Tiger's Quest

by Colleen Houck

  “Dating you would be . . . hard.”

  “Why is it easier to date other men than me? And don’t give me the radish explanation again. It’s ridiculous.”

  “Because,” I continued quietly, “if it didn’t work out, I could survive without those other men.”

  Kissing my fingers, Ren looked intently into my eyes and said, “Iadala, you will never lose me. I’ll always be near you. Give me a chance, Kells. Please.”

  I sighed and looked at his beautiful face. “Okay. We’ll try it.”

  “Thank you.” He leaned back against the sofa very pleased with himself. “Just treat me like all the other guys.”

  Right. No problem there. Just treat the most perfect and beautiful man on Earth, who happens to be an ancient prince of India that was cursed to be a tiger, like he’s just a regular, average guy. No girl in her right mind could look at him—even without knowing everything I know—and think he was average.

  He leaned over to peck me on the cheek. “Goodnight, rajkumari. I’ll call you tomorrow.”

  The next morning, the phone rang way too early. It was Ren, asking me out to dinner, our first official date.

  I yawned sleepily. “Where do you want to eat?”

  “I have no idea. What do you suggest?”

  “Usually, the guy has a place in mind before he calls, but I’ll cut you a break this time since you’re new to dating and all. I know where we should go. Dress casual and pick me up at five thirty. But you can come over and visit earlier if you like.”

  “I’ll see you at five thirty, Kells.”

  I puttered around the house most of the day watching our connecting door, but Ren stayed stubbornly on his side. I even made chocolate chip cookies, hoping the smell would entice him over early, but it didn’t work.

  At exactly five thirty, he knocked on my front door. When I opened it, he handed me a pink rose and offered me his arm. He was dressed ridiculously well, especially for a casual date, wearing a dark gray long-sleeved striped shirt with a designer down jacket vest.

  Outside, Ren opened the Hummer door. Warm air blew out of the car’s heating vents, as he slid his hands around my waist and lifted me up into my seat. He made sure I was buckled in properly and asked, “Where to?”

  “I’m introducing you to the pride of the Northwest. I’m taking you to Burgerville.”

  On the way, Ren told me about all the things he’d been learning in the last few months, including driving. He shared a funny story about Kishan accidentally crashing the Jeep into the water fountain—after which Mr. Kadam wouldn’t let Kishan near the Rolls.

  “Kadam has been tutoring me in every subject imaginable,” Ren continued. “I’ve been studying modern politics, world history, finance, and business. Apparently, living for centuries, plus Kadam’s wise investments, has paid off. We are quite wealthy.”

  “How wealthy?”

  “Wealthy enough to run our own country.”

  My mouth fell open.

  Ren went on nonchalantly, “Kadam has established contacts all over the world. They are quite valuable resources, and you would be surprised by how many important people owe him favors.”

  “Important people? Like who?”

  “Generals, CEOs, politicians from every major country in the world, royalty, and even religious leaders. He is very well connected. Even if I were a man all day and spent every waking hour with him, I couldn’t come close to amassing the amount of knowledge he’s gained over the years. He was already a brilliant adviser to my father, but now he’s nothing short of a genius. There is no reward on Earth that could possibly compensate him for the loyalty he’s shown to us. I only wish there was a way to express our thanks aptly.”

  Once in the parking lot of the restaurant, Ren offered me his arm. I took it and said, “Being immortal has its price. Mr. Kadam seems very lonely, and that’s something the three of you share. You’re drawn together as a family. No one can understand what you’ve been through more than Kishan and Mr. Kadam. I think the best thing you can do to repay him is to give him that level of loyalty in return. He considers you and Kishan sons and the best way a son can honor his father is to be the kind of man that would make him proud.”

  Ren stopped, smiled, and leaned over to kiss my cheek. “You are a very wise woman, rajkumari. That is excellent advice.”

