Next, I made Ren a giant Dagwood sandwich—and slipped a love note on top. Two can play the poetry game, I thought smugly.
The soul that can speak through the eyes can also kiss with a gaze.
—Gustavo Adolfo Becquer
When he came over to pick me up for class, he looked me up and down, and said, “You look beautiful, Kells, but it’s not going to work. I’m on to you.”
He helped me into my coat, and I replied innocently, “I don’t know what you’re talking about. What’s not going to work?”
“You’re trying to get me to kiss you.”
I smiled up at him and said demurely, “A girl shouldn’t give away all her secrets now, should she?”
He leaned in close, pressed his lips to my ear, and whispered in a velvety voice, “Fine, Kells. Keep your secrets. But, I’m watching you. Whatever it is you think you’re trying to do isn’t going to work. I still have a few tricks up my sleeve too.”
Ren left me alone all afternoon. I tucked another note in his gym bag as he was getting out of the car before wushu.
Soul meets soul on lovers’ lips.
—Percy Bysshe Shelley
I was sitting on the floor stretching when I saw him pull the note out of his bag. He read it through a couple of times and then looked up and caught my look. I met his hot gaze with an innocent grin and waved happily to Jennifer as she crossed the room.
Back at home inside our garage, Ren opened the door for me. Instead of helping me out, he leaned over and growled softly. His lips brushed against the sensitive skin under my ear. His voice was seductive, dangerous.
“I’m warning you, Kelsey. I’m an extremely patient man. I’ve had extensive practice in waiting out the enemy. My life as a tiger has taught me that persistence and diligence always pay off. Consider yourself forewarned, priyatama. I’m on the hunt. I’ve caught your scent, and I won’t be thwarted in my course.”
He stepped away and extended a hand to help me out. I ignored it and walked to my door with a stiff back and wobbly legs. I heard his soft laugh on the breeze as he disappeared into his own part of the house.
He was driving me crazy. I was tempted to break down the door and throw myself at him, but I refused to give in. I was going to entice him this time. He would be the one begging for mercy, not me.
Soon, I discovered that the battle of wills between Ren and me had pushed Li to the furthest corner of my mind. Every time I was with Li, my mind drifted far away, planning ways to seduce Ren. It was so obvious that even Li noticed.
“Earth to Kelsey. Are you going to acknowledge my existence now?” Li asked tensely one evening during one of his favorite martial arts movies.
“What do you mean?”
“Kelsey, you’ve just been going through the motions for the last week. You haven’t been here at all.”
“Well . . . I’m back in school now, and homework is distracting.”
“It’s not your homework, Kelsey. It’s him.”
In an instant, I felt remorse. Li had done nothing wrong, and the least I could do was to pay attention to him. “I’m sorry, Li. I didn’t realize that I’d been ignoring you. You’re absolutely right. I’m here with you now, 100 percent. Tell me again why this martial arts movie is a classic.”
Li studied my face for a minute and then began explaining about Snake in the Eagle’s Shadow, Jackie Chan’s debut movie. I really was interested, and he seemed appeased by that.
The rest of the evening went smoothly, but I felt guilty about Li. I wasn’t giving him the attention he deserved. What was worse was that I wished Ren had been watching the movie with us.
When I got home late that night from my date, I taped a note onto Ren’s side of our connecting door.
Once he drew
With one long kiss my whole soul thro’
My lips, as sunlight drinketh dew.
—Alfred Lord Tennyson
Ren hadn’t kissed me in three weeks, and I thought I was weakening more than he was. I’d tried everything I could think of and still hadn’t gotten so much as a nibble on my baited lip. I had nothing to show for my weeks of effort. I now owned an entire collection of lipsticks and glosses and had tried every single one of them to no effect.