Ford now had a very important decision to make: whether the social gain of being seen to accept a cigarette when she offered was worth having to smoke one. The fact that she'd asked at all and not just handed him one offered him an out, and he really didn't want to smoke one. On the other hand, he still felt as though he was on thin ice; the judgement he'd felt earlier hadn't been passed, only forestalled. At any moment she might change her mind and say goodbye again. The chances of her doing so seemed significantly less if they were smoking together. Accepting would buy him at least the length of a cigarette to endear himself to her, so that she would agree to let him stay with her the rest of the evening. This was the lesser of two evils, he had decided. He might be making a fool of himself because he wasn't really in love with her, but he'd be doing that anyway. He'd be better off doing it with her than in front of others. Miss Chang was kind and sympathetic; she'd forgive him for being odd.

"Sure, alright," he said. He took the offered cigarette and wished that he knew enough about smoking to offer to light hers for her, but he didn't even know what spell he'd use if he tried. He felt a little awkward just standing there holding a cigarette (was this even the right way to hold a cigarette? was there a right way to hold a cigarette?) so decided it would be better to say something.

"It's not so much like work," he joked. "You're a lot prettier than any poltergeists I've seen."

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