  When we reached the front of the line at Burgerville, Ren let me order first and then asked for seven huge sandwiches, three orders of fries, a large soda, and one large blackberry milkshake. When the lady asked if it was to go, he shook his head, confused, and told her we’d be dining in. I laughed and told the lady he was very hungry.

  At the soda fountain, Ren tasted several flavors and ended up going with root beer. Watching him discover new tastes and new foods was hugely entertaining.

  Over dinner, we talked about school and my unfinished research project for Mr. Kadam on air, winged creatures, and the test of the four houses. I also filled him in on Jason and my horrid date with Artie. Ren frowned and couldn’t understand why anyone would willingly date Artie.

  “He kind of tricks girls into dating him, like me,” I explained. “He’s just super judgmental and self-involved.”

  “Hmm.” Ren unwrapped his last sandwich and stared at it, considering.

  I laughed. “Are you full, Tiger? It would be a shame to skip your blackberry milkshake. They are the best in the country.”

  He retrieved another straw and popped it in the top of the shake. “Here, share it with me.”

  I took a sip, and Ren leaned over and sucked down about a third of it in one big slurp. Then he grinned.

  “And you said you’d never share a milkshake with me again.”

  I teased him with mock dismay, “Oh, no! You’re right! Well, this one doesn’t count. I was talking to your better tiger half. So my promise is still valid.”

  “No, you definitely reneged on your promise. And my tiger half is definitely not my better half. That just gives me more incentive to prove you wrong.”

  After dinner, we drove to a nearby park and decided to take a walk. Ren grabbed a blanket from the trunk.

  “Am I allowed to hold your hand on a first date?” Ren asked.

  “You always hold my hand.”

  “But not on a date.”

  I rolled my eyes at him but held out my hand. We strolled in the park for a while, and he asked me lots of questions about America and its history and culture. He was easy to talk to. Everything was new and fascinating for him.

  We stopped at a pond. Ren sat down, pulled me back against his chest, and wrapped his arms around me.

  “Just trying to keep you warm,” he said defensively when I shot him a knowing look.

  I sniggered. “That’s the oldest trick in the book.”

  Ren laughed and brushed his lips against my ear. “What are some other tricks I should try out on you?”

  “Somehow, I think you’ll figure them out all by yourself.”

  Despite my teasing, being close to him did keep me warm, and we talked and watched the moonlit water for hours.

  Ren wanted to know about everything I’d done since I’d left India. He wanted to see Silver Falls, go to the Shakespeare Festival, go out to movies, and try every restaurant in town.

  After he’d finished grilling me about things to do and places to go in Oregon, the conversation changed.

  He squeezed me tighter and said, “I missed you.”

  “I missed you too.”

  “Nothing was the same when you left. The spark of life was gone from the house. Everyone felt it. I wasn’t the only one who felt your absence. Even Kadam was subdued. Kishan kept saying that there was nothing the modern world had to offer him and often threatened to leave. But, I caught him on more than one occasion eavesdropping on your phone calls too.”

  “I didn’t mean to make your lives more difficult. I’d hoped to make things easier. Make your acclimation back into the world a little less complicated.”

  �
��You don’t complicate my life. You simplify it. When you’re near, I know exactly where I should be—by your side. When you were gone, I just ran around in confused circles. My life was unbalanced. Out of focus.”

  “So I’m your Ritalin, huh?”

  “What’s that?”

  “It’s a medicine that helps people concentrate better.”

  “That sounds about right.” He stood, scooped me up in his arms, and said, “Don’t forget, I need frequent doses.”

  I laughed and pecked him on the cheek. Ren set me on my feet, folded the blanket, and we walked back to the Hummer with his arm around my shoulders.

  I felt good. For the first time in months I felt whole and happy.

  When he walked me to my door, he said, “Shubharatri, Kells.”

  “What does that mean?”

  He flashed me a brilliant, weak-in-the-knees kind of smile and pressed a lingering kiss on the palm of my hand. “It means ‘goodnight.’”

  Confused and slightly frustrated, I went to bed.

