by Sable Sylvan
“You can put your phone in rice when you get home,” said Linda. “Speaking of home…when do you two wanna head out?”
“I’m waiting for Onyx and Jet,” said Ashley. “You two can go home if you want.”
“Really? You’re okay waiting for them alone?” asked Miranda.
“Totally, they probably won’t be gone for more than a few minutes,” said Ashley. “You two are freezing. You should head home if you want. I’m fine, really.”
“Alright, if you’re sure,” said Linda, giving Ashley a hug goodbye.
Miranda gave her friend a squeeze. “Hey, at least this next weekend, we should have a good time, right?”
“Right,” said Ashley, not bothering to correct Miranda and tell her that the only reason she didn’t have a good time that night was because she’d had a great time.
Miranda and Linda headed out and hailed a cab. Ashley waited with the crowd of guests that was still assembled in the park. She hadn’t realized how packed the club had been because she hadn’t accounted for the people in the other performance room. There had to be at least two hundred guests and just as many staff. Although Ashley hadn’t met that many of the staff that night, she was still surprised by how many staff members there were. There were cooks, janitors, stagehands, and all of your typical front-of-the-house staff, and of course, dozens of dancers. While “The Twelve Dancing Bears” was the most popular of the Bear Buns dance troupes, it wasn’t their only dance troupe, and some of the dancers weren’t part of any given show at all. However, Ashley couldn’t see anyone she recognized at all, and that included Jet and Onyx.
From across the street came a few people with large cardboard boxes. They’d been let back into the club, but why? Wasn’t there a frikkin’ fire? The people with boxes walked into the crowd and opened the boxes, handing items out. Ashley saw that what was being handed out was large hooded sweaters, which had been wrapped in plastic. She’d seen them in the gift shop.
Ashley started to walk over to one of the people with a box, but she got a tap on the shoulder. She turned. Behind her was the stage hand she’d talked to a few times on stage, the tall, handsome tiger.
“Excuse me, you’re the girl from the stage, right?” asked the tiger.
“That’s right, I’m Ashley,” said Ashley. “What’s going on?”
“We’re giving out free hoodies to everyone, so they don’t frikkin’ freeze,” said the tiger. “Jet and Onyx said to make sure you got one.” The tiger passed Ashley a hoodie. This one looked to be far more expensive than the ones being given out, with a black velvet exterior, warm black fleece lining, toggle closure, and in the back, in iridescent black rhinestones, the letters, “BB” in a script font.
“Thanks,” said Ashley, putting the hoodie on. “But where are Jet and Onyx?”
“That’s not for me to say,” said the tiger. “But I have a message. They wanted you to take their card, and they wanted me to make sure you got home okay.”
“Got home okay?” asked Ashley, taking the card and putting it in her wallet. “So you mean…they won’t be coming back out to see me?”
“That’s right,” said the tiger. “I’m sorry, but I can’t give you any further information. It’s not my information to give. They’ve ordered a car to take you home. It’s already here.”
“Alright, alright, I won’t pitch a fit,” said Ashley. “I surrender! I’ll go home.”
“Thanks,” said the tiger, leading Ashley to a parked luxury sedan that was pitch black, a fancy town car that looked like it belonged in Manhattan, not Seattle. “Trust me…if they could be here --”
“They would be here, yeah, yeah,” said Ashley.
The tiger opened the car door for her and Ashley got in. She gave the driver her address and off the car went.
She had about half an hour to think to herself about all the crazy shizz that had gone down that night. She not only had gone backstage at the most exclusive, most luxurious male strip club in the Pacific Northwest, but she had also met two panda bear shifters who were crazy about her. They were men who knew how to dance, fight, and cook…and she had been separated from them by a frikkin’ fire alarm, the cause of the alarm still unknown, at least to her. There were so many secrets to ponder, and she had so many questions. What was the deal with the fire alarm? What were their mate marks, and why were they so sure that she was their fated mate? And what the heck did she have to do to get them to cook like that for her again?
