"Oh, you're twenty-six." Cassandra makes Malcolm into the worst sort of blurter; he's usually so much more cool and collected (he's not going to admit that it's because he hasn't talked to a girl in months). "Uh, only I meant you look younger and I was a bit surprised because I turned twenty-one myself just last spring."

Mal goes a slightly dull pink all over as he hurries to explain and then hurries on to hopefully change the topic after that. At least he keeps a calm expression? "I wasn't being very nice about the haggling anyway; it's a matter of looking like you could walk away from whatever you plan on buying. It was really nice stuff and the fabric didn't give or anything but if I say that he'll just jack up his price. Fishmongers do it all the time."