  Confused and slightly frustrated was the standard theme while dating Ren. I wanted him to be around much more often, but he was determined to go through what he called customary dating practices. This meant leaving me to my own devices unless we had a planned date. He wouldn’t even let me see him as a tiger.

  Every day, he’d call to see if I was available. Then, he’d ask me out to a movie, to dinner, to go get hot chocolate, or to check out a bookstore. When he determined the date to be over, he left. He completely disappeared, and I didn’t catch a glimpse of his striped self the rest of the day. He also refused to kiss me saying he had a lot of catching up to do. Even though he was on the other side of the wall, I missed my tiger.

  We started reading Othello together. Until Othello was deceived by Iago, Ren really liked his character.

  “Othello destroyed his and Desdemona’s love, just like Romeo did. It had nothing to do with Iago,” Ren commented thoughtfully. “Othello didn’t trust his wife. If he had only asked her what had happened to his handkerchief or how she felt about Cassio, he would have learned the truth.”

  “Othello and Desdemona hadn’t known each other very long,” I countered. “Maybe they weren’t really in love in the first place. Maybe their only real bond was through his storytelling and exciting adventures. Not unlike you, I might add.”

  Ren was lying with his head on my lap. He played with my fingers thoughtfully for a minute and asked hesitantly, “Is that why you’re with me, Kelsey? For the adventure? Are you bored sitting here reading with me when we could be hiking in India searching for magical objects and fighting demons?”

  I considered that for a moment. “No. I just like being with you, even if all we do is eat popcorn and read.”

  He grunted and kissed my fingers. “Good.”

  I started reading again, but he jumped up and dragged me into the kitchen with a sudden urge to learn how to make microwave popcorn.

  One afternoon I was desperate enough to see my tiger that I decided to seek him out without having an official date planned. I knocked on our connecting door and stepped into Ren’s living room when there was no reply. A few unopened packages were stacked on his counter but other than that the house had an empty feeling. I made my way upstairs.

  “Ren?” I called, but there was still no answer.

  Where could he be? I thought and stuck my head into Ren’s office. His laptop was on and the screen had three open windows.

  Settling in his comfortable leather office chair, I realized the first web page was a very expensive designer clothing store and the second was a link to courtship rituals through the ages.

  The third window was an email chain from Mr. Kadam. I felt a bit guilty reading Ren’s messages, but they were so short that before I knew it I’d already read the entire thing.

  From: masteratarms@rajaramcorp.com

  To: whttgr@rajaramcorp.com

  Subject: Documents

  Ren,

  The issue of the documents is resolved.

  Kadam

  From: masteratarms@rajaramcorp.com

  To: whttgr@rajaramcorp.com

  Subject: Relocation

  Ren,

  Per your request, I’ve attached a file in case of emergency.

  Kadam

  Documents? Relocation? What are they up to? I maneuvered the mouse cursor over the attachment. With my finger on the button, I hesitated, debating how far I was willing to let curiosity take me, when a voice made me jump.

  “It’s appropriate to ask for permission before snooping into personal documents, don’t you think?” Ren asked casually.

  I minimized the window and stood up abruptly. He filled the office doorway, leaning against it on one shoulder while his arms were crossed over his chest.

  “I . . . I was looking for you and got sidetracked,” I mumbled.

  “I see.” He softly closed his laptop and propped his hip against the desk, considering me. “I’d say you found more than you were looking for.”

  I stared at my shoelaces for a few seconds but quickly found a spark of annoyance to assuage the guilt and lifted my head. “Have you been hiding things from me?”

  “No.”

  “Well is there something important going on here that you’re not telling me?”

  “No,” he repeated.

  “Promise me,” I said quietly, “promise me with a royal oath.”

  He took my hands in his, looked me in the eyes, and said, “As the prince of the Mujulaain Empire, I promise you that there is nothing to worry about here. If you are concerned, ask Kadam.” He leaned his head a little bit closer. “But what I really want is your trust. I won’t abuse it, Kelsey.”

