The proper thing to do was to help the lady with her things, and as he stood, that was his intention -- but when Elias realized just exactly what it was that was in her shopping bag, he went around Charlie instead. As she dipped to collect her purchases, Elias stood between Charlie and the rest of the dining room, strategically removing his suit jacket and then shaking it out and leisurely folding it in such a way so that the few people in the room with them could not catch glance of the things on the floor behind him. It was tricky, and Elias wasn't convinced that it was entirely successful -- but it was the best he could do to shield Charlie's dignity. More would have been even more ridiculous, would have been even more of a spectacle, and he was certain neither of them wanted that.
When they both were seated again, the creeping awkwardness settled between them. Elias wanted to object. He wanted to tell her to use protection, because God knew where Rylee had been while in the service. He wanted to tell her that he didn't deserve her, that she should make him wait until he proposed, that he should really work for it. He couldn't even tell her what he thought of her choice in Rylee. The truth was that he knew neither of them well enough to make any judgments whatsoever. All he had was his instinct about the two of them. He frowned.
"He seems very taken with you," Elias finally said, depositing fries from their "Frypod" container and into the top of the brown box of his burger. "I never asked you why you favor him -- but Rylee mentioned that you two were very close, and had been for some time."
He let the silence after the sentence invite her to say her mind about the boy -- or volunteer a different topic.