The man seemed agreeable enough - had said it was fine, which was good - but by now Ari had also taken note of the fact that he was younger, dark-haired, and handsome, and that hadn't much helped the embarrassed flush in his cheeks recede.
It was nice of him to take partial blame, Ari thought. "I was avoiding getting Irish married," he explained in return, with a sort of shrugged laugh. "Or any kind of married." (Why he had added that out loud, Ari did not know.) True as it may have been, heavens knew it hadn't been relevant or necessary to this conversation! He shrugged that off as though he were trying to be casually funny, taking a hasty sip of the ale he was holding as an excuse to look away briefly.
In doing so, Ari caught sight of the fallen food; he must have knocked it right out the poor fellow's hand. That, at least, was an easier thing to be mortified and apologetic about - so rather than shuffling off, Ari did add: "Can I get you something else to eat? You've lost your whole plate."
It was nice of him to take partial blame, Ari thought. "I was avoiding getting Irish married," he explained in return, with a sort of shrugged laugh. "Or any kind of married." (Why he had added that out loud, Ari did not know.) True as it may have been, heavens knew it hadn't been relevant or necessary to this conversation! He shrugged that off as though he were trying to be casually funny, taking a hasty sip of the ale he was holding as an excuse to look away briefly.
In doing so, Ari caught sight of the fallen food; he must have knocked it right out the poor fellow's hand. That, at least, was an easier thing to be mortified and apologetic about - so rather than shuffling off, Ari did add: "Can I get you something else to eat? You've lost your whole plate."
