[ Four new people in the immediate neighborhood. And he'd only just adjusted to having an empty space next door after the bookstore moved out. ]

Yeah. Nice to meet you. [ Having such obvious, real pleasantness directed at him puts him off-balance. ] I've been here for a couple of years. It's a good area.

—anyway. Did you want any flowers?

[ The conversation could go on longer, but Heine doesn't really want it to right now. ]