Good enough to talk to? Oh. Oh, shit, that's not at all what I meant!
Jim's face fell as he realized what he had done. Apparently his subtle nod as he made his way toward the stage had both been noticed by the Regent and had offended her. Removing his mask so she could see his entire face, he said in an apologetic tone, "My apologies, Regent! I wasn't meaning to ignore you, in the rush to get to the stage I --..." He trailed off and shook his head at his own rudeness, looking mighty sheepish. "Well, I got a bit taken up in all the excitement. I owed you better, and misplaced my manners. Can I make it up to you?"
The least he could do is apologize.