Junk by Josephine Myles Read Free Book Online Page A

concertina-cut cardboard packaging, which he always found pleasing. It might not have the fun potential of bubble wrap, but he loved the way they could turn a waste material into something useful simply by scoring a lattice of cuts into it.
    He was using a letter opener to carefully slice open the tape holding the packing paper around a book from the final box, when Brenda shuffled over to his desk, her arms weighed down by a stack of periodicals that reached her chin.
    “Got some room there, love?” she asked, dumping the papers on his desk before he’d had a chance to respond. “These are all on their way out. Would you mind? I’m meeting Imogen for coffee, and I’m already late. Don’t want her thinking I’ve stood her up.”
    “No, that’s fine. I’ll take them out when I’ve finished this lot.” It was a short walk across the quad to get to the university’s recycling facilities, but he knew how much Brenda hated even that much exercise. It wasn’t that she was overweight or anything, but she had the lifelong bookworm’s instinctive distrust of anything approaching physical exertion. Jasper seemed to be the anomaly among his coworkers, what with his love of running.
    “You are a sweetheart.” Brenda leaned over the desk and kissed Jasper on the forehead. “How come you’re still single, eh? Bet I could find you a good man if you’d let me know what you’re after.”
    “How about someone who loves all the same books I do, who can quote Shakespeare, and who doesn’t mind the state of my house?”
    “Could be doable. How bad is your house anyway? Can’t be worse than Immi’s. That girl’s a total pig.”
    Jasper just shrugged, remembering the spread of photographs Lewis had laid out on the table. No, there was no chance of anyone sticking around once they’d seen his place. That’s why it was safer to stick to online hook-ups. He’d always made it clear in advance it had to be at their place rather than his. Most of them probably thought he was cheating on a partner at home, but that was infinitely preferable to them discovering the truth.
    Just lately, though, he’d been sticking to seeing Mas, a young man with a big smile who was an energetic and enthusiastic bottom. It wasn’t that Jasper was particularly toppy, and he certainly didn’t want to be the sugar daddy Mas was searching for. It was more that he hadn’t wanted to go through that whole rigmarole of sounding someone new out first. At least he liked Mas, and they were mostly compatible in bed.
    “I’m happy with my life the way it is.” He crossed his arms and glared at Brenda.
    She was still studying him, her arms folded on the top of the magazine pile. The woman clearly couldn’t take a hint. “Hmm, give me a bit of time to test the waters, and I’ll see who I can find.”
    “I’m fine with being a bachelor. Books are better company than people. They don’t hog the bedclothes or mess with your things.”
    Brenda just gave him an infuriatingly smug smile. “Ah, well, you say that now, but how would you know if you just haven’t met the right bloke yet? He’s out there. And I’m going to find him for you. Ciao for now, babes.” She blew him a kiss as she trotted off towards the library’s main exit.
    What was it with the happily coupled woman’s urge to matchmake? Since she’d paired up with Imogen, Brenda had gone from engagingly cynical about love to the world’s soppiest romantic. Actually, it wasn’t just the women either. One of the engineering postgrads had been in the other day threatening to set up a blind date for Jasper with some mate of his boyfriend’s. Did Jasper have a sign on his forehead saying “lonely” or something?
    He wasn’t lonely all the time. He could forget about it for hours while running or reading. And he didn’t need a boyfriend to satisfy his need for intimate contact either. Jasper pulled out his mobile and texted Mas, asking Are you free tonight after eight? Mas could be