As Ashley got ready for bed, she pulled out her phone to charge it and realized it was still wet, before she had a chance to try and plug it in. Without taking the battery out, she tried to turn her phone on. The screen flickered for a second and then died. Perfect. Ashley had a box of instant rice, and she put her phone in there to dry overnight, but she didn’t have high hopes that it’d do anything. Her phone was kaput.
Ashley poured the rest of her purse out to see what the damage was. One of her blushes had gotten waterlogged, turning the pink powder into a crimson sludge that had leaked into the purse and ruined the white fabric lining. Her cash, she left to dry out, and she wiped her credit cards down, but the business card from the pandas? Destroyed. The ink was smudged, and there was no way to read their number.
Great. This was really the way Ashley wanted to spend her weekend: buying a brand new overpriced purse, getting a new phone, and finishing up her spring cleaning. A few hours ago, she was sure she’d spend the weekend in bed, sandwiched between two pandas, but instead, she had more messes to clean up. It wasn’t that big of a deal, though. Ashley could just go back to Bear Buns the next week and ask around for the guys, and get their number that way, right? How hard could it be?
What Ashley didn’t know was that now that the pandas had found her, fate was paying close attention to her, and if you know anything about shifters, you know that fate can be a bitch…especially when fate’s bored with the story looking like it’s going to have a happy ending.
Chapter Four
“Wait, so you’re telling me…you don’t have their number?” asked Linda.
“And you didn’t go back Saturday to get it?” asked Miranda.
“I had to get a new phone and a new bag,” said Ashley.
“Uh-huh, sure you did,” asked Linda, stirring her coffee. The trio was sitting in the break room having a donut break. “You’re telling me that you didn’t think you could go to Bear Buns by yourself and ask someone for their number?”
“What was I gonna do without a phone and a purse, huh?” asked Ashley.
“Does it matter? After all, you’d be having fun with those two pandas,” said Miranda. “I think it’s some of that commitment phobia.”
“Puh-lease, I’m not a commitment-phobe,” said Ashley. “Women can’t have commitment issues.”
“We most certainly can,” said Linda. “After I broke up with my first boyfriend, who I’d been with for three years, I wasn’t ready to have a long term relationship for four more years.”
“You’ve never had a relationship longer than a few months,” said Miranda. “And you never, never try to make it work. Like, really try to make it work. Face it, Ash. You’re a commitment-phobe. It’s plain as day.”
“Am not,” said Ashley, flicking some of the powdered sugar off of her donut and onto Linda.
“Are too,” said Linda, flicking a bit of her jelly donut at Ashley, who managed to dodge the jelly just in time for it to hit someone behind her.
“Food fight in the break room?” asked the shifter who was wiping the jelly off of his khakis. Of course, it had managed to hit him right in the crotch.
“Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry,” said Ashley, mopping at the jelly, before realizing she was practically groping him in front of everyone. She looked up to see his reaction. A tall tiger shifter with ginger blonde hair with a few black streaks, muscular arms, and rock-hard abs, who practically had to duck when he entered most rooms, she had to admit he was handsome…but after Friday’s events, Ashley just wasn�
��t interested. It surprised her because a week ago, she’d be all over him, and by now, be with him in the supply closet, getting down and dirty, but something had changed. Ashley wasn’t sure if she liked the change.
“Hey, I usually need to be taken out to dinner and a movie first, but for you, Ashley, I’ll make an exception,” said the shifter.
“Arnold, I’m so, so sorry,” said Ashley.
“Arnold, what’s a single, young, highly eligible tiger shifter like you doing this weekend anyway?” asked Miranda.
Ashley looked to Linda to shut up Miranda, but Linda grinned wider seeing the look on Ashley’s face. “Yeah, Arnold, we’re all gonna be going out to see that new play, ‘Franklin.’ I won six tickets through a radio contest,” said Linda. “You game?”
“Uh, I was a history minor in college, so, definitely,” said Arnold.
“Great, bring some of the other guys from your department,” said Miranda. “Two more, if you catch my draft.”
