As soon as they stepped into the mall-lit night, Elias let out a breath. It seemed to him that the store itself had been clinging ferociously to him and only the night could free him. He'd always been a night person, but lately he felt more and more drawn to the darker hours. It felt....better. It felt... right.
And as he listened to Charlie, that sense of rightness intensified. It was good that she wanted to talk with him. It was good that she wanted to tell him things about her. More than just wanting to know what he could get her for her birthday, he wanted to know her. She was pretty enough, and although she seemed a touch younger than he, she wasn't too young. And yet, despite the more and more frequent pangs of lonliness in his heart, he had absolutely no romantic inclinations toward the lovely firecracker beside him -- well, a step ahead, really.
It was clear, both by how she spoke and her mannerisms, that she wasn't used to talking with people in conversation. He wasn't, either; he preferred to save words for when they were truly needed. His interactions with people typically were purpose-driven; chit-chat was hardly ever a requirement. But even with his own limited experience with casual conversation, he could tell that it was difficult for her. And he felt.... warmed... by her efforts.
"DynTek has been a good place for me to work. Being the department head means that I get to call a lot of the shots. It also means that the failures of my team are also my failures, but my team is solid and strong. When they're not, I try to help them become what they need to be. The best part about my career, though, is that I don't have to talk to a lot of people."
He threw her a small, wry smile -- and although smiles rarely looked at home on his stony face, this one seemed to fit.