But then his mates had shown up. He'd blown them off to stay with her - also validating - but she couldn't get past the winks, glances, comments just out of her own earshot among their group table. She felt like they were watching his progress with her, gauging it, judging it. It shouldn't have mattered. She didn't know any of them, but she got self-conscious feeling like she had an audience. She left.