Cat arched a brow at Charlie, a half-smile curving her lips as she turned to Rylee. As he fumbled with his meat, she delicately picked up a bit of chicken and mango.
"Well, I'm sure there's no hurry, is there?" she asked, canting her head to one side. "Surely having some experience in the field will be an advantage when applying to doctoral programs."
She took a delicate bite of the mango and chicken, and chewed thoughtfully, setting her chopsticks down. Her eyes moved to Charlie, then Rylee, thinking what an unlikely pair they made.
"So," she said, once she'd properly swallowed and taken a sip of Thai tea. "The two of you were childhood friends, then? What was that like? Growing up in...?"
Cat left them to fill the blank while she plucked another bit of chicken from her plate and watched them.