Change of Heart

him off.
    "Oh, c'mon, Jin, all this talk about reahs and here you are, the rarest of all panthers, the one and only male reah in existence."
    "I don't count."
    "You count, idiot; you're a reah."
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    "I'm not a real reah; I'm not a girl."
    "Who says a reah can only be female?"
    "Oh, I don't know... everyone," I said, sounding bitter even to myself.
    "Well, everyone's wrong—you're a guy and you're a reah—
    —a real one, and that's not up for debate. You exist, so you're real."
    "Crane——"
    "Let's not have some weird, long, existential debate, all right? I know you're a reah just like I know you're the only male one ever... period... end of story."
    "But you don't know that. Not really."
    "Oh, I don't know that?" He scoffed. "I'm thinking I know that, 'cause see, in all the traveling we've done over the past two years after we left college, neither one of us has ever seen or even heard of another reah, let alone a male one. I mean, a female reah is like one in a million... a male reah...
    gimme a fuckin' break. You're it, man."
    "Whatever."
    "I'm just saying... you don't ever want to tell anybody else but me?"
    "My father knows," I reminded him, "and our old tribe, and our old semel who tried to kill me. I'm thinking enough people know already."
    He turned back around and slouched down onto the couch.
    I couldn't see his face anymore.
    "You can go back, you know. They'd take you back, Crane."
    "Fuck you. Go to bed. I don't wanna talk anymore."
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    I respected his decision because we were both beyond reason at that point. We both needed sleep, so I closed my door and fell into bed. I was so tired I didn't even dream.
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    Change of Heart
    by Mary Calmes

Chapter Three
    In my experience, people use the word "cold" much too freely. For instance, I have been in movie theaters and restaurants and even crowded grocery stores and heard people say that they were cold... freezing, even. The fact is that unless you've felt the blast of glacial air off Lake Tahoe at the end of January, you have no idea what you're talking about. This was why I never understood guests who wanted to sit out on the patio. Even with the heaters running and a coat on, even though the patio was covered, it was still damn cold out there. As I looked over at the cluster of people heading outside, I shrugged at the host on duty.
    "So it's okay then, Jin?" he was checking with me.
    "If they wanna freeze," I said with a shrug, "who am I to say 'no'?"
    "Thanks, boss."
    "Make sure you let Owen know that he needs to help Linda with the table. That's a lot of people, and it's cold as shit out there."
    "Will do," he smiled at me.
    "Tell them to wear their snow suits." I chuckled as I walked away.
    I had to check in on my kitchen staff and was halfway across the room when a heavy hand came down on my shoulder. Turning, I found my boss Ray Torres looking at me.
    I squinted at him. "What are you doing here?"
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    "Just my weekly visit up here to see how you're doing. As usual, everything's going great."
    "And what else? You usually just call."
    His smile was sly. "I was hoping you'd have an answer for me."
    "Are you kidding? Ray, I haven't even had a second to——"
    "Oh, c'mon," he chuckled, his hand moving to my neck, squeezing it gently. "It's just one more night. You've got three days off after this."
    "And you act like I don't deserve it. I've worked fifteen straight days, Ray. I practically live here. I should just put a cot in the kitchen."
    "There's the room upstairs."
    "Oh, you're hysterical."
    He smiled at me, reaching out to tousle my hair. "You're young. When I was twenty-four, I could go for days without sleeping or eating."
    I tried to walk away from him, but his hand curled around my bicep, holding me up.
    "You know, Jin, in the two and a half months you've been managing the restaurant, you've become absolutely vital to me. I hope you're giving my offer serious thought."
    He had no idea how much thinking I'd been doing since he sprung his offer on me a week ago. He wanted me for the general manager spot at his restaurant—the position that was coveted not only by two other guys, but also by Crane.
    Paragon was a lounge restaurant located right on the lake in King's Beach. In the summer, people could drop anchor and swim to the dock, paddle in, or step from the deck of 27
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    their