[ Oh, a polite disguise is never empty, it's concealing something else that could be said but isn't. In this case, needless nitpicking, so maybe its contents were themselves empty, which is why it's better left unsaid.

Even if her opinion of him isn't great, she won't outright disrespect him. That would be rather lousy of her, especially if she intends to retain his business. He certainly isn't awful, just too nice to seem at all sincere.

Of course, his question ends up being more complicated than he means it to be. But that's mostly her fault for having a bullshit life. ] Before I was here, or before I was an imPort? I was thirteen when I first arrived, so that tended to have a limit on the sort of things I would do. But I've had plenty of work before I started this business.