His conversation with the girl was interrupted by more shouting. Granted, this time he had invited it, but it was a command of all things. He should probably just ignore it, of course, and continue speaking with the girl, but it amused him. He took a step back from where he was, ready to raise his voice in the direction of this lot of shouting.
"We're simply talking," he yelled in response. "She's free to stop at any time. Though to be honest, she seems better at this than the rest of you."