“Amazing—you design clothes and run a hospital?” he asks.

“I don’t run the hospital. I just approve big decisions and review financial reports. Clothing is my passion.”

“Ah, got it. That makes sense… You always look so perfectly put together. The plum suit. Did you design that for yourself?”

“I did. But I don’t typically make things for myself. Just the odd piece here or there. I’d rather spend my time designing for others and making them look good.”

“That’s thoughtful.”

“I’m a thoughtful vampire,” I say. “Such a thing exists.”

“A thoughtful vampire… Sounds like a melancholy romance novel in an airport gift shop.”

I shift in my chair and cross my ankle over my knee. “Is that what you’re into?”

“What? Airport gift shops? Romance novels?”

“Well, we know you’re not into romance.”

“That’s not true,” he says. “I’m just… not accustomed to it. Especially not with vampires… or with blokes.”

I raise my eyebrow. “Looks like I’m a double negative. The chips were stacked against me all along.”

There’s a pause on the line. I’m about to ask him another question, just to keep the conversation going, but he beats me to the punch.

“Can we start over?”

I blink. The sincerity of the question catches me off guard. “From where?”

“From the beginning. From you asking me to dinner.”

“So we’re going to pretend that none of those other things happened?”

“No…” he stammers. “I don’t mean forget. But… you said you wanted us to get to know each other—”

“I do. And I said you’re beautiful, because you are.” Hearing him take a breath, I quickly add, “But that doesn’t mean that all I want is to sleep with you. Is that unfathomable?”

“Well, no,” he says. “It’s not…”

“Good.” I smile. Finally, it feels like we’re getting somewhere. Why was that so difficult? Remembering his reaction toward me that first night and the things he said… I still think he’s messy. He’s definitely got some stuff bubbling beneath the surface, but I like him like this—calm and with his guard down a little.

“I would like to get to know you, too,” he says simply. Again, the naked confession catches me off guard. In my silence, he asks, “Will you have dinner with me? When you come back after your trip? A proper meal—out somewhere.”

“Why, Jae?” I ask. “What’s changed?”

He’s silent for a moment, obviously thinking. Finally, he says, “Me. I’m seeing you… I’m looking at you now without all my ridiculous personal baggage in the way. Is that alright?”

I let that sink in for a moment. It’s not sexy, but I like this answer—that he has the self-awareness to notice something like this and correct it is impressive. Most people look outwardly, blaming things on others. Zero accountability.

Actually… maybe, it’s very sexy. “It’s alright. I’ll have dinner with you. I’m looking forward to it.”

“Me too. In two weeks, then?”

Two weeks seems like a long time… “If we can make our schedules work, would you like to talk like this while I’m traveling?”

“Yes. I’d like that.”

I smile. “Not at three o’clock in the morning though. I can’t have the doctors at Mom’s hospital functioning at half capacity. Why aren’t you asleep?”

“Just restless. What do you mean by ‘Mum’s hospital’? Does she own it? Sora told me that you did.”

I check my watch, and its 3:25 a.m. where he is. “When do you go into the hospital for your shift, Jae?”

“Six. I’m up now. Just tell me.”

Laying my head back in the armchair, I close my eyes. “Yes, I own the hospital. When she was alive, my mother worked there as an RN.”

“That’s impressive. Not many vampires are comfortable working in hospitals—what with all the human blood smells and ailments attacking their senses… Like working in a warehouse filled with skip fires.”

“What the hell is a ‘skip’ fire?”

“Er… maybe you’d say trash can? Garbage fires.”

I laugh, shaking my head. “It’s not quite that bad. But yes, it takes a strong mind and sense of willpower. That was definitely my mother. She loved helping people and working as a nurse. I always admired that in her, so when she died, I bought the hospital and renamed it in her memory.”

“That’s beautiful. Really. Such a lovely way to honor her. What about your dad?”

“My father has been dead for over fifty years. I don’t miss him.”

“Oh, well… alright then—”

“What about your parents?” I ask, realizing I need to lighten the conversation. “Are they proud of their vampire-doctoring son?”

“Um, well actually my mum also passed away a long time ago. When I was still in secondary school. My dad is in South Korea with his family. He’s fine with what I do. No strong opinions from him either way.”

I pause, picking up on something odd. “I’m sorry about your mother. You said your father is with his family? Are they not your family, too?”

Jae takes a deep breath over the line. “Technically. By law and genetics? They don’t recognize me as one of them. Messy business with my parents getting married without my grandmother’s approval. But it’s not a big deal. I talk to my dad pretty regularly. It’s alright.”

I can hear the shrug in his voice, but I’m sitting with my face scrunched up in disbelief. It definitely doesn’t sound alright. “Understood. Is your mother’s family more accepting of you?”

“Mum grew up in the foster system in London, so no relatives to speak of on her side. I’ve heard it said that relatives are a pain anyway, so I’m not torn up about it.” It doesn’t escape me that he’s attempting to make light of the fact that he essentially has no familial ties. He’s trying to sound breezy about it, but something in it makes my chest tight.

“Have you met people in moving to Japan?” I ask. Living in a new place can be lonely as hell all by itself, but not having family back home to reach out to either? Where is his tribe? His community? No man is a fucking island.

“Not really—but Sora had me over for dinner a couple of times. And I’m really rather busy with this new patient load and taking on the surrogate project. This is just how I operate best. I’m pretty well accustomed to handling things on my own—have been for years now. It’s really not as bad as it probably sounds. I’m not some loner… How did we get here? Christ.”

“Maybe when I’m back, I can take you to Okutsukei Valley before dinner? It’ll be beautiful by then with all the fall colors—since you said you haven’t done any sightseeing. Or maybe Himeji Castle?”