James looked at Mel blankly. Then he burst out laughing. “Did you think I was hitting on you?” Mel’s face flushed. “Well, you’re always so persistent…” Mel frowned. James was laughing a little too hard. “Oh, man.” His chuckles died off. James sat back down. “Sorry. Believe me, I’m not into you that way. I’ve just been trying to get you to come out of your shell a bit. You don’t talk to anyone at work, so I figured you could use a friend. That’s it.”
