The Temple of Heaven

by Z. Allora

  Saying “none of your fucking business” and “you’re not the boss of me” wasn’t adult. He texted, I’m fine.

  Just like the sixteen times he’d told them before. Why didn’t his brothers think he was capable of walking a few blocks to the German restaurant?

  Dusty texted, Are you there yet?

  U should have come with us! I hear it’s a great show! Zack’s whine came across even over the text.

  Miss me that much, Zack? I think your anal elf should entertain U better.

  Don’t call Andrew that, both brothers texted.

  LOL. Jordon threw an emoji with double middle fingers up.

  When our tea show is done, we’ll come get U to walk back with you. Dusty made the coddling sound reasonable.

  No! Jordon texted back as quickly as his thumbs would hit the keys in the right order. I can get back on my own. I got here fine.

  There was a pause. Zack and Dusty consulted with each other.

  Zack texted back, Breakfast tomorrow, along with a glaring emoji.

  Yeah. Okay.

  Dusty texted, Call if U need me. Have a good night.

  U 2.

  Jordon turned off his text notifications and stepped into the restaurant. He surveyed the wall mural of windows. Interesting idea, although to create the feel of a German town they were in need of perspective, and maybe a few different colors, unless the artist was going for ironic….

  “May I help you?” The hostess wore a crisp business suit, which ran counter to the traditional Bavarian dirndl dresses of the waitresses.

  He pulled his focus away from the flat wall paintings. “Oh, yes. I’m here to hear the band.”

  She embodied adulthood with her no-nonsense professionalism, reminding him he still failed the basics of Adult 101 when it came to his brothers. “Drinks or dinner?”

  “Um, I guess drinks. But could I see a menu?” Maybe he’d get an appetizer or something.

  She collected three menus. “Of course. This way, please.”

  With a final glance at the mural, he tried to leave his ideas of improvement at the door. He followed the hostess to a large group of women.

  All attempts at adulthood fled screaming. Without his brothers to run interference, he wasn’t up to making small talk with band groupies. He preferred to drool quietly. “Oh, um, could I sit toward the back?”

  The hostess led him toward the back. “You can sit at any of these tables.”

  He picked one in a shadowy corner and skimmed the extensive drink menus she’d left with him. The legal drinking age in China was eighteen, and his brothers weren’t here to stop him, so he focused on the wines.

  What did he know about alcohol? He didn’t much like the taste. Once Justin had mentioned sparkling wine was his favorite. Hmm…. Forget recognizing the wineries. The wines were written in English letters but he probably couldn’t say them—save for one.

  When a bubbly waitress bounced over, he tentatively ordered, “I’ll have the sparkling white from the Great Wall.”

  To his surprise, the waitress didn’t card or chastise him for ordering wine. She asked, “Anything to eat? Pizza, french fries, pretzels, or—”

  “Pretzels would be great.” The pretzels seemed Germanish, though he was in China, so maybe that was odd.

  Soon his wine and a wooden tree with six freshly baked, salted pretzels hanging off the branches arrived. At the base of the tree were six vividly colored dipping sauces. “Enjoy.”

  As he tried a soft, warm pretzel in the minty green sauce, the group of fans caught his attention. From their appearances, they were a mix of locals, tourists, and expats; mostly women, but some men were in the group. A woman stood in front of them reading the other fans an article about Made in China going on tour.

  Other restaurant patrons dug into huge portions of veal, steak, and ribs or drank at the bar.

  Somewhere around the time Jordon developed an addiction to the salty treats with the orangey sauce, the lights dimmed.

  “As you’ve heard, our band is going on tour with the Dark Angels.” The announcer’s familiar voice cracked a little. Was that Made in China’s would-be manager?

  A shiver of excitement ran through Jordon. He was going to hear Made in China in person. More to the point, he got to watch Tian Di strut around stage. His inner fanboy raced to the surface.

  The speaker cried out, “Please give a warm welcome to Made in China!”

  The fan group stood and cheered. Jordon jumped to his feet and joined in.

