It was an odd expression. It wasn't so much panic as the surprise one gets when hears something they hadn't ever expected to hear. Something they wanted, as a matter of fact.

Sandy had never been the kind to dither or doubt. He'd never had shame at proposing his ideas or making his points known. But he'd wanted to be careful, since Mike seemed so convinced that everyone who cared about him would eventually leave, to do and not say. He had no doubt Mike had heard his share of empty promises, after all.

But Mike had asked, and he wouldn't even dream of passing it up.

"Which place would you want to settle in? Or would we just... stay at whichever place worked best for our jobs that particular week?"