A Change of Plans

by Donna K. Weaver

  As he rose, I said, “Braedon, you need to hold me like you mean it.”

  A funny expression crossed his face.

  Curse my traitorous hot cheeks. Okay, maybe not so under control. I sighed. “I mean hold me tight like you’re a bad guy trying to keep me from getting away.”

  He pinched his lips. Stepping behind me, he wrapped his arms around me and pinned my arms to my sides. His skin didn’t feel so soft now.

  I simulated a stomp on his right instep and swiveled my hips out of the way for a right ridge hand strike—sometimes called a karate chop—toward his crotch. In a flash, he released me, leaping out of the way.

  Having arrived in time to see Braedon’s leap, Jori grinned.

  “You grab her from behind and let her take a shot at you,” Braedon growled.

  I held up my hands in surrender. “I won’t really hit you. It’s an escape move.” I leaned down to pick up the mat. “It’s okay. I’ll just work on my self-defense stuff when I get back home.”

  “No, I’m good.” He stepped onto the mat so I couldn’t lift it. “Just tell me if there’s anything else I should know about first.”

  I let go of the mat. “Are you sure?”

  He lowered his voice, a mock-grim expression on his face. “I have to save face now. We’ve got an audience.”

  I did a quick scan of the gym. He was right. We had become the center of attention. All right. I would play along. “Save face, huh?” I gave him a ‘come on’ gesture.

  This time when he moved, he moved fast and held my arms tight, my back pressed against his chest, his right hand clasping his left wrist in front of me.

  I quickly considered my options. Since he would be expecting a foot stomp and the groin strike, I went for his fingers again. As soon as I tried to pull on one, he tightened his grip, turning his fingers in. I made a fist and ground my knuckles into the bones on the top of his hand.

  Braedon hissed but kept his arms rigid around me, bringing them down to keep me from bending my elbows. I threw my head back fast and connected with his lower face. I cringed, hoping I hadn’t made him cut his lip, but I still followed up with a foot stomp and the hip twist.

  Distracted by an anticipated groin strike, he moved up his grip on my arms when he shifted his hips out of the way. Just what I needed to grab a finger again. The little one is the weakest and therefore the easiest to get loose. I bent it back, locked the joint, and gave it a slight twist.

  He released me, and I spun, swinging my right leg behind his and sweeping his legs out from under him. I caught him as he went down, breaking his fall. Twisting around, I put my right knee on his chest and threw a throat strike, stopping just before it connected.

  “Dead.” Grinning, I straightened.

  Everyone broke into applause, and I jumped to my feet, reaching down to give Braedon a hand up. He took it and stood, brushing his lip with his tongue, his eyes narrowed. I reached to touch his lip to see if it was bleeding. To his credit, he didn’t flinch.

  “Sorry about that. I didn’t think you’d keep your head in such a vulnerable place. Your lip’s not bleeding.”

  He touched his lip and then brushed his chin again.

  Jimmy rushed over, dragging Maria with him. “You have to show me how to do that!”

  “We’ll see.” I glanced at Braedon.

  His face remained expressionless. “Do you want to practice some more?”

  I looked at the group of people watching us. “Not with this crowd.”

  He bowed to me, keeping his eyes to the ground as he would to his sensei, turned, and left. I stared after him.

  Maria shot me a sympathetic glance before Jimmy took her hand and they left. So it wasn’t just me thinking Braedon was unhappy about something.

  Jori came over and helped me put away the mats. “I’m impressed.” He sized me up as though he had never seen me before. “Remind me never to make you angry.”

  Already disappointed at Braedon’s attitude, I glared at Jori.

  “Wait. I can sympathize with Braedon. I wouldn’t be happy to be shown up by a girl.”

  I tossed my water bottle in my bag. “Shown up by a girl. Really?”

  “No offense ... Hey, Lyn, don’t get angry. It’s a guy thing.” Jori moved closer. “We all suffer from it, some more than others.”