  The curtain opened and the band took the stage, followed by Tian Di, who demurred and dragged his feet to the spotlight front and center. “You’ve heard the news. We want to thank all of our fans. This wouldn’t have happened without you believing in us.”

  Jordon stood and clapped with the rest of the crowd. When everyone else sat, so did he.

  Tian Di bowed his head. The music started slow, then erupted into a wild mix of instruments. Tian Di’s strong voice penetrated through the chaos and into Jordon’s heart.

  This wasn’t Jordon’s first concert, not by a long shot. Looking around the restaurant, he noticed the space was tiny compared to the Dark Angels’ smallest concert venue, though “damn amazing” didn’t even cover the sound. Within minutes, the band involved all of the crowd in their electricity. Even the men at the bar turned and watched the show.

  The Youku videos didn’t do them justice.

  Tian Di had the mythical it factor agents always sought. He sparkled and beamed. His shy demeanor appeared innocent and sweet, but then he morphed into this confident demon whose strut spoke of dirty things he’d do while twisting the bedsheets.

  The band was the total package. They had the sound, a look, and actual talent. The musicians in each of them strove for perfection, and they found completion in one another. The band members merged and became better as the night wore on.

  The lights dimmed from bright to dark in a nanosecond, but when you have a teen running the lights, you forgave errors.

  Toward the end of the set, Tian Di stepped closer to the edge of the stage. “If you’d allow me, I’d like to dedicate this next one to someone very special. This person, along with all of our fans here in Suzhou, helped us on our path. Jordon, this one’s for you.”

  No one had ever dedicated a song to him. It was to him? Of course it was. Tian Di had even given a small smile in his direction.

  The words of the song touched Jordon, not because of the lyrics, but because of the emotion that accompanied them. Raw need tore directly into Jordon’s soul and filled him with something it must be too soon to name—though he felt it nonetheless.

  The crowd broke into thunderous applause, and Jordon stood with most of the audience, clapping.

  After the first set, the stage dimmed. He wasn’t sure if he should go backstage or—“Robin, what are you doing here?”

  Robin slid into the seat across from Jordon’s. “I popped out of the teahouse show to see how you were doing. And, oh my, I’d say you’re doing rather well. He dedicated a song to you.”

  Positive his face was the color of lava, Jordon couldn’t deny it. “Yeah.”

  “You really like him,” Robin stated more than asked.

  “Yeah, we spent the whole day together, and the time with Tian Di was pure magic. Perfect. I can’t explain—”

  “Maybe more than like?” Robin was never afraid to get to Jordon’s truth.

  Jordon shook his head, but he wanted to nod. “I… isn’t it too soon?”

  Smiling, Robin rested a hand on his heart. “Love doesn’t tell time the same way we do.”

  “It’s just that—oh, Robin.” Jordon probably had emoji hearts covering his eyes, answering better than words. “We went to the museum and talked. I felt like we were in a movie. We strolled along a canal and shopped. He arranged an art lesson for me. Tian Di simply gets me. It’s easy with him.”

  Robin squeezed his hand. “I’m happy for you. I look forward to getting to know him. But you proba
bly want to text your brothers.”

  Jordon shook his head and huffed. “Are they losing it?”

  “When you didn’t answer a question fifteen minutes ago, Zack imagined you’d been kidnapped.”

  He didn’t know whether to laugh or scream.

  “You’re their baby. It’s hard for them to see you as an adult. Give them some time, but unless you want company, text them back.” Robin hugged Jordon and slipped back out.

  Jordon begrudgingly looked at his texts, responded to both brothers’ numerous questions, and to Justin’s nonquestion question.

  “THANKS FOR waiting for me.” Tian Di led Jordon out of the restaurant and onto the boardwalk.

  Jordon felt guilty about Tian Di cutting out after he spoke with Made in China’s fan group, without helping the band pack their equipment, but he was too greedy to forego the time.

  “No worries. I get how rock stars are in demand.” Jordon had to tease, if only to see Tian Di blush. The dusky rose revealed by the streetlights would be a difficult color to replicate in paint.

  Tian Di ducked his head. “I know it’s nothing like the Dark Angels’ following, but I want to show my appreciation. These were our core fans before anyone really knew we existed. It’s truly special of them to care so much about us.”

