by Sable Sylvan
Finally, the tiger was panting, and Onyx and Jet backed off. They were in front of Ashley, and once Arnold shifted back into his human form, the fight was over. A staff member tossed a pair of boxers to the tiger, who slipped them on and looked between Onyx and Jet, breathing heavily.
“I give up,” said Arnold, raising his hands up. “But not because you beat me…because Ashley obviously doesn’t want shit to do with me.”
“Why are you being like this?” asked Ashley. “You were so nice at the office.”
Onyx and Jet shifted back into their human forms, backs to Ashley, and they slipped on plain black shirts and boxers tossed to them by their costars.
“My guess?” started Onyx.
“Mate madness,” said Jet.
“Mate madness?” said Arnold. “You really believe that junk?”
“Why else would you be so upset about the fact fate obviously didn’t want to pair you with Ashley?” said Onyx, reaching out to Arnold to put a hand on his arm. Even though they had just fought, Onyx hated to see another shifter in a pain he knew all too well.
Arnold shrugged his hand off. “Fate. Mate madness. None of that seems real.”
“It is,” said Jet. “Trust me.”
“And how the heck would you know?” asked Arnold.
“Because there’s a place where fate has brought together shifters with their mates,” said Onyx. “A place…called Bear Buns.”
“You two…work at Bear Buns?” asked Arnold. “I should’ve known.”
“We don’t just hire bears,” said Jet. “We have all kinds there…lions, lynxes, tigers, cougars…”
“You obviously have a lot of passion,” said Onyx. “Put that to use. Find your fated mate at Bear Buns. It’s obviously a place fate smiles on warmly.”
Arnold spat on the floor. “You frikkin’ bears. You just don’t get it.The concrete jungle…it’s not big enough for all of us. Lions and bears? Lynxes and cougars? None of us can get along. And I guess that goes double for tigers and curvy girls.” Arnold kept his eyes locked on Ashley as he said the last four words.
Ashley locked her eyes on Arnold.
“I don’t know a whole lot. You know how I said I was sure I wouldn’t learn anything at this theater tonight? I learned one thing: I guess a tiger…always shows his stripes,” said Ashley, before turning and leaving with Onyx and Jet.
As Ashley gave Onyx a kiss on one cheek and gave Jet a kiss on the other, the crowd cheered louder than Onyx and Jet had ever heard the crowd at Bear Buns hoot and holler. Onyx and Jet took one of each of Ashley’s hands in theirs. They walked her through the lobby to the staff-only entrance to the backstage area.
“That was badass,” said Ashley.
“Not as badass as what you said to him,” said Onyx.
“That will be the last you see of him, right?” asked Jet.
“Honestly, I don’t know,” said Ashley. “I’m sure Linda and Miranda and their guys won’t want to hang out with him after he made an ass of himself, but…he’s a guy from my office.”
“At least now he knows that if he messes with you…” started Onyx.
“…He messes with us,” finished Jet.
“You really think that he has mate madness?” asked Ashley. “And…what is mate madness?”
“It’s a thing that happens to shifters around the world,” said Jet.
“Yeah, both my culture and Onyx’s have words for it,” said Onyx.
“I thought you were both Chinese,” said Ashley.
“Kinda,” said Onyx.
“Says the Mainlander,” said Jet haughtily.
“You still think Chiang Kai Shek has a chance? That’s cute,” teased Onyx.
“I’m missing something, aren’t I,” said Ashley.
“I’m mainland Chinese,” said Onyx. “But, specifically from Shaanxi. It’s one of the northwestern provinces of mainland China, near like…I think Mongolia? It’s been a while since I visited. My family came to America in the fifties, while Jet’s came over during World War Two. His family is from Taiwan.”
“You mean the Republic of China,” corrected Jet.
“Last time I checked, there’s a People’s Republic of China, but whatever floats your love boat,” said Onyx.
Jet couldn’t help but stifle a laugh.
“You’re lucky you’re funny,” said Jet. “Love boat’s a Taiwanese thing.”
