Cat grinned at Charlie, the expression genuine and warm. Shaking her head, she continued to place her clothes in the machine.
"He sounds very sweet," she said as she placed the last garment in the washer, then went to her bag to fish small handful of quarters out of one of the pockets. "And as though he's quite smitten."
As she slid the quarters into the machine, she said, "It seems as though you must like him a bit in return, no?" She looked at Charlie over her shoulder with a little smile and said, "You don't seem like the type to clean up vomit for just anyone."
It was easy to talk to Charlie, she found -- not that she normally had much trouble communicating, but this felt different: comfortable, real.