"Hello." Anne's usual blush of color was significantly absent, and her eyes had uncharacteristic dark rings that made her usually sparkling countenance abnormally grave; however, she couldn't help but smile at his collegiate appearance, and a hint of her old humor was visible before she followed his direction. The wrapped frame was about half Anne's size; she had to pick it up awkwardly with two hands and edge in sideways. "Thank you," she said, slightly breathless, as if this effort was more than she expected. "I hope you don't mind me coming by unannounced..."
Anne leaned the frame against the couch and looked around. To her artist's eye, the monochromatic world of sharp lines and modern curves seemed unnecessarily spare, even harsh. She didn't think it suited him, but then, she realized, she didn't know him very well at all. Not nearly as well as she thought she did while she was working, at least. Embarrassed to state her business now that she perceived his taste to be vastly different than hers, Anne blushed, fiddled with the hem of her sweater, and looked around once more, a little surreptitiously.