"I'm -" Not at all hungry, he had been about to say, before something shoved him sharply off course. He wasn't hungry. But the thought of company was much more appealing than going up to be alone, and that was strange enough that he had to take a moment to try to get his bearings.
She was a perceptive woman. She would have to know that something was wrong - or at least very different - if he accepted. It was probably inappropriate. It was not something he should have wanted to do. But he did. It made sense, in a way. This wasn't the first time he'd thought of her tonight. "No, it wasn't. And it isn't all just sugar?" he asked, not particularly caring what the answer was. "Really, I think anything might be better than more boiled steak."