Page 22 of The Sasquatch and the Hairdresser

He’s looking at me with so much hope that there’s no way in hell I can say no even if I wanted to. Which I don’t. We might be a little awkward around each other, but I have fun spending time with Hal. It’s a lot better than being alone in my room with time to brood about shit from my past.

“Sounds cool. I’ll give it a try.”

“Don’t worry, we can watch something else if you’re not into it. I thought it might be nice for us to spend some time together, so I’m happy to watch just about anything.” Hal frowns. “Well, maybe not any super scary or gory horror movies. I might pass out on you if we do that.”

My chest tightens, and I have a sudden, inexplicable urge to hug this massive man like he’s my own giant teddy bear.

What the hell is wrong with me tonight?

Pushing back the impulse, I shove my hands in my back pockets and rock on my heels. “The show sounds fine. I’m not a big horror fan either.”

I’ve experienced too much real-world horror to ever want to watch fictional stories along those lines.

Hal’s answering smile is blindingly bright and fills me with a warm and fuzzy sensation I don’t bother to analyze too closely.

We make our way to the living room and Hal turns on the TV. “Oh, good,” he says, taking a seat on the couch. “Looks like we’re just in time.”

I hesitate for a moment before joining him on the sofa. Since it’s oversized like all the other B&B furniture, I don’t feel too overwhelmed by the size difference between me and Hal and am able to keep a bit of comfortable distance between us.

Inside, though, I’m weirdly conflicted. Part of me wants to move closer to Hal because he exudes some seriously major cozy pheromones I want to bask in. At the same time, my brain is warning me to protect myself.

After all, I’ve been fooled before and paid the price.

When we first met, Damien seemed like a good guy, even if he had been a bit wild. At the time, I was drawn to that. His bad-boy vibe was sexy and fun, not anything to be concerned about.

How fucking naïve was I?

Even though I believe Hal is as genuine as he appears to be, there’s that small niggling kernel of doubt courtesy of Damien that keeps me hanging back. Although my body has healed, the emotional wounds are still tender and raw. And I fucking hate it.

I hope you get what you deserve in prison, motherfucker.

Hal smiles shyly at me, and I’m flooded with guilt. Dammit. I shouldn’t be projecting my issues onto him. The rational side of my mind can clearly see how kind and caring Hal is in even the smallest of actions. Everyone I’ve met in town who knows him sings his praises, and Astraea has reassured me multiple times that Hal would never treat me the way Damien did.

Besides, the magic protecting the town won’t let him or anyone else physically harm me in any way.

I know my fears are illogical, but that doesn’t make them just disappear. No matter how much I wish they would.

Slowly, I lean back into the sofa and focus on my breathing, taking deep, quiet breaths and letting them out nice and slow. My body starts to relax, and I’m able to push my paranoid thoughts out of my mind. For now.

Hal studies me, biting his lip in worry. “Let me know if you’re not enjoying the show, and you can pick something else for us to watch.”

Music starts playing on the screen, and I turn my attention to the TV. The show starts with a quick recap of the previous season, which apparently ended on a cliffhanger when a hunky minotaur Casanova was caught two-timing his lamia girlfriend with a buxom basilisk. Not a lady who’ll let anyone walk all over her, the lamia decided to get her revenge and tampered with the minotaur’s car, leading to a major accident that left him in a coma. Cue to where our story resumes.

I’m kind of surprised at how fast I get sucked into the show. Like most soap operas, this one’s a bit campy and over the top, but there’s some pretty good writing in it, and the performers are killing it. It’s also super rare to see so many Otherkind actors in one show, and I’m impressed by the talented cast.

But before long, my attention starts to wander back to Hal, who’s engrossed in the story. When the minotaur suddenly wakes up from his coma, Hal’s practically on the edge of his seat. When it’s revealed that—dun, dun, dun—he has amnesia, Hal gasps in surprise, and I can’t hold back a smile at his response.

Trying to capitalize on the situation, the two women the Casanova guy had been seeing try to manipulate him into thinking they’re each the one he’s really in love with. That, of course, is when a third woman—a stunning gorgon—appears. More chaos ensues.

At that climactic twist reveal, the episode switches focus to another set of characters, this time a human woman in a romantic relationship with an orc firefighter who saved her from a house fire. When the episode pauses for a commercial break, Hal sighs dreamily and turns to me all starry-eyed.

“They’re my favorite couple on the show. They’ve had to overcome a lot of prejudice against their interspecies romance, especially from their families, but now they’re together and in love.” He dabs at the corner of his eyes. “It’s so beautiful to see.”

I’m beginning to understand why Hal likes this show, and why probably many members of other Otherkind species do too. There aren’t a whole lot of mainstream films or television series that feature Otherkind actors in lead roles. Despite being a soap opera, a genre some look down on, The Young and the Monstrous is groundbreaking on a lot of levels.

Note to self: Start watching this with Hal on a regular basis.

For educational purposes, of course…