‘You like?’ I ask, and his eyes meet mine. I see that tongue dart out, licking up a crumb.
‘I don’t like most human food,’ he tells me as he sets the rest of the cookie down on the table. ‘But that was good.’
My heart’s racing. ‘What flavor would you enjoy?’
His lips spread in a smile that’s both hot and playful. ‘I don’t know. Maybe cum.’
The way those fingers sign that makes my cock perk up slightly, and I shift so he can’t see it.
‘But I will keep this and eat the rest later,’ he adds.
‘Glad you like,’ I reply, my hands shaking slightly.
‘I wouldn’t mind sampling your flavor though,’ he signs, and it takes me a second to make sure I’m interpreting that in my brain correctly.
My mouth sputters, and I find myself opening and closing my lips like a fish. Eissa’s eyes twinkle, and then he swallows, straightening his shoulders and glancing off into the distance.
‘I must go, but thank you. I am sure you will find many customers. Your product is…interesting.’
I don’t wantmanycustomers, I want him. Mostly to patronize my dick. Or my ass with his self-lubricating cock. But I don’t get a chance to say that because he starts walking off and I’m left to just stand there, watching him go.
Fuck. I lost my chance. The first Vyastil that I have ever been interested in, and I’m watching him walk away.
I curse at myself as something twinges in the back of my mind, but once more I brush it off, trying to focus.
The taco truck is quickly forgotten when a few more customers approach. Most of them are from the West Coast—one is interested in Dante’s prototypes, and one is interested in the cookies. I give them all the commercial information we have, and then set up a meeting for the sex toy guy tomorrow.
‘I’m opening a shop in San Francisco,’ he tells me as he gathers my card. ‘I really like what I’ve seen here. I would love to offer a large section of adaptive products.’
I start to smile, but then my gaze catches on bright blue hair across the room. It’s not Eissa, but it is one of the Vyastil that was with him earlier.
‘Yes, shoot me a text tomorrow, and we can discuss the contracts,’ I tell the guy hurriedly.
He glances behind him and looks at the Vyastil, then back at me. ‘You do business with them?’
I bristle at the expression on his face. ‘I will do business with anyone who has the money.’
His expression changes, and he nods. Business respects business, I guess. I’m not sure I want us to get into bed with a bigot, but I also know that Dante doesn’t have the largest market for his stuff, so I can’t turn this down.
‘See you tomorrow,’ I tell him. He takes the dismissal for what it is and wanders off, making room as the unfamiliar monster approaches.
The Vyastil doesn’t look at me as he steps up to the table. He keeps his eyes down turned. It’s kind of rude to do this in Deaf culture, but as soon as he hands me a piece of paper and I take it, all of that is forgotten.
It is a hotel name and room number written neatly on that piece of paper.
Eissa, I think as I crane my neck over to where he disappeared, but he’s gone.
And when I turn back to ask the Vyastil about it, he’s walking off as well.
I definitely shouldn’t go to meet with this guy. It’s bad news and far too complicated. He seems like he’s of a high station, and I’m just a Deaf dude who sells sex toys with no real aspirations, but as soon as the day ends and I’m done cleaning up my station, I find myself walking in that direction.
It seems I’m going, despite my better judgment.
My hand lands roughly on the hotel door, unsure if I knocked hard enough. But a moment later, it opens, and I see Eissa there. He’s no longer wearing the tunic, just a piece of fabric around his waist, the rest of him bare. His tail is no longer wrapped around his shoulder, but is curled around his thigh.
And his hair. It’s down, out of those braids and falling in waves across his shoulders and chest. I want to run my hands through it, but I don’t know what I have permission to do. I don’t even know why I’m here.
He nods to me and takes a step back, letting me enter the room. It’s fancy, much nicer than where I’m staying, but I do not have a chance to really look at everything because Eissa steps beside me, and I feel his tail slide across my back.
