Here's a slice of romance from The Geomancer's Apprentice ...
Junie was about to enter the stairwell for Joe's office when she spied the sign in the Laughing Buddha's window: “We serve bubble tea.”
She had spent half the night reading the feng shui book. Bubble tea, or rather the caffeine in it, sounded like a good idea. She opened the cafe door and went in.
A tall guy stood behind the counter. He was about 25, with short, curly dark-blond hair and a neatly trimmed beard. His name tag identified him as Noah. His eyes were light blue, like the waters of the Mediterranean Sea at midday. Junie hadn't been to Europe, but she and her mother loved HGTV's “House Hunters International.”
“Hi,” Noah said with a smile. “What can I get for you today?”
“You,” she said to herself. But seriously, he was way, way, way out of her league. He probably spent most of his time fending off girls much prettier than she was. On the other hand, he worked the breakfast counter at an Asian cafe. Not a good prospect, her mother would say.
“Hello?” Noah sounded a little uneasy.
She realized he was still waiting for her to order. The eyes-like-the-waters-of-the-Mediterranean had turned quizzical. Had she been staring at him the whole time? Did she look spaced out? She adjusted her glasses, suddenly self-conscious.
“Do you need a minute?” he asked.
“Um, can I have the matcha milk tea?”
To her regret, Noah didn't take long to prepare the tea. “I'm Noah, by the way,” he said as he handed her the order. “Are you just visiting our nation's glorious capital, or do you work around here?”
“I work on the third floor of this building,” she said. “I just got hired.”
“Oh.” He looked surprised. “I didn't know Joe was hiring. Well, I guess I'll see you around.”
