 What caught Natalie's attention at the Kudos Room and prompted the chat with Si?
They also had a banquet for him, complete with speeches by such bigwigs of the Department of Space Exploration as Academician Lofting Gubelin and Doctor Hans Girard-Perregaux. In common with recipients of gold watches of a score of generations before him, Si Pond would have preferred something a bit more tangible in the way of reward, such as a few shares of Variable Basic to add to his portfolio. Even as Si listened to their speeches, accepted the watch and made a halting little talk of his own, he was grinning inwardly. His explanation was that a phobia against having his eyes touched prohibited either surgery to remould his eyeballs and cure his myopia, or contact lenses. That was only an alibi so far as his closest associate, Hans Girard-Perregaux, was concerned. Doctor Girard-Perregaux was convinced Gubelin would have even worn facial hair, had he but a touch more courage. Girard-Perregaux grunted his sarcasm and dialed a glass of iced tea and tequila. Gubelin, half angry at his friend's argument, leaned forward to snap rebuttal, but the other was wagging a finger at him negatively. Girard-Perregaux was wagging his finger again, a gesture that, seemingly mild though it was, had an astonishing ability to break off the conversation of one who debated with the easy-seeming, quiet spoken man.
 She noticed his space pin.
 The bartender introduced the two after serving them drinks at the same time.  She thought he was attractive enough and she was bored.  He had offered to buy her drinks all night.  She noticed his space pin.