For a fraction of a second, he doesn't believe her-- something's still not right even if he doesn't quite know how to place it. Fortunately, her retort is much more reassuring and of her usual spirits, so the perturbance subsides. He will take her up on that offer for he seat; there's still a wait up front, so what's a few minutes more over here?

"This is a hell of a place to treat yourself," Al takes the opportunity to flag down a passing waiter.

"The lady's ready to order dessert."

Whether or not it's her waiter, the guy would be wise to take the order.