by Katie Dowe
“All right ladies! My brother has kindly agreed to take time out of his busy schedule to help me demonstrate some moves. Say hello to James.”
“Hi James,” they chorused. He nodded politely.
“What do you do if a man has you from behind with his arm wrapped around your neck? How do you get free?” She went to stand close to James and he put his arm around her neck. His hold tightened.
“I'm going to demonstrate a move that's very easy for you to use. Just watch carefully.” Julia grabbed his arm and, sucking her breath, in she jabbed him in the ribs, taking him unaware and then made her move by grabbing his arm and pulling him over her head and onto the floor where she landed on his chest and slammed her arm against his neck.
“Thank you darling,” she said with a laugh as she got lightly to her feet and put a hand out to help him up. “My brother is an expert in the field of karate so he would have been anticipating my every move. Most men think that we're all helpless females so they don’t expect us to retaliate. A man who beats up a woman is a big bully and most tend to run away when confronted.”
She finished off the class with a few other simple moves and shortly after that the women filed out.
*****
Kennedy stayed behind as she put on her sneakers and tied the laces. She got up and swayed slightly as dizziness assailed her. She'd forgotten to eat lunch and it was now almost seven at night. Her head felt as if it didn't belong to her body.
“You okay?” The deep voice caused her to jump. She thought she was the only one left in the room.
“Yes.” She turned to get her coat and stumbled. She had no idea how he reached her so fast but she suddenly felt his arms around her. She cut off a scream and pushed him away from her. He stepped back immediately. “I'm not going to hurt you.”
“I'm sorry.” She was acutely embarrassed. “I don’t like to be touched.”
He nodded, his inscrutable, intense dark eyes staring at her.
“I had nothing to eat since breakfast.”
“My sister should have told you that it's essential you eat a proper meal before attending the class.”
She stared at him for a moment. He was wearing a grey sweater and jeans and she noticed how handsome he was. “She didn't have to tell me that. I was busy and forgot to eat.”
“Are you going to be okay?”
She nodded. “Thank you.” She grabbed her stuff and after a slight hesitation she headed out. She turned at the door and their eyes met and held for a moment before she was gone.
*****
Julia had gone into another part of the hotel and he was waiting for her.
“Ready to go?” Julia asked as she walked back into the room.
“Yes.” He waited until she'd picked up her coat and came over to him. “What's her story?”
They both looked over to where Kennedy was heading out the revolving doors. Julia looked up at her brother. “She hasn't really shared her story with me. I figured she's been abused because she attends the group meetings for abused women a few rooms away. She participates but I've never seen her interact with any of the women. She actually reminds me of you.”
James gave his sister a dry look. “She almost fainted back there. She hadn't eaten since breakfast. Remind them that this class takes a lot out of you so they need to make sure and eat.”
“Yes, sir,” she said with a grin. “Would you like to come back and help me with some more demonstrations?”
“I'll think about it.”
*****
He was drawn to her. He'd started coming to the classes frequently, helping his sister to perform demonstrations. More women had started coming and he'd had to politely and distantly fend off open advances. He was used to it and had gotten to be an expert at doing so. He was a billionaire and not too bad in the looks department, but he wasn't interested. But Kennedy reminded him of himself and he felt drawn to her. She always waited until the other women had left before she went out. One night in March, while the class was finishing up, his sister told him she had to be somewhere and asked if he could finish up for her. He'd told her yes. He watched as the women made their way out and saw her sitting at a table with her hands clasped tightly, not aware that it was time to go.
“Everyone has already left.’
She jumped and looked around in surprise, as if she hadn't been aware of him. “I'm sorry.” She started to gather up her things and he stopped her.
“No hurry,” he said softly as he sat opposite her. “You were far away.”
She looked at him for a moment and then looked away. “Just thinking.” She made to leave again and his hand reached across the table, not touching her.
“I don’t know your story but I figured you've been hurt pretty badly. When you reflect on the hurt you let them win.”
Kennedy stared at him for a moment. “When a person hurts you they take a piece of your soul.”
“I agree.” He inclined his head. “What do you do to get it back?”
She looked down at her hand. “I've been trying to figure that one out.”
“It was my father,” he told her suddenly.
“What?”
“My father was not a good parent.”
She stared at him in obvious surprise. “I'm sorry.”
He nodded. He wanted her to stay. He wanted to tell her that he could make things okay for her and that he would never allow another man to hurt her. He pulled back in surprise at his thoughts. “We should go.”
“Yes.” Kennedy got her things together and got to her feet. She stopped and turned to look at him. “It was a man I thought I could spend my life with,” She told him. “I've been trying to get my soul back.”
