"All the more reason to ask you so far ahead of time," he said with a small, hopeful smile. "There's two options, of course. Questionable sweaters or formal wear."

And he would seek to match her effort, of course, whichever direction Greta wanted to go in.

"You don't have to answer right away if you'd rather think about it," he added, not wanting her to feel cornered into giving him an answer right then.