  Then he struck—so fast I never had time to think of throwing up a defense. He swept me like I had swept Braedon, and Jori had me in a full mount with my hands pinned over my head. It was a sweet move.

  “Nice.” I tried not to smile. “Sneaky, but nice. Now let me back up.”

  His face broke out in a wicked grin. “I don’t think so.” He leaned forward, his face only inches from mine. I gave him a crusty look, but he continued. “I find this an interesting predicament.”

  When I realized his intent, my body went still. How had I not seen this coming? He must have taken my shock as permission because he moved his lips toward mine.

  Angry heat flooded my body. I jerked my face away while bending my knees, twisting my foot around one of his. Locking it in place, I pushed all my weight up and to the side, throwing him off balance. He didn’t resist and had to release my hands to catch himself, but I reached up and yanked his hair as he flew over me, forcing his head to the side.

  Where the hair goes, the head follows. Using my feet to finish the movement, I was now on top of Jori, pinning his hands. He had the advantage of size and strength, so I didn’t stay there long enough for him to reverse us again. I leapt up and out of his reach.

  He lay on the floor smirking, not the least bit repentant.

  I grabbed my bag. “Don’t ever try to kiss me again.”

  Jori sat up. “Don’t be fussed about it.”

  I stared daggers at him and snarled through my teeth, “Never again.”

  Realizing I wasn’t feigning my anger, he jumped to his feet. I stepped out of his reach. “I’m sorry about the kiss. I promise I won’t try it again.” He held out both hands in supplication. “Friends still?”

  I glowered at him for a moment but decided he was sincere. I wasn’t going to let him off that easy, though. I turned my back on him and left the gym without a word. He didn’t follow.

  I MUTTERED UNDER my breath as I waited for the elevator. It wasn’t like Jori hadn’t given me any clues. He had even mentioned looking for me at dinner that first night. I should have made it clearer I wasn’t interested in him like that, but I had been too busy thinking about Braedon.

  Braedon. His attitude had surprised me. Even as I assured myself it would be better if he were mad at me, I wondered if he would be willing to practice with me again. Stupid.

  Elle had gone to breakfast without me but left a note reminding me of our hula class and telling me where to meet for lunch. After showering, I called room service and had some breakfast brought to my room.

  When my food arrived, I took it out onto the balcony to eat. The gloomy sky matched my mood. I stood glumly at the rail for a while, staring at the dark gray water.

  At the noise of Braedon’s balcony door opening, I considered making a quick retreat back inside but found I wanted—no, needed—to make things right with him. I turned slowly toward the sound.

  Braedon stood in the doorway and watched me. He had showered, and his hair glistened with moisture. After a moment’s hesitation, he strode to the rail separating our balconies. “I hoped you might be out here.”

  I joined him at the railing. “I owe you an apology. I assumed you knew what you were getting yourself into when you offered to be my self-defense dummy. I promise I would never really hurt you.”

  “It’s been a long time since I studied Taekwondo, and I’ve forgotten more than I realized.” Braedon touched his lip with his tongue and chuckled. “It’s me who owes you an apology. I was pretty abrupt when I left.”

  I opened my mouth to reply, but he caught my eye, and I stopped. “However, I’ve swallowed my pride about how fast you put me on the floor, and I’m willing
to risk being put there again.”

  “Really?” I hated how relieved that made me feel.

  “I wouldn’t miss it now, but you’ll need to give me a training session before we have another go. I’m not much into public humiliation.”

  I squeezed my hands together, surprised at the moisture on my palms. “Then please understand the whole point of this practice is for me to refine my defense skills ... you have to go down.”

  “I can do that.” He checked his watch. “I’m supposed to meet Aislinn and D’Arcy again for the Hawaiian geography class. Do you want to walk together?”

  “Sure. I’ll meet you outside.”

  I DIDN’T EVEN remember the incident with Jori until after I entered the dining room, when he slipped in a few minutes late. I was glad the closest chair was at the other end of the table. While I might not have been clear enough before, I would be now. During the meal, he kept trying to get my attention; I ignored him.