  “You’d better not,” I emphasized by poking him in the chest.

  He brought my fingers to his lips, distracting me enough that the subject became suddenly very unimportant.

  “I won’t,” he vowed softly and guided me back home.

  The romantic daze dissipated soon after he left, and I found myself angry at the ease with which he bent me to his will with just a casual touch.

  On the Monday after Christmas, wushu classes started again, and I had absolutely no idea what I was going to say to Li. Ren agreed to bow out this time so I could talk to Li first. I couldn’t concentrate through the whole session and made a halfhearted effort in learning the hand forms. I couldn’t keep the names straight. The only ones I could remember were eagle’s claw and monkey.

  After class, it was time to face the music. What am I going to say? He’s going to hate me.

  “Li, I was hoping we could talk.”

  “Sure.” He grinned.

  He was happy and carefree, and I was the complete opposite. I felt so nervous that I had to sit on my hands to stop them from shaking.

  Li stretched out his long legs on the mat and propped himself up against the wall next to me.

  Taking a long drink of water, he wiped his mouth and asked, “So what’s up, Kelsey?”

  “Umm . . . I’m not really sure how to say this, so I guess I’ll just spit it out. Ren is back.”

  “Oh. I wondered when he’d show up. I figured he wouldn’t stay away from you forever. So, you’re breaking up with me then,” he said matter-of-factly.

  “Well, no, not exactly. See, Ren would like me to keep dating you, but he wants to date me too.”

  “What? What kind of a guy would . . . wait . . . so you’re not breaking up with me?”

  I hurried to explain, “No. But I’d understand if you didn’t want to see me anymore. He feels that I should date both of you and then choose.”

  “Well, how . . . sporting of him. And what do you think about that?”

  I put my hand on his arm. “I agreed to give it a try, but I told him that dating two guys at the same time isn’t the way things usually go and that you’d never agree to it.”

  “What did he say then?”

  I sighed. “He said that if you couldn’t handle a little honest compe
tition then it’s better for me to know now.”

  Li’s hands closed into fists. “If he thinks I’ll just give up and walk away then he’s wrong! Honest competition it is.”

  “Are you joking? You’re pulling my leg, aren’t you?”

  “My grandfather taught me to set goals and then fight for what I want and there’s no way I’m letting you go without a fight. A young man who doesn’t have the foresight to seek out the girl he wants to be with and actively pursue her, doesn’t deserve her.”

  I blinked. Li and Ren were cut from the same cloth, even though they were centuries apart.

  He continued, “So is he here in town?”

  “Not exactly,” I sighed, “he’s my new neighbor.”

  “Right. He already has a proximity advantage then.”

  I mumbled wryly, “Sounds like you guys are planning to storm the castle.”

  He either ignored my comment or didn’t hear it. He pulled me up distractedly and walked me to my car.

  As Li leaned in my open door, I added, “Oh, and he also wants to come to a wushu class.”

  Li rubbed his hands together and laughed. “Excellent! We’ll see exactly what the man’s made of then. Bring him tomorrow! Tell him as a special courtesy, I’ll even waive the class fee.”

  “But, Li, he’s not at my level.”

  “Even better! The beginner needs to learn a thing or two!”

  “No. You misunderstood. He’s—”

  Li kissed me hard on the lips, which effectively shut me up. He grinned and closed the door before I could finish my reply. Waving, he disappeared into the darkness of the studio.

  The next day, I found a carefully written note taped to the orange juice inside the refrigerator.

  Of all forms of caution, caution in love is

  perhaps the most fatal to true happiness.

  —Bertrand Russell

  I sighed, peeled it off the bottle of orange juice, and pressed it into my journal. I called Ren, since he didn’t seem to want to see me other than planned dates, and told him that he was invited to the wushu class. Then I told him flat out what I thought about that idea. He shrugged off my reaction and declared that Li would be an excellent rival and that he was looking forward to meeting him.