A man changes once he realizes she has heard the usual lines. The casual compliment. The fake challenge. The “you’re trouble” bit that has been dragged through every bar in the city.

She does not punish him for trying. She just does not reward the starter pack. So he adjusts. He asks a question without turning it into a runway for his own story. He stops playing to the whole table and tries to keep her looking at him for five straight seconds.

Age becomes background noise. What gets him is simpler: she can enjoy being noticed without acting grateful for the rescue.