There was a tick of hesitation, more about Larry assessing the tense set of Nick's jaw and shoulders than any real apprehension. Head tilted, Larry briefly narrowed his eyes, watching the slender boy beside him, and then slowly nodded.

"Yeah, sure," he said, and then leaned forward with a little two-fingered wave, not sure if he still had Nick's attention.

"Hey, you wanna get out of here for a minute, take a breather?"