It's interesting, to hear her go on like this. Even if it's true, he doesn't quite have the same appreciation for books that she does. (He certainly doesn't go about stroking their bindings with a touch like that, at any rate.)

"Contacts at Oxford," Faolan repeats, raising his eyebrows slightly. It certainly sounds impressive, at any rate. Maybe he'll be able to hold a decent conversation with such a person when he's not feeling like crawling out of his skin. Maybe not. He's always been pretty naturally suspicious, and she seems to enjoy her teasing. "You're...in academics?"

If Faolan were more socially conscious he might realize that he hasn't even asked her name yet. Or offered his own. Luckily, or perhaps unluckily as the case may be, he's not at all.