"Hey, I'll take that double negative," he said, feeling the restrictive band ease a little off his heart. "The last girl I tried asking out on dates ignored me outright. For almost ten years, actually."

He looks very thoughtful at that, as if just realizing precisely how long Lydia Martin had been rejecting him.

"So...you don't not like me. I don't not like you, too. I mean, it doesn't have to be anything serious or rushed or anything. I just...really like spending time with you. You're talented, and you're smart, I mean jeez you've picked up on nearly five hundred years of technological advances in three months. That takes brains. Lots of brains. I like smart girls, they're really cool.

"And, you know, you're absolutely beautiful."