  “It is—look!” Jordon stopped at the railing to point out Suzhou’s neon skyline-lit bridge. “Wow. I also love the buildings topped with pyramids. The architects here use the city as a canvas.”

  Tian Di gestured to a path along the lake. “Care for a walk?”

  “Sure.”

  Tian Di put a hand on Jordon’s back and guided him across the street.

  Jordon kept in step with Tian Di and let their shoulders rub as much as possible.

  “I think it’s amazing how you have Western restaurants like Pizza Hut, KFC, and Burger King next to Coach, Gucci, and other expensive designers.”

  There were many different shops, selling toys, souvenirs, clothing items, pastries—every shop demanded Jordon’s attention. A rainbow of neon splashed everything with color.

  “This area is called Harmony Times Square. It was built to give the rich a place to shop.”

  “You know, American kids used to be told to finish their dinner because there’s poor children in China with no food.”

  “There was a time that might have been true, but there’s a saying here now: We used to work to be a good person. Now we work for money, and money’s better. Capitalism became the emperor.”

  “If you judge wealth by expensive cars, I’d say China’s doing okay.”

  “True.”

  They turned the corner of a building. Jordon stopped dead. “Wow.”

  “That’s the Sky Screen.” Tian Di pointed to the LED screen scrolling above them in a gentle wave.

  Tian Di led him over to a concrete bench, which allowed Jordon to keep his eyes on the screen. “It’s three hundred fifty meters long. Right now, there’s only two others in the entire world, but this one is the largest.”

  “It’s fantastic.” Jordon stared as digital fish swam overhead, and then the scene morphed into a field of vivid wildflowers with butterflies fluttering about.

  Tian Di rested flush against Jordon. His body started making suggestions he might not have even been aware he was issuing.

  Jordon could have watched the screen all night, though not when there might be other invitations to act on. “Um, do you want to come back to my room… and hang out?”

  Tian Di pressed his lips together. “Yeah, but I need to shower.”

  “You can shower in my room. I don’t mind.” What was he thinking? Other than wanting to wash Tian Di’s back… and other things.

  Tian Di scrunched his face and shook his head. “I think your brothers might.”

  He was an adult and didn’t need their approval. “They aren’t invited.”

  Jordon tried to feel bold and daring in inviting a man back to his hotel room. However, those feelings were buried beneath a lot of shit Jordon didn’t want to sift through right now.

  Tian Di’s breath hitched. “I want to… really I do. Maybe too much so—”

  Decision made. “Me too. Come on. Let’s go.”

  Jordon held out his hand to pull Tian Di to his feet.

  There was a slight hesitation, but Tian Di clasped on tight and held his hand a bit longer than necessary.

  No more words were needed. They rushed back to the hotel and took the elevator to his floor. Jordon couldn’t help but look down the hall at Zack’s door.

  He breathed a sigh of relief when they got into his room undetected. He engaged the secondary lock on the door.

  Jordon turned, and Tian Di was right there.

  Was it hot in here? He rushed to the thermostat. Nope, it was on and set to 20 Celsius, which was about 68 Fahrenheit.

  “Um, the bathroom’s right in there.” Jordon pointed to the bathroom.

  Tian Di brushed past him, lighting fire to the place he touched. “Thanks.”

  Jordon stumbled to the bed and sat. He should stay put.

  The bathroom door remained cracked open. That wasn’t an invitation… was it? Maybe it was, and if he didn’t accept the invite, would Tian Di think he rejected him? If he did—

  The water turned on.

  A shirtless Tian Di peered out. “The shower stall is huge.”

  For an endless moment, neither of them moved, Jordon’s gaze trapped in Tian Di’s.

  He’d never done anything like this in the past, and his nervousness stole the awesome.

  Tian Di raised his arm to lean against the doorframe, almost posing for Jordon.

  As a reflex Jordon assessed the figure in front of him. Tian Di’s chest was smooth, and his sepia nipples pebbled against the room temperature. His torso tapered into a narrow waist, with just the slightest hint of a treasure trail drawing Jordon’s gaze lower. His black jeans clung to everything important. He looked better than any character Jordon had drawn.

