He wishes, deeply, fervently, that he could read her. He decides to play the optimist for once, and ignore the thought that this may be her way of asking him to not make things awkward for her.

He also, briefly, wonders if this really is the best instance to try out that optimism thing, but he plows ahead anyway.

"I don't seem to come in quite so often." Sometimes, sure, but every once in a while there are alarming gaps of missing time here. "But if you're around...?"

Dear God, he didn't mean it to come out sounding quite so pathetically hopeful, but there it is.