“So your cultures are really different, huh?” said Ashley. “I’m sorry I assumed…”
“Don’t be,” said Jet. “Trust me.”
“Did you just tell me not to feel bad about something?” asked Ashley. “Who are you and what have you done with Jet?”
“Ha-ha,” said Jet sarcastically. “Trust me. It’s fine. Both of us are basically ‘American Chinese,’ and while our families are more connected to our roots than we are…Onyx and I can still get along. Neither of us cares about the politics back home.”
“But it does explain why we look different,” said Onyx. “Jet’s got the typical Taiwanese look, with straight black hair and dark eyes, and the normal panda shift.”
“Hey, that’s the giant panda to you,” said Jet. “Get it right.”
“And I have the chocolate panda shift,” said Onyx. “And these gorgeous brown locks. They turn kinda reddish during the summer if I get enough sun.”
“You get too much sun,” said Jet. “So bad for your skin.”
“Typical Taiwanese prince,” teased Onyx. “And I also get amber eyes.”
“Wait wait wait, your hair and eyes are natural?” asked Ashley.
“What, you think he’d get his hair done and put in contacts daily?” asked Jet. “You give Onyx too much credit. This kid can’t remember to put on deodorant half the time.”
“Looks like I put my foot in my mouth again,” said Ashley.
“Trust me, it’s fine,” said Onyx. “Jet and I are both rarities.”
“Because you’re pandas?” asked Ashley.
“Nah, because we’re not from one of the more common provinces of origin for Chinese Americans, like Guangdong or Taishan,” said Jet. “So we’re different culturally, and in Onyx’s case, he has a ‘rare’ appearance and shift.”
“Wait, his shift is a different species?” asked Ashley.
“Yup!” said Onyx.
“Okay, let’s be real,” said Jet. “It’s a sub-species. But yes, he’s a Qinling panda. They’re found in a certain area of China, which his family hails from originally.”
“That’s why I’m all chocolate, baby,” said Onyx. “Every day’s Valentine’s Day with this chocolate bear.”
“So, am I supposed to learn Chinese or do anything special?” asked Ashley. “I’ve never dated Chinese guys before.”
“Trust me, we speak enough Chinese, and it’s a bitch to learn, but we can teach you,” said Jet. “Okay…I can teach you because Onyx speaks Mandarin like a child.”
“At least I can cook,” said Onyx. “And more than just grilled meat and veggies.”
“We had a cook, I never had a reason to learn to cook,” said Jet. “Still, I manage to grill better than you on that hibachi.”
“Wait, you had a cook?” asked Ashley.
“Don’t get him started on his situation,” said Onyx. “Let me put it this way…while my family had laundries and restaurants like a bad stereotype, his family lives in Silicon Valley, in California mansions, driving station wagons and shopping at the big box stores on weekends while prepping their kids for elite East Coast colleges.”
“Wait, Jet’s a spoiled rich boy?” asked Ashley.
“I’d be more spoiled and rich if it weren’t for the damn Commies,” said Jet.
“Don’t get him started on the communists,” whispered Onyx.
“I think it’s too late,” said Ashley with a giggle.
Denise came up to them with a clipboard.
“What the heck are you three still doing here?” asked Denise.
“What do you mean?” ask
ed Jet. “Don’t we need to get ready for Act 2?”
“Uh, your understudies are already on stage and killing it,” said Denise. “Get your bad selves outta here. Oh, and here.”
Denise pulled out some crumpled bills and passed them to Ashley.
“What you said out there, it was really awesome,” said Denise. “The USB drive? It’s on me.”
“Thanks,” said Ashley, reaching to hug Denise.
Denise held up her clipboard. “Eww. No. No hugs,” said Denise before scurrying off.
Ashley unfolded the bills. There were ten singles. Ashley furrowed her brow.
“I paid fifteen for a USB drive,” said Ashley, pocketing the change.
“Then I guess it’s not the best time to tell you that the USB drives are only five bucks,” said Onyx.
