<div class="floatleft">(http://images6.fanpop.com/image/photos/41000000/Stephen-James-stephen-james-hendry-41092498-640-640.jpg)</div><strong>Name:</strong>Jasper (JJ) (https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=308599.msg15018215#msg15018215)<br/><strong>Age:</strong>28<br/><strong>Sexuality:</strong>Heterosexual<br/><strong>Hometown:</strong>New York<br/><strong>Date/Time:</strong>2 July | Morning<br/><strong>Location:</strong>On the beach<br/><strong>Wearing:</strong>Casual Beach Sexy (http://images6.fanpop.com/image/photos/41000000/Stephen-James-stephen-james-hendry-41092498-640-640.jpg)<br/><strong>Coupled with:</strong>None<br/><strong>Tagging:</strong>Grace<br/><br/><hr/><br/><br/>JJ could tell that Grace was fully on her guard.  She'd probably come in here determined not to like him... not to "fall for a line"... to remind herself of how "guys like him" had treated her poorly.  It was unfair, but nothing would be served by "proving" her prejudice.  He'd let it roll off him and maintain his even keel.<br/><br/>When the conversation came around to her talking about shoes fitting when it came to prejudice, he gave her a small smile.<br/><strong><br/>"Mmm... and what happens when the shoe doesn't fit?  A good friend of mine once worked in a high end shoe store.  The stories he'd tell me about women who insisted on having a shoe that didn't fit... even convinced themselves that it did... only to come into the shop a week later complaining about how they were sold the wrong shoe and their feet were a mess because of it."</strong><br/><br/>He shrugged goodnaturedly.<br/><br/><strong>"A shoe either fits or it doesn't, Grace.  The only way to know is to try it on."</strong><br/><br/>He clinked glasses with her and was drinking when she responded about the designer houses he'd worked with.  While she did seem engaged in the conversation, the distance she was cultivating between them seemed to grow.  It was as if mentioning something they had in common had actually put up<em>more</em>resistance.  She even seemed like she was, to use a British expression, taking the piss of him.<br/><br/>If he was being honest, he was a little baffled.  He didn't really understand the point of being on a show like this if you were going to close off avenues of exploration before you'd even started walking them.  He left that unspoken, however, and tried to turn the tide a bit with a little self-deprecating humor.  The grin that tugged on the corners of his mouth made it to his eyes as he met hers.<br/><br/><strong>"Gelinas, I was arm candy for the girls. Pretty landscape.  Colorful topography to attract the feminine eye, that sort of thing.  He's a brilliant guy, though, and the pay was good."</strong><br/><br/>JJ reached for a few strips of bacon, turning to her questions of him.<br/><br/><strong>"Yes and no.  I do model, but it's a side gig for me.  I don't think I'd call it enjoyable, though.  It's hard work.  Anything is if you're trying to excel at it... and why do anything if you're not going to try to get the most out of it?"</strong><br/><br/>He ate a slice of bacon, chewed meditatively and swallowed.<br/><br/><strong>"The 'how' is a boring story.  Agent came in to the gym I run.  Liked the look of me.  Asked me to get a portfolio done... the rest, history, all that."</strong><br/><br/>He laughed softly with her as she joked about his trainer.  It was true that he probably shouldn't be eating the things he was eating, but all that meant was that he'd have to do a little more work on the back end.  JJ gave her a playful wink.<br/><br/><strong>"I won't tell her if you don't."</strong><br/><br/>He mimed raising a toast with another piece of bacon, though the effect was somewhat spoiled when the bacon drooped a bit.  He laughed at the little downturn and shrugged.<br/><br/><strong>"So tell me about your professional goals.  Are you thinking about fully monetizing your platform?  Or did you have something else in mind to pay the bills?"</strong><br/><br/>