My trip to Port Angeles was quick. One of the few things I liked about this state was its many forests and grey skies. They made travelling much easier. Bella hadn't specified where we were going to meet so I just went to the middle of the city and loitered outside a building with low foot traffic.

I smoked a cigarette and glared at who ever had the nerve to look at me. Half an hour before we were supposed to meet up my phone made a ringing noise that was different than the other noise it made. I looked at it and saw a digital message from Bella.

'I'm running a little late. Can you meet me at 5:15 at Tobia? It's a small shop on the corner of Phlax Street and Peterkin Avenue.'

I saw the little 'reply' button at the bottom of the screen and clicked it. A small keyboard popped up. I sent her a message in the affirmative after asking a human for the location of the two streets.

I scoped out the shop. It was a coffee shop… but for tea. Very quaint.

Bella arrived a few minutes after I found the place and… she looked stunning. Her dark red dress clung nicely to her form. Her lips had a nice sheen to them. It was clear that she had gone out of her way to look better than usual.

She glanced around the store before I revealed myself.

"You look gorgeous today. What is the occasion?" I asked while taking her hand in my own and kissing it softly. I was surprised by my actions, but when her cheeks flared bright red I let that thought go.

"You're the occasion, you surprisingly suave weirdo." She said in a humorous voice, but it didn't match her emotions. She was feeling suspicious of me…before taking a seat at one of the small tables. Her response made me grin, but I hid it. I sat across from her and glanced at the handwritten menu, not that it really mattered. I'd order a drink that seemed the least offensive to my senses.

"Welcome to Tobia. The tea of the day is Maharaja Chai and we just pulled some cinnamon and hazelnut cookies from the oven. Do you know what you'd like to order or do you need more time?" The waiter asked, while sneaking a peek down Bella's dress while she looked at the menu. I stood up and grabbed him by his arm while sneering.

"I swear to every fucking god known to man that if you look one more time down her dress I'll rip your fucking dick off and shove it down your throat." I hissed in his ear, while gripping him just tight enough to bruise his arm. He stumbled backwards, knocking into one of the tables, before stumbling to the backroom. When I sat back down Bella was holding back a laugh. "What the hell is your problem?" I asked, still pissed off.

"There's no need for you to prove how manly you are to me."

"Aren't you conceited? What makes you think this has anything to do with you?"

"Other than the fact that you were threatening him because he was looking at me?"

"Perhaps I just think of you as my property and don't like anyone ogling what I consider my own."

"If that was the case then you're much shallower than I expected."

"I don't know what you expected. I am a very shallow man."

"I find that hard to believe." Her skepticism was thick and for some reason made me happy.

"Why is that hard to believe?"

"I like to think of myself as a realist. I like how I look, but I know there are prettier woman than me in this city. If you were really that shallow I doubt you'd be hanging out with me."

"Perhaps you just appeal to me in a way all those other women don't."

"So what you're saying is that you're just as shallow, but what your shallowness focuses on isn't necessarily what everyone else's does?"

"Exactly."

"I hate to ask such a cliché question, but what exactly about me is so appealing to you?" Such a long list: her lack of fear, her sarcasm, her blood, her tolerance of my anger, the curve of her hips, the way her skin flushed, the way my scars didn't make her cringe-

"It's probably just a combination of your looks and personality." I said, holding back my various responses.

"Well that doesn't sound too shallow." I was about to respond to her when another one of the workers came out.

"Excuse me sir, but I'm going to have to ask you both to leave this establishment." A middle-aged woman said in a calm voice, despite her feeling nervous and scared. I opened my mouth to tell her just how close she was to her own demise when Bella placed her hand over my own.

"That's alright. I heard this place's tea tastes like piss water anyways." Bella said in the same congenial tone, startling me. "Come on Jasper." She kept our hands linked while leading me out the door.

What do you think of Jasper's 'shallow' reasons for being attracted to Bella? Are they really shallow? Thoughts on the last paragraph?