"Only watch?" he asked, shifting the weight of the coats closer to himself so that the burden was easier. "It seems a shame to only watch."
He didn't think she recognized him. He hoped she didn't. The last time he'd seen her, he'd upset her to the point where she stopped... just stopped. And that was not something he enjoyed. It was close to watching someone die. It was not watching someone die. But the sensation was close to the same.
"If you give me just a few minutes to handle these coats," he said, "I would love to have the next dance."