There were no words except Eric. That's a lot of tension in that story and James knew it. Something became more serious in this story, and the harder Eric told him, the more difficult he said it. Eric's the one who wanted to tell it, even it hard to look back on the past.
James only listened and enjoy the rest of the story, he and his cigarette with a cappuccino. He didn't want to hear it at the first time but his story makes James wondered the next of it. He would wait for the Christy story because he needed it still, only the interest turned into another direction.