Page 8 of Epidermis

“What?” he snapped.

“If you don’t want him, I’ll take him,” James said. He was a petite man in his fifties and Jasper swore he was hornier than everyone else in the shop combined. He always had a perfect tan and if James didn’t live in an apartment, Jasper would peg him as the type to sunbathe naked in his yard.

River scoffed. “I think he’s into younger men. You might be out of luck.” They were the baby of the shop, only twenty-one and starkly pale compared to James, with a teal wolf cut and dark roots starting to show.

Whatever look Jasper gave the two of them made them return to their tasks, and that just left him with Hiyori. He felt his jaw tic as he waited for her to chime in.

But she did worse than say something—she said nothing. She gave him a patient smile, waiting, and he slunk around the half wall to sit in the chair where her client would be sitting if she had one. He stretched his legs out and stared at the toes of his boots. She turned the music back up, making it so their conversation couldn’t be overheard.

“He seems nice,” she offered.

Jasper laughed. “He’s something.”

“Are you not interested…?”

“In men?” Jasper supplied. He wasn’t exactly an open book about his personal life, of which there was very little to speak of, so he didn’t blame her for not knowing. “I’m bi. I just don’t really date. It’s not a man problem or a woman problem, it’s a…”

“People problem?”

“Yeah. Not that I think he’s trying to date me. I mean, who knows, he could just have a very forward way of making friends. It may not even be like that.”

Hiyori gave him a small smile. “Nothing wrong with making friends. You could use some who don’t bark.”

“I have you.”

“I am entirely willing to bark if a woman is beautiful enough, I don’t count.”

The dating part wasn’t even alone at the top of his list of problems with getting to know people. It was that they inevitably wanted to know him in return. Whether that was romantic or platonic, it still felt invasive. Like someone was going to get into his head and be so repulsed by what they found that they left it in disarray on their way out. Like everyone did.

Maybe Konrad would relent after one more dinner. Jasper already couldn’t imagine why the man wanted to see him again, after Jasper had plowed so gracelessly through their every interaction. Jasper could be a “rude little gremlin” as River had once called him.

He got a text half an hour before the end of work, and he didn’t read it until he got home. Yes, he was stalling. So few people texted him that he knew who it had to be from. So he got home, fed the dogs, and showered before he even unlocked his screen to read it.

Maybe: Konrad Iversen (5:31 PM)

Hello, Jasper. I hope this message finds you well. Please accept my apology for disturbing you at your place of work, perhaps over a hot meal and a glass of wine. Are you available this Friday evening?

Jasper accepted the suggested contact name and stared at the message, his curls dripping on his shoulders, rivulets of water pouring down his body until they soaked into the towel he had wrapped around his waist. He sighed and sent a reply before he could overthink it.

Jasper (8:03 PM)

Sure

He wasn’t even finished getting dressed when his phone buzzed on the bathroom counter. He tied the drawstring of his pants so they wouldn’t slip right off his hips and then picked it up.

Konrad Iversen (8:05 PM)

Excellent. I’m sure the time you finish with work can vary, so please arrive whenever you’re ready.

Jasper pulled on a T-shirt, weirdly self conscious about replying too soon. He didn’t want to make it that obvious he had nothing better to do.

Jasper (8:10 PM)

That doesn’t give you much of a window for when to expect me. I figured you’d be the type who likes a schedule

Konrad Iversen (8:11 PM)

I can be flexible.