  “Wait, Lyn,” Jori called later as I hurried Elle out of the restaurant.

  He had to know I was serious. “I’m not talking to you, Jori.” I continued to walk away.

  Elle glanced back at him. “What’s this about?”

  “I swept her this morning, and now she’s mad at me.” Jori caught up, but I kept Elle between us.

  She frowned, knowing that shouldn’t have bothered me. “You’re mad at him because of that?”

  I continued to walk, staring straight ahead. “I’m not talking about this.”

  “No,” Jori corrected. “She’s mad because I tried to kiss her.”

  Elle’s teasing expression disappeared. Her eyes widened. She looked uncomfortable in her position between us.

  Jori took Elle’s arm and traded places with her, so I stopped and faced him, folding my arms across my chest. “Lyn,” he brushed back a wisp of his pale blond hair, all contriteness. “I said I was sorry for offending you, and I meant it.” He did his little bow.

  “With Elle as your witness, you’ll never do that again?”

  “Never again.” He blinked as though something occurred to him. “Unless you ask me to.”

  I spun away, but he grabbed my arm. When I moved to pin his hand to my elbow in the beginnings of a joint lock, he jerked it out of my reach. “Okay. Never.”

  At Elle’s encouraging glance, I gave in. “Apology accepted.”

  With a grin, he bowed and left us.

  Elle nudged my shoulder with hers. “See, that wasn’t so hard.” She slid her arm through mine. “Let’s go see if we can convince the dance teacher to let us merge hip-hop and hula for Jimmy’s talent show.”

  A NEED FOR solitude drew me to a window nook in the ship’s library. Hidden from most of the other occupants, I squished a soft cushion behind my back and tried to settle into reading.

  For nearly a year, I had looked forward to this uncomplicated cruise, excited to have time to be at sea, read, and visit places I had always wanted to see. Elle thought the temporary nature of the cruise would make for a perfect dating environment. No risk of involvement. But I had vowed I would not consider it until I got past the first anniversary.

  I don’t know how long I had been staring at the water when I heard someone sit at the piano just around the corner from my nook. I pinched my lips. I would have to move if the player was too distracting.

  Because of the way the nook was situated, I couldn’t see the person who began to play finger drills. Great. Not exactly music to read by. I picked up my book and tried to find where I had left off, hoping to ignore the sound.

  After going through several drills, the player went into the insane fingering of the beginning of Chopin’s Fantaisie-Impromptu. This was no kid practicing scales.

  When I was eight, I had sat beside my father in the Boettcher Concert Hall in Denver. The special guest was a world-renowned performer, and she had played this song. Her fingers had flown across the keys, and I had determined then and there I would be able to play it someday.

  I sighed and closed my eyes, leaning against the window, the glass cool against my cheek. My hands automatically picked out the notes as I accompanied the unknown player on my imaginary piano.

  When the number ended, I considered clapping, but the pianist went right into one of my favorite New Age pieces. I thought of how Braedon’s long, graceful fingers had clasped around my waist. He would have great hands for playing the piano. A little shiver sent goose bumps along my arms and up my neck. It couldn’t be ....

  I peeked around the corner.

  CHAPTER 6

  I WONDERED HOW he had learned to play like that with everything else he’d had to do as a kid. And it had to be the piano, one of my great loves. I leaned my chin against my raised knees. I could just see him around the nook wall.

  Braedon focused on playing and didn’t appear to notice me. I played several instruments, though only the piano and guitar well. I found pleasure in the piano, and when I’d had a bad day, I would play to relieve my stress. As I watched him, I thought perhaps Braedon did too. His face in this private moment made me feel like I had captured a glimpse of his soul. I was fascinated.

  When he finished, I leaned forward enough to be seen. “That was lovely.”

  He started at the sound of my voice and snapped his head in my direction.

  I smiled. “You need a small orchestra to bring out the full depth of that piece. Nice interpretation, though.”