“Got it,” said Arnold. “Nice seeing you ladies. I better go get some stain remover for these pants.”
Before he left, Arnold looked at Ashley, smiled, then looked at Linda, and said, “I guess it’s a date.”
Ashley watched until Arnold was out of sight and then turned to the girls. “What the heck was that?” she hissed.
“Well, according to Arnold, it’s a date,” said Miranda.
“I don’t wanna go out with Arnold,” said Ashley.
“Liar, you were telling me how hot you thought he was last week,” said Linda.
“Yeah, that was last week,” said Ashley.
“You’re not telling me you are looking for more than just some casual fun this weekend, are you?” asked Miranda, with a devilish grin.
“Nobody said anything about settling down, getting married, moving in, having kids, all that,” asked Ashley.
“The fact you said those in the wrong order shows you clearly aren’t looking for that,” teased Linda.
“Well, what the heck am I gonna do now?” asked Ashley.
“You really are into those pandas, aren’t you?” asked Linda.
“No, I just…” started Ashley, and she lost her words.
“Just what, are surprised you’re finally catching feelings?” asked Miranda. “Come on. Admit it to yourself. You like those pandas.”
“Fine, fine, I do, okay?” said Ashley. “And I can’t exactly go around dating random dudes when I have my…something, set on seeing the pandas again.”
“Your something? You mean…your heart?” asked Linda. “You can’t say the word heart?”
“Hey, you can’t say the word vagina, and just say the word cooter,” said Ashley. “We all have our thing.”
“Well, okay, how about this,” said Miranda. “This Friday, we have tickets for ‘Franklin,’ but the day after, we can go to Bear Buns, and you get the pandas’ numbers again.”
“One date with Arnold won’t kill me,” said Ashley. “Plus, it’s a group date…super casual, right?”
“Exactly, Ashley,” said Linda. “What the heck is the worst thing that can happen?”
That Friday, Ashley, Linda and Miranda met up with Arnold and two of his buddies from the engineering department outside their office building. Arnold’s friends were a lion shifter named Cole and a leopard shifter named Rod. Cole and Rod were magnetically attracted to Linda and Miranda respectively, so it was no question who would be sitting across from whom at dinner, and which couples would be sitting together during the play. While that was great for Linda and Miranda, because it meant neither would be neglected, it was awful for Ashley, because now, she didn’t have anyone else to talk with except for Arnold, as Cole and Rod were busy charming their dates.
They had picked a fast casual eatery to get a bite before the show. Ashley ordered herself a drink to loosen herself up, and she ordered a stir fry plate. Neither the drink nor the food tasted good to her. It tasted like sand in her mouth, and she didn’t finish the cocktail or the entree.
“Something wrong?” asked Arnold. “Do you want to order something else?”
“No, it’s fine,” said Ashley. “I just…had a big lunch, that’s all.”
“You sure you don’t want to get something else?” asked Arnold. “I’d hate for you to go hungry.”
Ashley forced herself to look at Arnold and smile. She wasn’t having a good time, and she knew it was obvious from the look on her face. She was trying her hardest to be pleasant, but she felt awful. She knew she should’ve canceled for the date. That way, Linda and Miranda could’ve brought another girl for the triple date. She’d thought she could go through with it, but she was barely able to stop herself from leaving the restaurant. Yes, Arnold was attractive. Yes, he had a good job. That should be enough, but it wasn’t missing. Something was missing, and she couldn’t tell what it was.
She tried her drink again. All she could think about was how the cranberry juice was too sweet, and the vodka was rail alcohol, not top shelf. She tried the stir fry, and couldn’t stop comparing it to the amazing meal she’d had the past Friday.
“Ashley?” said Arnold. “Hello? Earth to Ashley?”
“Oh, sorry, did you say something?” asked Ashley.
“Yeah, I was wondering if you’re excited about tonight’s show,” said Arnold. His eyes twinkled with a genuine interest. Why the heck did he have to make this so frikkin’ hard?
