Friday afternoon at last. I found myself standing in the sun outside of Shibi's house, enjoying the warmth as I knocked on the door.

Here goes attempt number forty five, and this time I will totally tell him. Definitely. It's hard to tell if anyone is home, it looks so quiet. Peaceful. I've been here before, but not since our most recent noodle date. Meeting, not date. Do I even want to call it a date? It's silly for someone my age to have these anxieties.

"It's good to see you. Please, come in."

"Hey, thanks for inviting me."

I stepped into his front room, noticing that the small house spider who was building a web in the corner last time I visited was still present. I gestured to her.

"Was she what you wanted to show me? Get me a cup and I can take her outside for you." I teased.

"No, but it's funny you should bring up spiders."

He led the way to his kitchen, gesturing to several piles of small plastic deli cups covering the kitchen table.

"These are what I wanted to show you. As you may or may not be aware, some people consider them a delicacy."

I picked a cup up and peered into it.

"Tarantulas?"

"Correct, Cyriopagopus albostriatus. They're sold as street food in some parts of the world. They're good for you, as far as edible spiders go. I could never bring myself to try one, though."

"That's fascinating, but why are they on your table?"

"I've been working to develop a more concentrated version of the pheromones they produce when they're ready to breed."

I could feel myself blushing slightly at the word 'breed'. I cleared my throat and set the cup back at the table.

"So um, how can I help?"

"Just because I will not eat them does not mean they are not a valuable food source. I was hoping you could help me with extracting some of their pheromones. You know spiders aren't my..favorite..animals.."

He was silent for a second, then we both started speaking at the same time.

As I said "Sure! Sounds like a lot of fun.", he added "And I enjoy your company."

An awkward silence settled as we both sat down, just far enough away to avoid bumping into each other.

"Now, it's very important not to let any of what we're extracting spill. In this form it is extremely potent."

'Potent', hmm? I wonder if it works on beetles, too…or beetle handlers.

"It will summon every tarantula of every kind within the entire village and surrounding forest. All of which are going to be very excited when they get here, and some of which are likely to hurt if they bite."

Nevermind.

"I'll be careful. Now, walk me through what you need me to do."

Two hours later, the spiders were all sorted and handled appropriately, and we had a tray of small vials of liquid spider pheromones. We had been working hunched over the table for a while, and it felt as comfortable as spending time with him used to feel. I missed this companionship. Maybe whatever strangeness was going on that made me feel so jittery around him had finally passed. When he finally straightened up from the table and stretched, I was a bit disappointed that we were finished.

"Good work! I think we're done for today."

"Thanks, this was fun. I don't think I've ever had a reason to handle so many spiders in a day."

"I hope I never have to again, to be honest."

"Well, I enjoyed spending time with you." I joked, emphasizing the 'I' and feigning a hurt look.

He answered in a voice that was slightly more strained than usual.

"That is not the part I meant, I like having you around."

I found myself temporarily unable to speak. The jitteriness was back in full force.

He means as a friend, we're just friends, there's absolutely no way he means anything else. Do I even want him to mean anything else? We started talking because we both lost our partners, so would me developing feelings for him be betraying the trust he placed in me by talking to me about that?

I felt his hand touch my knee and I jumped slightly, knocked back into paying attention. Unfortunately, I also knocked a loose vial of spider pheromones directly onto the floor. It shattered, coating both of us in the fluid.

"I am so sorry! I will clean it up immediately, hand me that towel and I'll go get the enzymatic cleaner."

He was pale.

"Are you alright, Shibi?"

I heard dozens of little 'taptaptaptap taptaptaptap' noises outside, slowly getting closer.

"There's...no time."

"What?"

"There is no time, this needs to be washed off immediately."

He jumped up from the table, wiped the specks of fluid off the floor with his sleeve, and gestured for me to follow him while leaving the room. The tapping was much louder, and I could see small spider legs against the window.

"So, do you think they'll get inside? Where are you going?"

I followed him as he moved at a speed just below frantic towards a room on the second story of his home. His bathroom.

"I'll just...wait out here?"

"There is no time."

I looked back and saw several spiders crawling up the stairs. He pulled me into the room by my arm, slammed the door closed, and stuffed a towel under the door. I was about to complain, but he seemed genuinely frightened. He stood up and faced me.

"Any electronics in your pockets?"

"No, why?"

He turned the shower on and pushed me lightly towards it. "Rinse your clothes off here. This particular pheromone should not stand up to hot water. "

He then turned around, dropped his jacket on the floor, set his glasses on top of it, and stepped into his shower completely clothed.

I guess this is what we're doing now. Okay.

Without stopping to think much more about it, I followed him.