“So, usually your silences are agonizing?”
The question was out before she could stop it.
But he didn’t seem to mind. Or, at least, he didn’t let it show in his expression. And it wasn’t in his suddenly wry tone, either.“I’d sooner sit through a root canal than go through them.”
“It didn’t seem that way with the girl. Or rather, you didn’t let her feel it.”
“I’m bad at doing stuff like that. But I’m good at hiding it.”
“I’d say excellent at hiding it. I almost went out of my mind with envy when you dodged her hand without her even seeming like she was aware.”
“I don’t think that’s anything to be envious of.”
His voice dipped a little, in a way that should have been imperceptible. Probably it would have been, to anyone else. But he had been right—she hadn’t lost her knack for interacting with strangers. She was already starting to notice tiny differences in his tone and his expressions, when he said certain things or made an effort not to react to others. And she could use it too, to reassure him.
“Sure it is,” she said.“If you don’t want people to invade your space but have no idea how to be polite and normal about it. You know how many drinks I’ve spilt down the front of people who just wanted to shake my hand? The answer is alot.”
“So maybe they shouldn’t be jabbing their hands at you.”
“People do jabwaytoo much.”
“An obscene amount.”
“It’s ridiculous, really.”
“Why can’t people keep their hands to themselves?”
“I don’t know. But I do know that your attempt at make me feel better about it is really top notch. Just first rate,” she said, and knew it was true for two reasons: actual laughter was threaded through her words…
And somewhere in middle of that quick parry exchange she’d sat down.
She’d actually sat down in an empty room with a strange man.
Plus, she had no urge to get back up again.
“Well, I sure am glad I’m doingsomethingright here,” he said.
“You’re doing a ton of things right. In fact, I’m not even sure what you think you’re doing wrong.”
“Everything. Always. Though, I’m doing my best to be cool.”
“To tell you the truth, the coolness is the only thing that’s bothering me. It’s like someone spliced the Fonz with the guy fromDriveand then stuck him in a freezer for a thousand years. Just looking at you is giving my eyeballs chilblains.”
That steady gaze again. The sense of him carefully considering his words. Then an extra tiny bit of casualness, when he said,“Oh, I dunno. You seem to be holding your own on the coolness front.”
“Probably because some of your immense cool is rubbing off on me. I accidentally sniffed your leather jacket and immediately became ten percent less awkward.”
“You like the jacket, huh?”
“The jacket is fucking amazing.”
He checked it out, as if seeing it with new eyes. “I don’t see how. I got it at Goodwill.”
“You realize that only makes it more amazing, right? Now you’re not only cool, you’reeffortlesslycool. You don’t even try. It’s just there.”
“If it’s any consolation, it doesn’t feelthere.”
She tried not to roll her eyes. And failed. “Oh, I suppose now you’re going to tell me that you’re sweating bullets underneath that amazingly icy and stoic veneer.”
