It took her a while to respond to his compliment.  Paul knew she’d heard him, though he was unsure as to whether or not it registered with her.  He was definitely curious to find out what had preoccupied her mind so much.  But not curious enough to actually ask her.  A firm believer in respecting personal space and personal issues, he wasn’t about to be Mr. Busybody.<br/><br/>For what seemed like an eternity, Charlette finally responded to his compliment with a “thanks.”  She then asked with a smile, "Hey...wanna go do something with me?"<br/><br/>Charlette’s question of doing something with her was the most she’d said all morning, though the day had just begun.  “Sure,” Paul replied eagerly, as she seemed to be coming around.  “What did you have in mind?  My day’s wide open.”