by Lyra Shanti
Sam opened the door and said, "No way. I need it more than you do, Prince Charming."
He laughed and watched her take a seat across from him at the small, black table where Jon had placed the food and drink. He watched her pouring her coffee, add sugar, then sip with eyes closed, as if it were manna from heaven. As he watched, he felt warm inside. Why did it feel like he had known this quirky, yet adorable woman his whole life? Was it simply because of the dreams? He had to find out.
"So? Did you have the same dream as I?"
Sam put down the coffee cup and sighed. "Yes, I think I did."
"Exactly the same?"
"Well, I mean… I'm not sure. Did they have massive anal sex?"
Jon nearly spit his tea. For a moment he merely looked at her, unable to respond. Reminding himself she was as American as it got, he nodded, embarrassed as hell.
"Well, then, yeah, I guess we had the same exact dream… yet again. Crazy…"
Jon took a deep breath, still recovering from her blunt tongue. Watching her take a bite from a pancake, he couldn't help but smile. She looked like she'd just reached nirvana.
"Oh my god, this is, like, the most incredible thing I've ever eaten! Jon, you HAVE to eat this!"
He giggled and took a bite of his own. It was creamy and fluffy, just as he remembered the last time he'd had these kinds of pancakes.
"Yes," he said after chewing, "I had these when I filmed in Japan a few years ago. They're my favorite for breakfast. I think the hotel found out and—"
"Nah, I'm the one who called and ordered them. They just sounded good on the menu."
He stared at her. "How do you know me so well? You're not a secret obsessed fan, are you?"
"Pfft," she scoffed with a smirk. "You wish."
Jon's heart tugged, along with other places. "Sam… why are we linked like this?"
She put down her knife and fork and said, "I don't know, Prince Charming, but I paid to see the friggin Great Wall, and I have less than twenty minutes to make it. Are you coming with me or what?"
Jon grinned and said, "Why, Sleeping Beauty, I wouldn't miss it for all the tea in China."
Chapter 10: The Wall
T he SUV was a little tight as it held all eight tour guests together. Jon sat to Sam's right, and to her left was a sweet old lady from England. The elderly woman was quiet and demure, but had a lovely smile. Sam got the feeling that the woman was on a bucket list type adventure, and it warmed Sam's heart.
I hope I end up like her someday, thought Sam as she yawned, resisting the urge to lean against Jon's shoulder.
Jon smiled and said, "Did those pancakes wear you out?"
"No," Sam said with a laugh, "I'm just not a morning person."
"Me neither."
"Don't you have to get up crazy early for film shoots and stuff?"
"Yes,” said Jon, grinning, "and I hate it each and every time."
Sam gave a half-smile, then shook her head. She grabbed her water bottle and took a few sips. Once again, she yawned, unable to stop herself.
"If you want to take a nap, feel free," said Jon. "I'll protect you."
"You're silly," she said, nudging his arm. "Besides, I doubt I can sleep here. It's a little tight."
"You can lean on me, if you want."
Sam raised her left brow. She wondered if he was looking for an excuse to be close to her. It was tempting, but she couldn't let herself do it. The last thing she wanted was to have another one of those sexy dreams about his ancient warrior doppelganger. She could only imagine waking up horny as hell, wanting to pounce on Jon, with the sweet old lady to her left looking at them, alarmed and ready to jump out of the car. The thought made Sam giggle.
"What?" asked Jon. "Did I say something funny?"
"No, I just…" Once again the yawn attacked her senses.
"Come on, Sleeping Beauty. Lean on me. It's almost a two-hour drive to Badaling. Take a nap, and I'll wake you when we get there."
Sam grinned, and then followed his advice. His shoulder felt strong but soft, and he smelled like spiced cake. It reminded her of Christmas and the comfort she wished she'd had as a child. Before she knew it, she was out like a light.
~~
Sa watched Gan exit the temple, then disappear from his life. It's for the best, he thought. It is not my place to interpret the will of the white dragon.
He'd already taken too much from the warrior, and he could sense how much pain and confusion now lay in Gan's mind.
Knowing what he must do to regain his path, Sa walked to the altar at the far end of the main hall. He lit jasmine incense and slowly lowered himself on his knees. Praying to the white dragon, he silently asked for forgiveness.
I was weak, and he is beautiful. Please, wise lotus giver, forgive me. I have only known isolation, never love. If you can forgive my indiscretion, please watch over my beautiful warrior, and help guide him on his path. I know you do not fulfill vengeful wishes, but if you could help him feel at peace, I would be forever grateful.
Silence engulfed Sa's mind as he continued to pray. He felt linked to the man he'd made love to the night before. He knew Gan felt disoriented and disgraced, but Sa planned to give him all his strength, even if they were apart, for he'd never forget his first and possibly only love.
