Ean’s Rare Gift – Chapter 5

Ean

I thought I would spend the evening at home, alone, drinking whisky and unpacking boxes. Plans change in an instant around here.

“After you,” I say, opening the door to the Great Menagerie Book Club for Karina.

“Thanks.” She leans in as she walks through the door, looking left and right. She’s never been here, but I have with my younger sister, Winta. She loves animals and spends a lot of time learning about the microchip technology that helps us pair with native animals on this planet. I’ve brought her here for coffee and animal time occasionally. For her, getting the chip was the most momentous occasion of her childhood. She’s been giddy about finding a pair ever since.

Most of us get the chip in our early teens, and there are only a few exclusions to being able to receive it. I got mine when I was thirteen, and I know Karina got hers when she was fifteen. She’s never paired with an animal like I have. Sigh. I miss Suzie.

“This place is cute,” Karina says with an approving nod.

The Great Menagerie Book Club is in what used to be a silk dyeing studio. Bookcases surround every inch of the walls. They stretch into multiple stories of rooms filled with books on hundreds of subjects. This club has one of the most extensive independent libraries in the city. Soft pet beds and crates on various rugs are scattered throughout the open area, with cats, dogs, and other animals lounging around. Four-top tables take up most of the center space, but each corner also has sofas and cushy chairs surrounded by plants and more bookshelves.

A young man approaches and greets us before we reach the sign-in table for the club. His voice is warm and familiar, like someone I might have known decades ago.

“Have you been here before?” he asks, clasping his hands in front of him.

“I have, but Karina hasn’t,” I say, offering the information readily. Karina’s attention is on the vast bookcases, anyway.

“Oh yes. I recognize you. You’re Ean Kimura, right?” I nod and try not to make a big deal out of being noticed. “Thank you for coming back,” he says, bowing. “And for bringing a friend. I’m Michael. If you could sign in and then take the brief survey, I can have someone on my staff set up a table for you.”

“Any chance we can snag that couch area in the corner?” I point to a cozy space with a sofa, armchair, and coffee table in the far corner. It’s a spot I know well.

“Sure. I’m happy to reserve that for you.” At the desk, Michael gently lays his hand on the head of a black cat sitting next to a pile of tablets. “Ozzy, say hello to our new friends.” The cat looks up at us and meows. “He’s delighted you’re here,” he says to us. “Now, go and ask a few friends to come out and play.” Ozzy jumps off the desk and trots off to the back of the space. “We’ll get to know your animal preferences from your surveys, but since you’ve been here before, Mr. Kimura, I’ll just pull up your profile now.”

“Ean is fine, thanks.”

Michael checks his records on the tablet. “Ah, you paired with a cat before. I see.” He regards me for a long moment. “You strike me as a bird man, though. Have you spent much time around birds?”

This makes me laugh. “A bird man? And no, I haven’t.”

He smiles. “Sorry for the familiarity, but I have a nose for these things.” He hands a tablet to Karina. “Please feel free to head back to that spot. Be sure to ask your server for today’s drink or wine choices.”

As we cross the room, I remember the last time I was here with Winta. She always insists I bring her here, even though she’s here often enough on her own. You can borrow any book you like from this place. They have a library checkout system that makes it easy to come and go. Pretty clever if you’re running a business from here. Winta is absolutely obsessed with old Earth romance novels, so she comes here to check out a book at least once per week and see if any new animals are available to play with.

The bird comment bothers me a little. Not everyone is lucky enough to find their pair in life, and people rarely pair with more than one kind of animal. I paired with a cat and then lost her. It’s presumptuous to think I could pair with something other than a cat. I’m not special in any way.

When we reach the sofa, Karina kicks off her shoes and drops her bag on the armchair before perusing the books surrounding us. I don’t even need to look at them.

“This is Winta’s favorite area.”

“Oooooh, romance books!” Karina’s eyes light up as she pulls a book from the shelf. I hold back a sigh and try not to roll my eyes at the guy with the hard body and defined abs on the cover. Over the last few years, I have seen enough of them to almost be immune to them. “I loooooove romance books. I am Italian, after all. Well, about eighty percent Italian. Still, it’s more than enough.”

She flips the book over and reads the back, her top lip pulled in and her eyes following the text. I slip off my shoes and sit on one end of the couch, sliding into the corner and tucking a leg under me. I’m not sure if I’m here on a date, but I never feel awkward around Karina. She may suspect something if I don’t stay loose and relaxed.

“Your family is from Ku 4 in Nishikyō, right?” Ku 4 in Nishikyō back on Earth was the International Ward, well known for the abundance of cultures from different nations.

She looks up from the book. “Yeah, Little Italy. They owned several restaurants and pasticciera there. Oh, I don’t think I’ve ever told you that the empress used to eat at my great-grandfather’s restaurant.” She laughs as she opens the book. “A place called Bella Napoli.” She sighs. “Everyone said he made the most amazing ravioli.”

A cat appears from under the coffee table, her silky gray body reminding me of Tilli’s pair, Ivan. She meows at me and jumps up onto my lap. I tentatively rest my hand on her to ensure I won’t be clawed. She leans into my touch, so I pet her.

Instead of sitting on the opposite end of the couch, Karina scoots into the spot right next to me and rests her hand on my leg. The cat moves to my chest so she can look at my face. My body tenses, not used to being touched by Karina at all. Not that I haven’t dreamed of her touching me, me touching her, peeling back the collar of her shirt, and kissing along her shoulder. The urge to squirm and calm my libido is strong, but I know if I move, the spell will be broken. I hold very still.

