He made no move toward her. For several heavily silent seconds, she paid him the same courtesy.

There was no denying it. The understated bellow of his voice sounded much less familiar than his features looked, but there was a sort of duality there that echoed a building anxiety within her heart ... and two or three bouts of deep breathing was doing nothing to put her at ease again.

Encountering a person who shared certain similarities with a friend -- it shouldn't have bothered her to the point of immobility. It was nonsense.

It had to ... had to be more than that.

Slowly, precisely, carefully, the NV was tucked away into the pocket of her white coat ... the shopping bags at her feet? All but forgotten.

"Who ... are you?"