"Had the beard before I lived in the mountains," I point out, scratching my jaw with one hand. It's itchy. Glancing down into my mug to see my reflection in the surface of the coffee, though, I have to frown a little; I look, in a word, awful. (And on my way to looking a heckuva lot like Kaine, which is a frightening prospect. While Jessica can pull off the long hair like a champ, I'm not sure I want to attempt that guy's beard, even if he is technically me.)

"...okay, yeah, it is a bit much," I concede a beat later, catching her gaze. A smile that could qualify as teasing in another life briefly tugs at the corners of my mouth, and I add, "How do you think I'd look with a goatee?"