Charles was not usually inclined to participate in beach meetings. It was debatable which he loathed more: the occasional disruptions, the lack of privacy, or the fact that between being encouraged to drink lukewarm beer, and trying to subtly brush sand out from under his clothes, something vital about the discussion was lost.
Still, it was over now, and he was marginally confident that a few things had been wrapped up well enough for him to proceed with other matters that demanded his attention. They could wait for tomorrow, however. He was in no haste to get home, so his pace as he walked to the other side of the beach toward the main path was unhurried.
Catching the sight of someone out there at that time, alone, was unexpected. For a moment he continued to walk, before his footsteps slowed. Far be it for him to usually be concerned if someone had decided to catch an early death by passing out on the beach at night. But with the amount of money that had been put into the Project, it would be... inconvenient, to lose anyone else.
"Excuse me," he spoke as he slightly diverted the straight line he was walking in, taking him closer to who he could see in the dim light was a girl, his voice low and unobtrusive.