The way Gwen reacted saved him a couple of moments to get his own self together. As best he could at least, to get his composure back, to fix himself up in light of the situation; though, in all honesty, it didn't help. And instead, when she began to speak again, it only caught him off guard that much more.
Seriously though, of all the grocery stores in the greater Orange County, he picks this same one, that she's picking, at the same moment, in the same day. How? How did this happen? He wasn't exactly a religious man, but fate or something seemed to be playing a mean, tricky game on them both that day.
He grinned a bit, hands folding together, "Right, yes... uh three things? Well process of elimination then. Bread? Milk? A vegetable? Those seem to be the most obvious options."
Then he blinked, seemingly confused, then nodded, "Yes! Of course, yes I'm in town. Again. Well back, in town. I'm uh, done with my second Masters at Stanford, so I uh, came here in search of a Doctorate."