"Someday," Sa whispered, "come back to me, my dragon of the night, my yang, my…"
~~
"Fulfillment!" Sam shouted uncontrollably. For a second, she had no idea where she was, but then she remembered and felt like a moron. Everyone stared at her, including Jon.
"Sam?" he asked, concern showing on his handsome face. "Are you alright?"
Totally embarrassed, she nodded. She couldn't remember her dream exactly, but she knew it was that damned recurring one with the priest. But this time, it was far from sexy. It was… sad. She had a strange emptiness in her stomach, a yearning she couldn't put her finger on. Was she hungry? No. After that huge breakfast, that wasn't possible.
Shaking her head, she said, "I'm fine. Just… another stupid dream." Looking around, she added. "Are we there yet?"
"Almost," Jon said with a smile.
Geez, she thought. Is he ever not gorgeous?
After about twenty more minutes, they finally arrived at the parking and drop off area. Sam couldn't help but gawk. So many people.
She wasn't usually afraid of crowds, but this was unreal. She'd been warned not to go on a weekend, but she figured it wouldn't be so bad. It was after Spring Break, but before Summer. Yet, as they each stumbled out of the SUV, they soon joined the masses lining up to take the long walk on the “Great Wall.”
Sam looked at Jon and gave a nervous smile. "Crazy, huh?"
"It's not so bad. I went here when I was a kid with my grandparents, but it was foggy, and you couldn't see a thing. I think it'll be glorious this time… with you." He gave her a wink, and she resisted the urge to melt.
Following the line of people, they turned to the right, and Sam saw the stairs in the near distance. She really was here; she couldn't believe it.
"Sam!" Jon said, suddenly grabbing her hand. "Let's go this way instead. Less people." He wore an impish smile, which made her giggle. What was happening to her? She hadn't giggled in years.
Jon headed up the stairs to the other side on the left, and she followed, hoping they weren't going the wrong way.
"Hardly anyone is here," she said. "Are you sure this is the right way?"
"There is no right way," he replied with a grin. "Come on!"
"You rogue," she nearly shouted, trying to keep up with him on the stairs upward.
On and on, step after step, they climbed. Sam wished she'd trained for this. She was totally out of shape, and it was a massive burn on her legs.
"Slower, Jon… please," she said, panting.
He turned around, then picked her up in his arms.
"What the hell?" she squealed, half mortified, half elated. She hadn't been picked up since her grandfather used to do it when
she was little.
"No excuse now, Sleeping Beauty."
Bounding up the stairs, as if it were nothing, Jon carried her without a grunt or whimper.
My god, she thought. He must really be in shape.
After a minute or so, he cringed, showing signs of exhaustion, and gently placed her on her feet. Then, they walked in awe-stuck silence for a few more minutes. "Look at this, Sam. Isn't it spectacular?"
She took a good look around and saw nothing but blue sky, seemingly endless green trees, and god-like mountains in the distance. The cool wind blew against her face, sweeping her pony tail to the side, and it felt to Sam like a cleansing of some sort, almost like a baptism of crisp, spring air. As a bonus, not a soul seemed anywhere near where they stood on the wall. It was as if they had traveled to their own little world.
"I've never seen anything like this," she muttered while getting her camera ready on her phone. After taking a few pictures, she added, "It's so… epic… and yet, ironic."
"Ironic?" he asked after taking a few of his own pictures. "What do you mean?"
Sighing, Sam lowered her phone and took in the incredibly endless view. "Well, if you think about it… there's all this gorgeous, natural freedom around us. The trees. The lakes in the distance. The beautiful, blue sky. It's all so breathtaking and feels like a painting, like you could just jump into it and escape the confines of real life."
Jon nodded, seeming to agree. He walked and stood next to her at the wall. "Yeah, definitely. But how is that ironic?"
"Because," she said, turning to look at him, "someone had to really be afraid of the world around them to build this thing. He was probably the king, right?"
"Qin Shi Huang, although later dynasties added to it, yeah."
"Okay… and all those kings, they probably had so much wealth, yet felt so scared they'd lose it that they needed to build this huge, never-ending wall, just to protect themselves. Against the backdrop of such wild and free nature, it's just… ironic and bizarre."
Jon smiled, looking at her in astonishment, as if she were the bizarre one.
"You know what, Sam?"
"What?"
"I think you're amazing."
She blushed. "No, I'm not. I'm just… observant. I'm a writer. I can't help it."
"You're a writer?"
"Yep."
Jon grinned, and his blue eyes twinkled in the morning sun. Sam felt lightheaded. She couldn't tell if it was from the high altitude or Jon's beauty.
"How do you…" she mumbled while looking up at him, caught in a daze.
"How do I what?"
"How… I mean, how come you have such blue eyes? That must be rare for, you know, Asians."
"Ah, well, my grandmother is English. I also have Welsh and Scottish in my blood. So… blue eyes can happen, I suppose. Is that… okay?"
She smiled and said, "It's awesome."
