Alex wants to ask why Kyle lied, but he's already answered: it made the old lady happy. She can't argue with that. Once they turn the corner, she drops her arm from around his waist and moves away, just enough that they aren't touching anymore. It's a lot easier to simply drop the act like it hadn't happened than to admit that she kind of enjoyed it.

She glances down ruefully at the fur clinging to her pants and the damp spots from the dog's drool. But she doesn't want to address that either, because that would just be drawing attention to the fact that dogs tend to be very clingy and submissive around her.

"We're only a couple blocks away, right?" she says, opting to change the subject entirely.