jamie.
“God no. He’s the one who let me use the single in Korea.”
“Then I owe him.”
They sat back down, and Caleb hoped he wasn’t blushing.
Jamie was, thankfully, oblivious, drumming on the table and humming, making other customers stare at him. He was never still. Never.
“Oh, dude. Eclair.” Jamie took a huge bite.
Hawk chuckled, then lifted his Americano to smell it, and it was his turn to hum. “Espresso is so damn good here.”
“Right?” Caleb realized his leg was bouncing, and hestilled it. Number one, it was bad for his joints. And two, it wasn’t Jamie’s fault he suddenly wanted the guy to leave.
They chatted while they ate, and only the set of Hawk’s wide shoulders gave away how uncomfortable he was with the chitchat, and that was because Caleb knew what he looked like when he relaxed.
Caleb was pretty frustrated when Hawk finally shot his arm out of his coat to check his Apple watch. “Okay, I have meetings in about half an hour, guys. Jamie, it was nice to meet you. Caleb, walk me out?”
“You hang out and keep our table, Jamie. Be right back.”
“Uh-huh.” Jamie waved them off, pulling out his phone. “Nice to meet you too, Hawk.”
Hawk took his cup and plate to the bus tray before stepping outside and waiting for him a few feet up the sidewalk.
“Sorry. He’s?—”
“Hey, no. He’s nice. But I wanted to, uh, make the offer.” Hawk pulled out his phone. “You using your personal phone here or an international burner?”
“Mine. My usual one. The one you text.”
Hawk blinked at him.
“Sorry.” He winked. “No small talk.”