He wanted to take her into his arms and erase that look of absolute sadness on her face. Her hair was caught in the usual ponytail and she had on a dark blue bulky sweater that seemed to swallow her up. “You will.”
“So will you.” A tiny smile hovered around her mouth and then she was gone.
James frowned a little bit at his feelings and the fact that he'd told her things he hadn't uttered to another soul except his sister. He wanted to protect her.
*****
Kennedy handed her sister the bag with her shop's logo on it. Joan opened it and sniffed the contents in appreciation. “Just smelling this is going to make me add on about two pounds,” she said as she dug into the bag and came up with a flaky pastry. “But I don’t give a damn.” Kennedy had stopped by Joan's apartment on her way home. She hadn't seen her sister in a couple of weeks. It was approaching eight o’clock and since she had no meetings or classes today she'd decided to stop by. “How are you?”
“I'm quite well.” Kennedy rubbed her hands together to keep them warm. “Eagerly waiting for spring.”
“That might not come until in May,” Joan said with a grimace. “You look a lot better.”
“So do you,” Kennedy observed.
“I've decided that life is too short to be pining over a man who has moved on, so I'm moving on and spending quality time getting to know myself.”
“That’s a very good attitude.”
“How about you? Any more bad dreams?”
Kennedy shook her head and realized that she hadn't really thought about it. “Between work and the group meetings, not to mention the classes, I'm swamped,” she said with a laugh.
“That’s a good thing,” her sister said.
“It’s a very good thing,” she agreed as she leaned back against the sofa.
“How's the class?”
“Let’s just say if I'm backed into a corner at night I can get myself out. I'm actually enjoying it.”
“I'm happy for you,” Joan said softly. “I remember being so worried about you. I remember thinking that I'm your big sister and I wasn't able to protect you.”
“It's not your job to protect me,” Kennedy assured her. “I went into the relationship with my eyes open and I saw the signs but turned a blind eye to them. It’s on me, not
you. I used to sit and watch those talk shows where women would complain about the men in their lives and how they refused to work and I used to scoff and cuss them out, thinking that they were fools. I've since then taken back my words.”
“You're not a fool,” Joan said gently. “You're a smart woman who got caught up in a very bad situation and now you're out of it.”
“Thank God for that,” she said sincerely. “But the after effects are taking a while to go away.”
*****
James sat at the bar and sipped his scotch on the rocks slowly as he looked around the room. The Elite Club had been his solace in the past, before his father had passed away. He used to come here and just sit with the rest of the fellows and forget what he was going home to. He'd participated in games and cookouts and the various activities that the club offered and had managed to stay sane throughout the madness that had been his life. April had begun with showers but the time was still chilly, indicating that spring was being delayed.
He was thinking of Kennedy. She brought out something in him that had never been there before and he couldn't stop thinking about her. He passed the glass to Marty for another round and turned around to see who was there. It was nine o’clock on a weekday and more than half of the men who were members were married and probably at home with their families. He'd read an article about the club in the papers and had smiled at the mention that the members of the Elite Club had started a new tradition. Most of the single males were marrying African American women, which begged the question as to why this was happening. ‘When you go black you can't go back,’ the reporter had said as a joke. James downed the drink and got up, deciding that it was time for him to leave and go back to his apartment. He had a very long drive ahead of him and he had early meetings at the office. The chain of restaurants downtown needed some pepping up. He pulled on his coat and strode hurriedly outside. A valet brought his car around and he got in and sat there behind the wheel. He couldn't stop thinking about her.
*****
Kennedy's car wouldn't start. She stared at the dashboard in dismay as she tried for the fourth time to turn over the engine. And her phone was dead so she couldn't call the auto shop. She leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes. The hotel parking lot was dark and there was no one around. It was almost eight. She got out of the car and cut off a scream as she saw the darkly-clad figure coming towards her. “It’s me,” he held up a hand and she sagged in relief as she recognized the voice. “I was heading towards my vehicle when I noticed that you were still here,” he came closer and his eyes met hers. “What happened?”
“I have no clue.” She was absurdly glad that it was James. “The car won’t start and my phone battery is dead.”
He walked around the front and noticed the lights. “You left the lights on so most likely it killed the battery.”
She came around and looked at the lights in dismay. “Damn it!”
“Where do you live?”
“No,” she shook her head. “I couldn't take you out of your way.”
“I don’t mind.”
“I could just call the auto shop.”
“Or I could take you home and you can call the mechanic from my car,” he suggested gently. She looked up at him and for a moment she couldn't look away.