  He twisted on the bench. “Do you play?”

  “I work at a small school, so I teach both music and science. I teach band, orchestra, music theory, and I’m the choir director.”

  Braedon grinned. “Do you know any duets?”

  I snorted. “Not from memory. Well, ‘Chopsticks’ and ‘Heart and Soul’ are two pieces I do know how to play.”

  “Wait a minute.” He rose from the piano bench and approached the librarian.

  The crewmember went to a locked cabinet and handed him a stack of sheet music after taking his ship card in exchange. He riffled through the sheets as he ambled back, and I moved to the piano.

  He scanned a piece of music. “How familiar are you with Mozart?”

  “For four hands?” I tried to read the title upside down.

  Our eyes met over the music, and he quirked an eyebrow. “That is the nature of a duet.”

  I scowled, almost sticking my tongue out at him. “I’m familiar with the piece, but it’s fast to sight read.”

  “Want to give it a try?” His eyes dared me to say no.

  He had been a good sport earlier, so I moved over to the piano bench. “I get the easy part.”

  Braedon pulled out a second piece. “Here’s Brahms’s Hungarian Dance no. 1 in G Minor for Piano, Four Hands, if you prefer.”

  I looked over his arm at the page as he read through the music. “I haven’t tried this one in a long time.” I ran my fingers over the keys. “If we do this one, I claim the secundo part.”

  After a couple of false starts, I relaxed. Braedon didn’t play it flawlessly either, which gave me more confidence. When we were done, we tried the Mozart piece, but I gave up. “I need to practice this one by myself. I’m not up to it.”

  He took the stack of music and went through it again.

  “Look.” He turned the piece so I could see it—a ragtime duet of “Cantina Band” from Star Wars. “We have to give this one a try.” He set it on the holder.

  I was more than familiar with this piece because two of my students had performed it this year, and I had learned it while helping them. Most of it was really only three hands, but it was quirky and fun. We were both laughing by the end.

  As we rose, I blinked, surprised to find Elle and her group standing behind us. Braedon slipped away to return the music.

  Jimmy rushed forward. “Why didn’t you tell me you could play the piano? I need a keyboardist.”

  “You should ask Braedon. He’s much better than I am.”

  Braedon heard this as he rejoined the group. He and Jimmy ar
gued about it as we made our way to the cafeteria-style restaurant. We collected our food before heading to the sky deck.

  After eating, I took a few minutes to review with Braedon some of the self-defense techniques for the next morning. His graceful hands were a combination of strength and gentleness. I had seen how strong he was that morning, and I now could also imagine those hands doing delicate surgery.

  Two of the guys from dinner—Wes and Ryan—observed us and came over, followed by Jimmy and Maria.

  “You know karate?” Wes flipped his dreadlocks over his shoulder. “We’re brown belts.”

  “What style?” I asked.

  “Gosoku.”

  I raised my eyebrows. “Hard and fast, huh?”

  “Hard?” Maria looked first at me and then at the two guys. “Like, they hit hard?”

  We laughed. “Not like you mean it. A hard style means it has linear motions. A soft style is more circular.” I said to the two guys, “Mine’s a hard style too. Braedon and I have been practicing self-defense techniques in the gym in the morning. You guys ought to come.”

  Maria shook her head, rubbing Jimmy’s arm a little anxiously. “Not me. I don’t mind kickboxing for cardio, but I don’t want anyone hitting me.”

  “You don’t have to come,” Jimmy interrupted, kissing her cheek. “But I would like Lyn to teach me more than kicks and punches.”

  With his request came sudden inspiration. I scanned the area for Jori, who was chatting with a couple of girls in a corner. I wondered which one would be his partner that night. “You should talk to Jori about teaching you some self-defense techniques.”

  Jori turned toward me at the sound of his name and strode over.

  I smiled at Jimmy. “I think Jori knows Hapkido.”

  Jori nodded as he reached us.

  “I just volunteered you to teach Jimmy. Wouldn’t you say you owe that to me?”