“Not really,” admitted Ashley. “I’m not a huge American history buff. I’m sure I won’t get half the references.”
“Don’t worry, it’s a musical,” said Arnold. “Worst comes to worst, you can just enjoy the sets, the music, the costumes.”
Sets. Music. Costumes. Right now, that was the last thing Ashley wanted to think about because it reminded her of the magical time she’d had at Bear Buns the week before. Thinking about the panda shifters on a date with a tiger? That was playing with emotional fire.
“Yeah, I guess that’ll be nice,” said Ashley.
“Come on, you have to be at least a little excited to see the most popular play in Seattle,” said Arnold, eating some more of his steak and having some beer.
Ashley forced herself to make conversation with Arnold for the rest of dinner, but she found it harder and harder to fake interest. Everything he did, she compared to the pandas. She found absolutely nothing compelling to comment on regarding anything he said. At least the prospect of going to Bear Buns was exciting. How fun could a frikkin’ play be? If she wanted to learn about history, she’d be in class. This wasn’t how she’d imagined her Friday going…but her usual activity of choice, barhopping with her friends, didn’t call to her either. What the heck was going on? Maybe there really had been a fire, and the smoke had gotten to her head…a whole week later.
After dinner, the group strolled down the misty streets of Seattle towards the theater district. While Cole and Linda had their arms linked, and Rod and Miranda were holding each other’s hands, Ashley kept her hands in her jean pockets as she walked, ever aware of the fact Arnold was close to her side, his arm brushing against hers with each step. A week ago, she would’ve been all over Arnold, but this week, she felt nothing.
That’s what was missing: sparks. Chemistry. Flames. Nothing was exciting about being with Arnold now that she’d had a taste of the panda shifters.
Ashley looked up towards the sky. She couldn’t see the stars through the dense clouds and the bright lights of the city, but she still looked up, as if she was looking for a sign, an answer to the question, “Will I ever be able to find somebody that makes me see stars…like those pandas did?”
Chapter Five
The group made it to the play about five minutes before the play started and found their seats. They were in the front section, not quite in the front row, in a center area. Each of the couples sat next to each other. From left to right, Cole, Linda, Miranda, Rod, Ashley, and Arnold were sitting next to each other. Ashley was between Rod and Arnold, and she barely knew Rod, so she
was stuck making small talk with Arnold until the show started. She had wanted to read her program, but Arnold had insisted on giving her a primer on the play’s history. She really couldn’t care less.
The lights flickered, and then the lights went down. The curtains pulled away and the play opened to a scene in Philadelphia, a city that Ashley had never visited. The costumes were impressive looking, and the songs weren’t bad at all. The history wasn’t at all hard to understand, but the content wasn’t babyish stuff about Ben Franklin discovering electricity with a key on a kite. No, this was more about the political drama of the time, and the songs weren’t all your typical musical theater pop and easy listening tunes. The songs were hip-hop, rap, and rock influenced and sounded like hits that Ashley might hear on the radio or in the club.
“Notice anything special?” whispered Arnold.
Ashley could’ve ignored Arnold, but he had piqued her interest. “No, what?”
“All the actors are shifters…and none of them are the same shift as the historical figure they’re representing,” said Arnold. “Like, Alexand-fur Hamilton? He was a European lion…but he’s being played by an African lion shifter.”
“So?” asked Ashley.
“Just thought you might find it interesting,” said Arnold, shrugging before going back to watching the play.
As Ashley watched the play, she tried to remember what shift the characters on stage had had historically, and then, she tried to guess what the shifts the actors had. Some shifts were more common in certain areas than others, and some shifts were downright rare, like the panda shifters, the pangolin shifters, and the komodo dragons. Because grizzly bear shifters were so common in the PNW, Ashley had no trouble at all identifying them by sight, even if their chests weren’t bared (or rather, beared) to her. Of course, grizzly shifters had special marks on their hands in the shape of a bear’s paw print, but they also tended to be barrel chested, tall and had a dominant presence. Of course, there were always exceptions to the rules, because fate liked to keep things interesting.
