Lia was glad of the Circle K near the building. While most of the time she didn't mind SoCal's urban sprawl, there were times when she missed how physically compact everything was on the East Coast; nothing was ever more than few strides away. Pax was actually uncharacteristically convenient in this way; there was a thriving neighborhood with all sorts of shops and small businesses near to it, which made it feel a little more like home than most other places in Southern California tended to.
She didn't need much; some gum, a bag of chips, and a sixer of beer for Samuel to drink when he came over. Her shoulder was still sore from the strangeness on their date, but after Valentine's Day, everything seemed a little easier to bear - if a little stranger. She was back among the beer, pursing her lips at the limited selection, when she heard the little ring that announced another customer. Something made her look up when she heard it, and she thought she recognized the man who'd come in as he approached the cooler that held the alcoholic beverages.
"Hey," she said with a smile as he drew nearer. "You live in Pax, right?"