The Kumiho, the Fox Bead, and the Garlic Teriyaki Tempeh with Broccoli

*Some sensitive themes: violence, sexual overtones, alcohol use*

Layers and highlights and lots of cleavage. The girl would probably have described her expression as “pouty” or “playful,” but to him it suggested lightly bearing down for a bowel movement. Ryan Huntsman swiped left. It’s definitely not her, he thought. He swiped left again. He hardly ever swiped right. His friends liked to tease him and ask why he even bothered browsing the options, but he thought there had to be at least one in this city. They thought the app was just eating up space on his phone. He was patient. It was necessary.

But, then, this girl caught his attention. Auburn hair with a white highlighted streak - perhaps an homage to Rogue from X-men? He liked the supernatural. It worked for her. Her eyes were distinctly almond shaped. Eyeliner accentuated the sweeping taper of their outer corners. Gold flecks in her hazel irises popped like citrine gemstones. She had an elegant neck. Her nose and ears were sharp, a little long even, but they were becoming in a way that actually made them an asset. He appreciated that her photo was a headshot. No booty shorts. No cleavage. Her face looked healthy. He imagined her facial beauty wasn’t singular, and he appreciated this foxy subtlety over conspicuous propositions. She wore makeup, but that didn’t bother him. He wore a little too. He liked to accentuate the youthful aspects of his countenance. He called it his camouflage. He swiped her right. “Wow. I think I actually found one,” he said aloud to himself.

Katherine Fuhsaz was browsing her dating app options too. Ryan Huntsman’s photo was a medium close up. At face height was his hand holding a blown glass orb. Sunlight shone on his smiling face and lit his gleaming teeth and illuminated the swirled colors in the glass orb. The orb caught her attention as much as his fresh-faced looks. He was brunette with dark eyes. He looked young, but she noticed makeup that probably contributed to that appearance. That didn’t bother her. She was drawn to his boyish features. They suggested a tender, ripe heart. She contemplated him for another moment. The tip of her tongue wet her upper lip and her brow furrowed. He whetted her appetite. He reminded her of her last boyfriend, it had been a messy ending but she still savored the taste of that romance. She pushed her fingertip to his grinning lips and slowly dragged him a smidgeon to the right, a smidgeon to the left, and then back fully to the right, toying with him. “Hi Ryan,” she said aloud, “I hope you’re truly a sweetheart.” The app matched them. It was a Monday. 

Ryan and Katherine exchanged messages throughout the week. Ryan actually initiated the conversation, though it took him six drafts of the initial note before he could bring himself to hit send. Katherine responded enthusiastically. They made a plan to get coffee in a neutral place on Friday afternoon. Neither one was in a rush. Over the next few days they bantered about interests, work, favorites, backgrounds, and intentions.

“I’m not really looking for hookups,” Ryan messaged after their first exchanges had found some depth and rhythm.  

“That’s not my motivation either,” Kit responded. (She told Ryan she preferred “Kit” over Katherine with friends and family.) “Though I do think you’re cute.” 

Ryan didn’t respond for an hour so she followed up with, “I hope that wasn’t poorly timed honesty.”

Ryan’s message came back, “NO! Sorry - I was completing a glass project and timing is everything. You’re cute too. Very cute. :)” 

The coffee shop was bustling. The cranking bawl of the espresso grinder and the barista’s shout greeted Ryan as he pushed through the heavy glass door. “Katherine!?” the barista’s voice barked an ascending question. Wow, that made it easy, he thought. She walked gracefully to the counter to retrieve her order. She wore a red romper with a beige coat and chiffon Tom’s flats. She was impressive. Ryan double checked himself with a slow breath. He didn’t want to let his guard down. He felt fortunate to be seeing her before she saw him. Huntsmen’s luck, he told himself, trying to pep himself up. 

He felt good about his wardrobe choices - black, slim trousers and a black button up shirt. For footwear, he had his Blundstones. And he finished the look with his mocha suede bomber jacket, unzipped. In the pocket was the gift. He lightly ran his fingers through the front of his hair to check its shape. He walked to her table. She saw him coming and her lips curled in a smile. 

The date flew by. On the table were empty mugs, his plate with a lone surviving arugula leaf, her plate with the remains from a smear of pâté and crackers, and the blown glass orb from his photo at rest on a napkin at the table’s center. It was his gift to her. “Since you said you liked it,” he’d explained while pressing it into her open hands. They were clicking. She was fascinated by his artistry and work as a glassblower. She loved the orb. Twice he had shaken his head in astonishment and said, “I can’t believe you’re a groundskeeper… at a cemetery!” 

“I love to dig,” she giggled. “And it keeps me strong.” She flexed a muscle at him sarcastically and winked.

“Sorry, I’ll stop saying it. It’s just too shocking.” He smiled at her with endearing vulnerability. 

She motioned to his plate. “Are you vegetarian?” she asked.

“I am. I like to do my part to flatten out the food chain.” He looked a little sheepish as he realized what he was saying, and he added, “I also just feel good eating this way.” 

“You are what you eat, right?” Kit quipped. She winked at him. “I’ve always been curious about vegetarianism, but I don’t have the discipline. Maybe I’m more easily taken by temptation. You must have good taste.” 

“Could I cook for you?” Ryan offered. “I bet I could make you give it a second thought. At least fleetingly.” His fingers swept lightly through his hair again.

Kit bit her lip in contemplation, “I’m game. But I’m going to insist that you come to my house. Not to worry,” she joked, “I have a plush kitchen, fully furnished, with some of the finest cutlery. You just bring the ingredients. You can put me to work. I’m good with a knife.” She raised an eyebrow. 