  There was definitely an offer on the table.

  Desire slashed through him, forcing Jordon to freeze and just gape at temptation. The man he’d drooled over for well past a year stood in his bathroom, offering to do God knows what… with him. Right now.

  Tian Di gave a small, inviting smile and disappeared into the bathroom.

  Jordon shifted and sat on his hands. Holy Fuckenstein! He should get in there and… and what? What did one do in shower stalls with insanely hot rock stars?

  The steady sound of the water changed from hitting the tile to hitting flesh. Tian Di’s naked body was right behind the partially open door.

  Jordon wiggled and adjusted his jeans, but that didn’t do much for his comfort. Why couldn’t he just go in there and join Tian Di? God, he was such a wuss.

  There had to be some kind of protocol.

  Grabbing his cell, he checked the time. Even with the time difference, it was after eleven in the morning in the US, so Gwen should be up. She’d know. He texted, Tian Di is in my shower.

  Why aren’t you with him?

  This was a bad idea. I don’t know.

  Is the door open?

  Jordon looked over and reconfirmed. Yeah.

  That’s an invitation. Get on that!!! texted his one-woman cheering squad to get him laid.

  I don’t know. Jordon sighed. Sometimes she couldn’t see past her own comfort.

  Didn’t you two already have the intro orgasm?

  Too late. Water’s turned off. Later.

  He’s clean now, so your mission should be to get him dirty.

  He sent a thumbs-up, signed his text with an artist emoji, and set his cell on the nightstand.

  “Um, do you have something I can borrow to wear?”

  All the witty come-ons Jordon had once practiced were sucked out of the room, much like his brain when he turned to see Tian Di wearing a towel like a sarong around his waist.

  His wet hair dripped down his chest. Droplets cascaded where Jordon ached to touch.


  Tian Di stepped closer.

  The hotel’s orange blossom-scented bath gel enveloped Jordon.

  “Or I can just stay in this towel for a bit.” His voice spun around Jordon forcing the deluge of horny thoughts to get etched into his must-do-list. Though Jordon hadn’t a freaking clue how to bring any of them to fruition.

  He wanted to say something brilliant and witty; instead he nodded.

  Tian Di tugged Jordon off the bed. “I’ve wanted to kiss you all day. May I?”

  Tilting his head, Jordon groaned, “Please.”

  Tian Di licked his own lips then glided his wet mouth against Jordon’s. He hadn’t embellished the memory of Tian Di’s lips on his. Sparklers danced beyond Jordon’s eyelids, and he needed to hold tightly to Tian Di’s bare shoulders to stay upright.

  The kiss broke through any restraint Jordon had. He twirled his fingers in Tian Di’s wet hair and tugged.

  Tian Di rewarded the action with a moan and a breathy “Yes.”

  Fingers toyed with the top button of Jordon’s jeans, requesting permission. Jordon pulled back from Tian Di’s delicious mouth.

  Worry skated through him. What was Tian Di asking? How far did he want to go?

  Before Jordon could figure out the underlying question, he thrust his hips toward the questing fingers. Then he trailed his mouth along Tian Di’s neck, drinking in the groan of desire that escaped Tian Di.

  Tian Di ran a teasing finger along the button fly of Jordon’s vintage jeans. He popped the first, second, and third buttons open.

  “Teeth,” Tian Di begged as he pressed his neck against Jordon’s mouth.

  Nipping just enough to get those little sexy gasps of want out of Tian Di built Jordon’s confidence. If he could make Tian Di needy, he could do anything.

  But he missed that gorgeous mouth and needed a kiss. His fourth button opened. He pressed his mouth against Tian Di’s and took another toe-curling kiss as the fifth and final silver disk slid out of its buttonhole.

  Tian Di ghosted his hand over Jordon’s arousal, trapped under his silky underwear, tantalizing him with the possibilities that chased away his doubts. “Yes?”

  The light touch drove Jordon insane. Still not sure of the question, only the answer, he whispered, “Yeah.” Hurry!