"Believe it or not, I actually understand." He smiled a bit, as well. "And you can still come over here whenever you want. You don't even have to bring Chinese." There was a faint hint of teasing to his voice now. "Most nights, I cook and you're welcome to join us."

He paused. "I'm not comfortable with the idea of Mia spending the night at your place," he admitted. "But if it's something she decides to bring up, we'll talk about it then."