"Mmh." His agreement with the meeting's end was tired but amused in turn. He was more concerned with how she had come through that discussion, which had been more difficult than any of them had anticipated, and he waited to hear what she needed before bringing up anything else.
Her response drew a nod of understanding, and a softening of his expression at her gratitude. "You were in a difficult position. I knew it was not easy." He relaxed as she began to smile again, and the familiar twinkle came back into his eyes. "We can continue to discuss it. Or we can discuss our plans for Torchline this year." He turned back to the basket and lifted it back into his arms so he could rummage through it as he spoke. "But while we do, we will take care of ourselves. I have been told that face vegetables and pink mud are good for relieving stress." And his hand emerged with a jar of sweet-scented exfoliating facial mask which he handed to Flora before dipping back for the smaller jar of a half-dozen fresh-cut cucumber slices. "Will you show me how to use these?"
Her response drew a nod of understanding, and a softening of his expression at her gratitude. "You were in a difficult position. I knew it was not easy." He relaxed as she began to smile again, and the familiar twinkle came back into his eyes. "We can continue to discuss it. Or we can discuss our plans for Torchline this year." He turned back to the basket and lifted it back into his arms so he could rummage through it as he spoke. "But while we do, we will take care of ourselves. I have been told that face vegetables and pink mud are good for relieving stress." And his hand emerged with a jar of sweet-scented exfoliating facial mask which he handed to Flora before dipping back for the smaller jar of a half-dozen fresh-cut cucumber slices. "Will you show me how to use these?"
