Ernie suddenly felt a little self-conscious, and he looked down at his hands where they were picking at the chair a little bit, feeling a bit of a blush creep up across his cheeks. After a moment though, he glanced back up at Hazel.
Somewhere, deep down, he knew that there was a touch of suggestion in the words that maybe hinted at something more than just a recognition of friendship.
And it was entirely possible that he really didn't mind that suggestion at all.
"It's not that nice," Ernie replied with a smile. "You're just nice to talk to, and I'm really glad you like talking to me too, or I'd feel really bad about monopolizing your time."