Private
The Englishman nodded to her. He'd watch her back. He wasn't sure why Higgs might show up but if he did, John would be ready for him. He knew his energy enough that he knew he should have been able to track him, and he knew his presence well enough to know when he was arriving. At least, John was confident in that. It did not however make it true. He'd have to find out the hard way. At least he had a few spells in his proverbial back pocket, ready should the man show up.
He took one more drag from the cigarette before stubbing it out in the nearby ashtray. John moved his hand into hers, making contact. From there he focused on what happened with Higgs. He had to put up mental walls to keep her from slipping into the rest of his mind. Not that she would invade the rest of his memories, but there was a chance that they might pull her in and he wanted to avoid that. Powerful memories tied to strong emotions were unpredictable and John was a very private person. He only revealed things when he felt he had to. When revealing something served a purpose. Or in the rare case, he was actually trying to open up to someone he cared for.