"Sam?"
"Yeah?"
"Do you want to have lunch or dinner with me today? Perhaps spend the day together? I want to get to know you. Maybe we can figure out why we're having similar dreams. And even if we can't, I would still love to spend time with you. I feel like…" He gulped and took a breath. "I feel like I can be myself with you. It's as if we know each other somehow. I know that's crazy since we've only just met, but... I like what I know so far. So… will you go out with me?"
Sam smiled wide. "I'd love to, Jon. But only on one condition."
He laughed, then said, "Oh, okay. What condition is that?"
"Please, carry me back down. My feet are killing me!"
Jon gave a hearty laugh, then swept her up in his arms. "Your wish is my command, Sleeping Beauty."
Laughing, they slowly made their way down the wall, retracing their steps, yet forging ahead to a path unknown.
Chapter 11: Succumbing
“ Is that not the best Peking Duck you've ever had?” asked Jon, grinning across their table in the restaurant.
Sam had her mouth full of succulent duck, with thin cucumber and carrot slices, wrapped in a fine, soft pancake. The meat was juicy, and the sauce was sweet, though slightly spicy. It was heaven, and all she could do was smile and nod.
It had been a full day of walking and gawking at the sights, with Jon telling her random facts about Chinese history and Beijing culture. After the Great Wall, their small tour group stopped at The Forbidden City, which amazed Sam to no end. The opulence of the building structures and the idea of a time when monarchs ruled overwhelmed her mind, making her feel a little drunk.
After all that walking, her feet killed, but her heart felt full. The feeling was foreign to Sam, but intoxicating nonetheless.
Now, here she was, having a scrumptious dinner with a man she never thought she'd meet, a man she kept dreaming about for some unknown reason.
"Everything feels like a dream," she said in a daze, almost forgetting Jon was there.
He smiled and said, "I know what you mean." He took a sip of plum wine, then added, "Speaking of dreams… shouldn't we be talking about ours? Sam… isn't it strange how similar our dreams have been? It must mean something; don't you think?"
She shook her head, coming out of the daze. "Mean something? What, like destiny or some weird nonsense like that?"
Jon smirked. "Do you really think the concept of destiny is nonsense?"
Sam shrugged and took another bite of her amazing duck dinner. "I'm not sure. I just… don't like the idea of fate. I want to think I'm at least a little in control of my own life, you know? Not that my life has been awesome so far. It's actually kind of sucked, to be honest."
Jon gave a small chuckle, then nodded. "Well, it can only get better from here." He lifted his glass of wine. "Here's to the future. May our fate be better than the past."
"Amen!" Sam said, clinking her glass against his. After a couple of sips, she looked into his twinkling blue eyes and felt a tugging down below. God, why do his eyes get to me like this? Down, body, down!
After a few moments of simply eating, Jon broke the silence. "Sam? Do you… When you have your dreams about that temple, do you see and feel it like it's really happening to you, like you are really there?"
She sighed. "Yeah… I do."
Jon nodded, his arched brow tightening. "I think… it might be a past life of ours. But I'm not sure why we're both having these intense dreams, these… memories. And why at the same time like this? What for?"
Sam looked at him and slightly cocked her head. "Wait. Are you saying I was that weird priest in a past life? That's… crazy."
"Why is it crazy?"
"Because… it's just..."
"And he wasn't weird. He was gorgeous."
Sam was about to say something, but his last statement blocked her thoughts. Somehow, a part of her was happy from the compliment. Wait, her logical mind snapped back. He's attracted to the priest, not me. Or does he like me too?
"Okay, hold on," she said after taking a sip of ice water. "Let me get this straight. You think you were the wounded guy, the warrior…"
"Gan. I think my name was Li Gan."
Sam couldn't believe it. He knew his name, and it was exactly what she remembered as well.
"Oh my god, yes, that's what I heard too."
"And your name was… similar to yours now, oddly enough."
"Sa…" she replied. "Weird, huh?"
"I have to admit," he said with a smile, "I am aroused by his name alone."
Sam felt a wave of warmth pass through his eyes, then directly into her stomach, reaching further below. Tingling and wet, Sam didn't know what to do. Her practical side wanted to take things slow until they figured all this out, but her growing hunger had other ideas. All her body wanted to do was jump his bones and ride him until the morning. Tired or not, it's what her lust now commanded.
As if reading her mind, he said, "Do you want to get the rest to go and head back to the hotel?"
Sam nodded, just trying to keep her desire in check. Jon had secured a private table f
or them in the back of the dimly lit restaurant. It was cozy and comfortable, but she still felt self-conscious and extremely nervous. He was a star in China, and she was a nobody. What if someone saw them together? Could she handle being the object of tabloids? What the hell am I doing? She asked herself.
After paying the check, Jon helped her out of her chair. The perfect gentleman, she thought as he took her hand, leading her to the lobby.