Fifteen minutes later, Jet and Onyx had changed back into their street clothes and in a cab with Ashley.
“After all that, I can’t believe you two have the strength to do a show at Bear Buns,” said Ashley.
“Oh, that’s canceled,” said Jet.
“What?” asked Ashley. “Then where are we going?”
“Somewhere where we can have some real fun,” said Onyx. “We have some unfinished business, remember?”
“You mean what was happening back in the cocktail room?” asked Ashley.
“Not exactly,” said Onyx. “You see…”
“Our unfinished business can’t get finished up at Bear Buns,” said Jet. “And you know why, Ashley…because there’s no sex in the cocktail room.”
Chapter Seven
“Wait, there’s no sex allowed in the cocktail room?” Onyx asked Jet.
Jet sighed. “No, I said that for effect.”
“But we are going back to your place, right?” asked Ashley. “And when we get there…”
“We’re gonna get down the business,” said Jet. “Nothing and I mean nothing, is gonna get in the way of us claiming our fated mate.”
“You’re sure then, that I’m your fated mate?” asked Ashley. “What makes you so sure?”
“You’ll have to see it to believe it,” said Jet, motioning to his chest.
“How do you two know that you’re both meant to share a mate?” asked Ashley. “And how do you know that both of you are meant for me?”
“Trust me,” said Onyx, putting Ashley’s hand on his chest. “All will be revealed, soon enough.”
Fifteen minutes later, Ashley was in a ritzy part of downtown Seattle with Onyx and Jet, an area known for its luxury apartment buildings. She walked into the lobby of a building that reminded her more of a fancy hotel from a movie than a Pacific Northwest apartment building, and in the elevator, Onyx and Jet had to muster all their willpower not to take her then and there.
They let her into their shared apartment, and when she saw the decor, she couldn’t help but gasp.
It was an apartment that was influenced by both Onyx and Jet’s tastes. While it was obvious that Jet had picked the core furniture pieces, like the large black leather couch that was flat except for its slight curve for a back, the black lacquered end tables and coffee tables, and the black and white granite countertops of the kitchen. The living room had wood floors, and a wall perpendicular to the large pane glass window was covered with a large single pane mirror that went from the floor to the ceiling. There was a barre against the mirror wall, and Ashley realized why it looked so familiar. It reminded her of the practice area backstage at Bear Buns. This must’ve been where Onyx and Jet practiced outside of Bear Buns. It made sense. They’d need lots of private room to practice their choreographed fights.
The layout of the apartment was very open, with only the bathroom separated from the rest of the apartment, which meant that the bed was right in the living room, right next to the large pane glass window overlooking the Puget Sound. The bed was large, with a pine-colored bamboo frame and plain gray and white sheets that had a few bold stripes. The bed’s canopy was a sheer black tulle-like fabric.
“You have a gorgeous view,” said Ashley as Onyx walked her over to the window. “But doesn’t it get a little distracting at night?”
“Trust me, we thought of everything,” said Onyx, and he pressed a button on the wall near the bed, which caused a sheer black curtain to come out of the walls, extending from the wall the bed’s headrest was against to the opposite side of the room.
“Everything?” asked Ashley.
“Everything,” said Onyx, and he pressed another button, causing a red opaque brocade curtain to come out from the other wall and come towards the wall near the bed. This blocked out all the light that was coming from outside the apartment. Onyx pressed yet another button, and the lights came down low, turning from bright and blue-toned to dim and red-toned. It was like she was living in a Chinese lantern.
As the lights lowered, other lights in the apartment glowed. Gold lights that were embedded in the glass coated walls lined the walls along the baseboards, a warm golden incandescent yellow that was close to amber, rather than a harsh artificial light. Music that sounded at once Western and Eastern started to play.
“What’s that music?” asked Ashley.
“Japanese jazz,” said Jet, coming over with two cups of tea. “You know we just love when East meets West.”
“And this tea?” asked Ashley, taking one of the glazed handleless cups from the tray.
“Our own private blend,” said Onyx. “We call it Occidental Jade.”
