The pep she was giving him was so different from the other two times they'd run into each other than he couldn't help but immediately think it as faked. The feigned politeness in the face of a sudden social situation, rather than any genuine enthusiasm. Of course, there wasn't anything wrong with that. They didn't really know each other.
And even brushing the tears from his eyes, Max didn't miss her repeated looks to the subway. In a hurry, then, just like he was. The next was in half an hour and he didn't want to sit around waiting for it.
“Good! Pretty good,” he returned, a less peppy than her. They were completing the unspoken social contract of never actually answering the question of how one was with too much honesty or detail, letting them slide over the social niceties and get on with it. “Heading down to the T, actually. You too, huh?”
He gestured to the stairwell with his kebab, bringing a hand up to wipe some sauce off the corner of his mouth as he turned his body to the stairwell. Knew it would be arriving any minute, maybe even early. And it might leave early, like a total bastard. He took a step, eyes still following Mina as they talked, but making it clear he was about to head down.
And even brushing the tears from his eyes, Max didn't miss her repeated looks to the subway. In a hurry, then, just like he was. The next was in half an hour and he didn't want to sit around waiting for it.
“Good! Pretty good,” he returned, a less peppy than her. They were completing the unspoken social contract of never actually answering the question of how one was with too much honesty or detail, letting them slide over the social niceties and get on with it. “Heading down to the T, actually. You too, huh?”
He gestured to the stairwell with his kebab, bringing a hand up to wipe some sauce off the corner of his mouth as he turned his body to the stairwell. Knew it would be arriving any minute, maybe even early. And it might leave early, like a total bastard. He took a step, eyes still following Mina as they talked, but making it clear he was about to head down.