"Your, uh." Oh. She means a friend of hers. Okay. She seems really, really damn happy about that, which isn't necessarily something Alex understands but will play along with, mostly out of befuddlement. That hadn't been the answer he was expecting.

In fact, there's a lot going on that he isn't expecting. Like that prickle of - is that jealousy? Jealousy that she's got someone she knows here and he doesn't, or jealousy because she's pretty much the closest thing to a friend he's got here, and now that dynamic is all shot to hell? He doesn't dare examine that feeling at any length, so he shoves that all aside.

"Well, hey, that's not bad." Look, he's even smiling. Kinda. "Just show up, or...?"