"Didn't mean to startle you," he said as he took a sip of his coffee from his mug. After he had swallowed, he waved the folded note a bit in the air. "Jaqueline, you don't have to leave notes, you can just come talk to me." His tone wasn't judgmental, instead it was direct and neutral.
"But it is getting close to dinnertime. We could go grab a bite to eat, or I can order something in."