"Isn't it a bit dangerous, hanging out in dark alleys like this?" Thomas asked, stopping, doing his best to sound casual, non threatening. Plenty of distance between them, so she wouldn't think he was going to try to grab her or anything like that.

Of course, he knew it would be far less threatening to pass through and barely act like he noticed her, but that certainly wasn't part of his plan. He was still considering the possibility of convincing her to go back to his place for a quick bite, after all. Also, he was admittedly curious about why she was here. The woman didn't look like she was merely cutting through, and this dark, dirty alley wasn't exactly the place where most women would want to be in the middle of the night.