“That sounds like a plan,” Ryan said. “Can I bring drinks?” 

“Have you tried warm soju?” Kit suggested. 

“I haven’t even heard of warm soju,” Ryan said. “But I’ll find soju and bring it.”

“It’s like saké, but stronger. It’s Korean.” Then she countered, “Let me provide the drinks. You’ve been so generous and sweet. I’m enchanted by this marble.” Delicately, she put her hand on the orb. He couldn’t believe his good luck. She’s got it, he mused in his head.

She gave him her address and they separated for a few hours. 

He bought groceries and freshened up. 

She cozied up her den with candles, music, and warm lighting. She selected a bottle of soju with plum notes. She imagined the plum notes and his complimenting sweetness together. She was excited. He was making it so easy for her, so natural. In the mirror, she flashed her teeth at herself and brushed her luscious hair. She had enjoyed his company. Her successes with him had made her feel bewitching, guileful, and assured. He was hers tonight. Finally, she took his blown glass orb from the nest of napkins in her purse. She studied it hungrily. The citrine flecks in her irises danced like tinsel. She moved down the hall to her bedroom, entered her bedroom closet, and reemerged without the orb. She brushed dirt from the knees of her red romper. 

Ryan wandered up the long garden path in the dark. Moonlight cascaded through the canopy of trees. The house was magnetic. The tiled roof made a sweeping curve to its peak where a wooden carving leaned out from the eaves. He couldn’t make it out in the dark, but it looked wolfish. The drive up into the forested hills above the city hadn’t surprised him after all of their conversations, and because he’d identified the location from the tracker on his app, but it still performed a magic upon his mood. He was alert. He felt a rush of anticipation as he knocked on the door. 

Kit looked exquisite. They embraced, and it felt easy, despite the bag of groceries. She welcomed him in, and their easy flirting picked up again immediately. She warmed the plum soju. They had their first glass while he layed out the groceries on the island countertop. “How does Garlic Teriyaki Tempeh with Broccoli sound to you?” Ryan asked. 

“It sounds like I’m not sure who’s after whose heart tonight,” she flirted. He gave her a cautious look. She smiled and said, “I said I’m game. Tell me what these ingredients are.” She took a step closer to him. He guided her through his plans with the cauliflower rice, the nutritional yeast flakes, the soy sauce, and so on, and her mouth began to water as she watched him move. 

The soju was working on them both. As much as he tried to fight it, he was really attracted to her. She reached for a cutting board from a cupboard behind his head. Her elbow brushed his shoulder and her face came close to his. Her eyes smoldered. She paused. He didn’t back down. She kissed his lips. He felt his resistant energy draining, all of his energy draining, but he didn’t open his mouth. She put her hand on his chest and took a sharp breath. “Ryan, I know neither of us intended to move this fast. We can slow down.” She took a half-step backwards and brought the cutting board down from the cupboard. It was a stunningly ornate board carved from cherry wood in the outline of an anatomical heart with juice grooves delineating the heart’s chambers. “You take a minute to show yourself around. I think you’ll appreciate some of my art and decor. I’ll get started chopping if you tell me what to do.” She pulled a chef’s knife and a honing steel from the drawer beside him. 

“You’re right,” he said. “I hope I didn’t overstep your boundaries.” He took a deep breath, bringing his energy back.

“Not at all. I think I started it,” she flashed her smile while she drew the knife down the steel. 

“I’ll take a look around, not because I’m needing a break from this, but because I’m deadly curious about you. You’re absolutely supernatural,” he looked deep into her eyes. “Here. Start with these.” He placed the veggies and tempeh in front of her on the heart cutting board. 

This is too easy, Ryan thought as he walked away from Kit. He heard her sharpening the steel while he sipped his plum soju in front of a wall-sized mural of forested mountains. He needed to be cautious but confident. He pulled out his phone and opened the tracker app. He was close. He maintained his nonchalance as he mosied into her bedroom and entered her closet. He pushed her coats aside. A low tunnel led into darkness. His heartbeat accelerated. He took a deep breath through his nose, and he picked out the animal smell. He clicked on his phone’s flashlight and crawled forward on hands and knees. It was indeed her den. She was a kumiho; he was right. She’d filled the floor with dirt. At the back of the den a small shelf was built into the wall. Upon the shelf sat his glass orb. Beside it was the kumiho’s fox bead. It was a radiant yellow gemstone, the same tones as the flecks in her irises. He put the bead in his mouth and turned around. He wouldn’t feel bad. She was trying to eat him after all. 

“You're right,” Ryan said, back in the kitchen, “I do love your decor.” The dirt on his knees was hidden behind the island counter. 

She looked up from the head of broccoli. Her chef’s knife perched a hair’s breadth over the thick green stock. 

“Can I take over?” he asked. His voice sounded thicker. Was it the soju? Kit wondered. “I’ll trade a kiss for another drink,” he said. She let go of the knife as he stepped forward. She wasn’t in a hurry. She wanted a kiss first.

“Mmmm, you’ve been emboldened,” she said. Her eyes and her parted lips gave her answer. This is too easy, she thought. She brought her hands to the base of his jaw. She gave him a deep kiss. As her tongue rolled over the glass bead tucked between his cheek and his molars,  her dazzling eyes snapped open for the last time. The knife slipped effortlessly between her ribs. She saw the squint of his closed eyes from the hard swallow. The bead went down his throat.

“I thought there was one in this city,” he said as she crumpled to the floor with a canine whine. Her red romper became loose as her body rapidly shrank. Beautiful red fur with white highlights erupted from her face and bare arms. Blood pooled beneath her on the kitchen floor.

Ryan stepped into the night to observe what he could through the bead’s lens.