Her reaction to his occupation was indeed pleasantly surprising as far as Mike was concerned, and he smiled back at her. "It's a great smell, isn't it? You do get used to it a little, but there are still plenty of ways to get a fix if you know how to go about it." The older books, for example, were an excellent source of the book scent when your nostrils had stopped picking it up from the newer ones. "I must've seen you there at least a few times, then, right? I find it hard to believe we've never really spoken before now, though." Yet one more example of how strange the world was.
Mike went for the guacamole after she did, chomping on the chip as Astoria detailed her career some more. After another drink of beer to wash it down, he continued the conversation. "Did you pick that or did it pick you?" It could be considered slightly morbid, but he supposed it was something someone had to take care of. And if she was good at it, then all the better for her.