“Occidental?” asked Ashley.
“Well, Oriental means from the East, and this green tea is a blend we made in the West,” said Jet. “It’s a blend of gunpowder green tea, white monkey tea, and kukicha tea. They’re all green teas. The gunpowder green is described as gunpowder-like because it explodes in the water, the small pellets of tea unfolding and unfurling rapidly in hot water. White monkey tea is so named because its furry curled dry texture reminded people of monkey paws…and the kukicha? Well, it might look plain, but it gives the tea its flavor. Sesame. Chestnut. Rice. Plain flavors of Asia, made extraordinary by their presence in this liqueur.”
“Wow, that’s so many different kinds of tea together in one cup,” said Ashley, looking into her cup, where a few errant leaves were floating on the bottom of the white clay cup.
“Try it,” said Onyx, lifting the cup to Ashley’s lips.
Ashley sipped. The tea was warm but not too hot. The green tea didn’t need milk or sweetener. It was perfect as it was, a mix of the flavors that Jet had mentioned, which made Ashley feel warm and cozy inside. She hadn’t expected that. The green teas she was used to were the kind of teas that went well with ice, sweetener, and fruit juice. This was different. Different was good.
Ashley put the cup down on the tray and started to walk to the bed, undoing the buttons on her top and turning, sitting on the bed, in just her bra, jeans, and underwear, waiting for Onyx and Jet to come over.
“Are you sure you’re ready for all this?” asked Onyx, rubbing one of his hands over his chest and the other hand over Jet’s firm, broad pecs.
“I’ve been waiting for this since before we even met,” admitted Ashley. “When I saw your shirtless, faceless forms on the posters outside Bear Buns, I knew that there was nobody else that could compare with you two. When I saw the other dancers backstage, my suspicions were confirmed. I knew none of them would ever capture my eye the way you two had…and now, I’m sure you two are going to be able to capture my…”
“…Your what?” asked Jet.
“My heart,” admitted Ashley. “There’s only one thing I’m worried about…”
“Shh,” said Onyx, coming up to Ashley and shushing her with a finger against her lips. “You have nothing to worry about. Just close your eyes.”
“Alright,” said Ashley, holding one of Onyx’s hands and squeezing it tight, her eyes shut, breathing in and breathing out to calm herself down.
“That’s right, just breathe,” said Jet, coming up to Onyx’s side. He put one of
his hands in Ashley’s free hand and looked to Onyx. Onyx nodded. They knew what they had to do next.
Jet and Onyx unbuttoned their shirts quickly, slipping them off their free shoulders before letting go of Ashley’s hands to slip them off their other shoulders. They then took Ashley’s hands and put one on each of their chests.
“You can open your eyes now,” said Jet.
Ashley’s eyes fluttered open. What she saw in front of her wiped away nearly all of her suspicions that things could go wrong. There was no questioning what she saw in front of her, no way of misinterpreting it.
On Jet’s chest was a symbol, shaped like a dew drop but curved, in black, with a white dot in its center. The dark symbol seemed to be coming out of his left peck, taking a dip downwards before coming back up, ending up on the right of his chest.
On Onyx’s chest was the same symbol, but rotated one hundred and eighty degrees, in white, with a black dot in its center. The larger white dot seemed to be coming out of the right side of Onyx’s chest, moving in an upwards arc, ending over his left pec.
They were the two halves of the yin-yang symbol. Jet’s chest had the symbol for yang, for night, darkness, and mystery. Onyx’s chest had the symbol for yin, for day, brightness, and enlightenment. They were two halves of the same whole, but the person who could bring them balance and unite them?
That person was her.
Ashley looked down at her chest. The symbol on her chest matched theirs but at the same time, did not. The tattoo on her chest was of a yin yang symbol, of the same orientation as the mark that Jet and Onyx’s mate marks would form together. The only difference? No black or white ink was used, just shades of gray, forming the outline of the yin yang symbol’s droplets and circles, which hadn’t been filled in.
