Insists on Access to Contacts

I loaded this app to reply to messages from ONE person who wants to use it. Instead of allowing me to read his messages, it insists on accessing my contacts. Since I use my phone for business I am not authorized to share many of my contacts. Signal says it needs this because it doesnt store contacts. However I receive each message, I just cant read more than a line and I cant respond. Signal would be better if it would let me add the contacts I want to use with it. I will be uninstalling them.

Yarnspinner57 about Signal - Private Messenger, v2.2