It might help him to know that it's not likely that the average person would be able to tell that it's been a long time since he's had to hold up conversation. The unfortunate flip side to that is that she's adept enough at reading the beats of a conversation that she can tell when he's centering himself. She doesn't think of it as something to be embarrassed of. It's just part of the way that he communicates. During the pause, she shuts off the navigation on her phone and slides it back into her clutch.

"Oh, definitely. Especially if I trounce you like I'm planning to." It's a playful challenge, delivered with a quick smirk. It's second nature to check her surroundings before she gets out of the car, and she does the perfunctory visual sweep before she climbs out of the passenger seat to meet him on the sidewalk. "By the way, whatever you do, do not order the tequila."