She bends over me to scratch the cat’s head. “What a sweetie. Hello, you,” she croons at the cat. The cat purrs as she leans into our fingers. “I wonder what kind of success rate pairing clubs have. Do you think people often find their pairs at places like this?”

My chest is tight with lust. If I open my mouth now, I’m not sure anything will come out.

Pull yourself together, Ean.

I clear my throat. “Let’s ask. I see our server approaching.”

Saved by a stranger.

The server, a woman I’ve seen here before, approaches us with a smile. “Good evening, you two.” She takes one look at us and tilts her head to the side. “Don’t you make the cutest couple?”

I hasten to deny it. “No, we’re —”

“Thank you,” Karina says, stopping me. “That’s sweet.” She smiles at me, and my heart beats faster. “We were just wondering how many people find their pairs through a pairing club like this?”

“Oh, hmmm.” She cocks her hip back and settles into the conversation. But I’m barely paying attention because Karina’s hand is on my leg, and she didn’t deny we’re a couple.

What is happening?

“Believe it or not, we pair someone around here at least once a week. It used to be a lot less frequent, but things have changed. I heard from a friend who works for geneticists in Owari that the genetic changes made to native animals are becoming more prevalent, and the newer chips introduced in the last fifteen years are better able to translate. If you don’t mind my asking, how old are you?”

Karina laughs. “Thirty-two. I think my chip is an earlier model.”

She frowns. “That may be so. A lot of them can be updated, though. I would ask your doctor.” She pulls a mini-tab from her back pocket. “Anyway, you just never know when you’ll click! So keep coming back and trying. We’re getting a litter of pugs next week, and they are the cutest things ever. Definitely come check them out.”

Karina melts. “I love pugs. They are such great dogs.”

“They are,” the server agrees. “Can I get you guys something to drink? Our house red wine is pretty choice.”

“Sure. I love red wine.” Karina looks at me. “Two?”

“Absolutely.” I like where this is going. After fending off Diana during the neighborhood meeting, I was feeling despondent about dating again. Maybe things have changed. Karina’s hand tightens on my leg as she moves to tuck a leg up next to her.

Things have definitely changed.

Maybe Myra was right. Was she right?

“Oh!” The server brightens after entering our order. “Look who’s come to say hi.”

She points to the bookcase and the sugar glider, watching us from the top.

Oh boy. My mother had a sugar glider, and she was a temperamental little thing. She would always get into trouble, knocking things over and breaking them or attacking people when they walked into the house. My body tenses with worry, but Karina’s eyes are bright with glee.

“What’s that?” she asks, her voice breathy and light.

I put my hand on her shoulder. “A sugar glider. They fly so —”

I want to warn her to pull back her hair before the sugar glider takes flight, but before I can blink, the creature is down on Karina’s shoulder. Too late.

“Oooh!” she says, her hands flying up.

“Don’t panic.” I splay my palms out and stop her as the sugar glider thrashes in along the back of her neck. “She just landed awkwardly and can’t get out. Let me help.”

It seems wrong to be this close to Karina when I’ve always kept my distance, but I need to get this tiny creature out of her hair before things go south. And that can happen really fast.

I jump up from the couch and approach Karina from the other side, placing my hand on her cheek and moving it to the side. The sugar glider squeaks and thrashes, and Karina cringes. I reach into her hair and ease the sugar glider out, extracting her claws from Karina’s curls.

“There we go.” I hold the sugar glider gently in my hands and lift her up so she can see us both. “No worries. She just got a bit off track.” The little thing squeaks at me, so I run a finger down her head along her back as I sit next to Karina.

Karina lets out a long breath. “Thanks. I was worried I would hurt her.”

I freeze as she wraps her arms around my chest and rests her head on my shoulder. For a moment, I’m not sure what to do. She’s never this affectionate with me. I love it, but I don’t trust it. I must be imagining this whole night, right? This is a dream I will wake up from any minute now.

We both stare at the sugar glider.

“Is she speaking to you?” Karina whispers.

“No,” I reply. “No such luck.” I glance over at her to ensure she’s okay, and she seems to snap out of whatever mood she is in. Her arms pull away and leave me cold.

“Sorry. I… I didn’t mean to be so forward with you.”

Her face falls into a frown, and panic rips through me. It wasn’t my imagination, and this isn’t a dream. Things were going so well, and I’m fucking it up by being so rigid. I need to fix this quickly.

“You’re not.” I catch her hand before she draws it away. “Please,” I beg her. “Don’t pull away. I don’t want that.”

“What?” Her voice is so shocked that my chest aches. Oh, I’m so confused. I’m not sure how to read this situation.

I set the sugar glider on my knee. She looks up at me and chitters. I smile at her and keep my eyes on her, afraid to look Karina in the eye. Maybe I just need to be honest.

“I’ve had a crush on you for years, but I never wanted to act on it because of your situation.” I sigh and finally make eye contact with her. Her eyes shine with unshed tears. “And if I’ve just ruined our friendship by saying that, I deeply apologize.” I run my thumb over the tops of her knuckles. “I’ve been struggling with this for a long time, but a lot more in recent days.” I set her hand down on her thigh. “I’m sorry.”

Regret sits in my belly like a boulder. One innocent evening with her, and I can’t control myself. I touched her when I shouldn’t have. I pushed her boundaries in an unacceptable way. I have ruined our friendship.

I move the sugar glider to the arm of the couch. “I am a total asshole,” I mutter, standing up.

It’s time to go before this blows up in my face. If I pay for the drinks and club fee on my way out the door, I’ll at least feel like I didn’t leave her hanging. Living in our neighborhood together will be awkward, but maybe things will get better with time. She’ll forget about me, and we’ll both move on.

It’s the best situation I could ask for now.

“Good night.” I bow and turn to head for the door.