“Okay,” she found herself agreeing.
“Lock up and come with me.”
She took out her purse and her laptop and they headed towards his sleek black BMW. He opened the door for her and she slid into the seat, appreciating the soft leather. She gave him her address as soon as he got in. He drove in silence for a little bit before he spoke. She had no intention of breaking the silence. “How are you?”
She turned to look at him in surprise. “I'm fine.”
“Your reflexes are getting better.”
“Thanks. Your sister is very good, and so are you.”
“Are you interested in learning more?”
“I think I'm learning enough.”
“Martial art is something for the body as well as the mind.” He glanced at her briefly.
She moved her hands restlessly and didn't answer immediately. “I attend a group session and I run a business.”
“Chocolate Delight.”
She stole a glance at him and her eyes met his. “My sister raves about the place.”
“I'm happy she started the classes. It was a very good move.”
He stopped the car at her apartment building and shut the engine off. “Give me your hands,” he said suddenly.
“What?”
“Give me your hands,” he repeated softly.
“I don’t think—”
“Please.” His voice was hypnotic and she found herself stretching over to him. He took her slender hands and they trembled in his. He closed his hands over hers and held on. “You have nothing to be afraid of. I'm not going to hurt you.”
She lifted her head and looked at him. “I know.”
He nodded and turned the palms upwards, staring at the soft skin. “I'm sorry he hurt you.”
Kennedy trembled at his tone. “He can't hurt me anymore.”
“I want you to remember that. I won’t allow anyone to put their hands on you again.” His expression was too intense and was frightening her. She wanted to tell him to let her go but the words wouldn't come. He lifted her left hand and to her shocked surprise he kissed the palm gently. Kennedy trembled as the kiss lingered. She felt something stir inside her and she couldn't move. He lifted his head and looked at her. “I want to help you to get over the hurt and pain.”
“Please,” her voice was hoarse as she stared at him. One hand went slowly to the messy bun at the top of her head and he took out the pins, watching her hair tumble around her face. He tunneled his fingers through the strands, his eyes on hers. “Stop,” she whispered.
His fingers went to tilt her chin up. “I will never hurt you,” he whispered. Kennedy saw his head coming down towards hers and for a minute she didn't react, but then commonsense and a measure of fear kicked in and she pushed him away, her heart hammering.
“I can’t,” she told him raggedly. “I can’t.” She fumbled for the lock and let herself out, standing outside in the cold air and trying to catch her breath. He came out with her purse and laptop bag.
He handed them to her. “Go inside. I'll wait until you get in.”
She stared at him, wanting to say something. “It’s okay Kennedy. Go on in.”
She turned and hurried to her apartment and let herself in. She dumped her stuff on the sofa and sat there with her head in her hands, her body trembling.
*****
“You're taking an awful lot of interest in my class. What gives?” Julia demanded one evening as they were setting up for the class. It had been a week since he'd tried to kiss her and he knew she'd done her best to avoid him.
“I think you're doing excellent work here.”
Julia looked at her brother curiously. “And that’s it?”
“Maybe,” he smiled at her.
“The ladies are coming in droves because you're here.”
“I'm sure it's more than that,” he said lightly as he handed her the boxing gloves.
“You don’t fool me, James. It's more than that for you too.” She looked at him curiously. “Which one of these ladies bring out the protective gene in you? I haven't noticed you paying special attention to any one person but I've been pretty busy.”
“You're imaging things.” They both looked up as people started to come in and the conversation was curtailed for the moment.
*****
Kennedy worked through the pace and avoided looking at him. Julia had introduced kickboxing in the class and the energy that went with it was pretty exciting. She and the rest of the class watched in fascination as brother and sister demonstrated their skills and power. He was wearing a black muscle shirt that showed off his powerful muscles and loose sweat pants. His face was serious and he had an intense look on it.
&
nbsp; She waited for him later that evening. His sister had already left with the other women but she surprised herself by waiting for him.
“Hey,” he walked over to her as she sat there. “You okay?”
“Yes,” she actually smiled. “I want to thank you for the other night. It really was the battery.”
“You got it sorted out, I presume?” he took off the wrappings on his hands before looking at her.
“Yes. I left the lights on.”
“How are you?” his shirt was sticking to his chest and she avoided looking at it.
“I'm fine. You're very good.”
“I started learning when I was a child. We both did. It was kind of a requirement,” he told her lightly.
“You ever fight professionally?” she asked intrigued.
“You're trying to ask if I ever beat people up?” he teased her.
“Maybe.” She found herself relaxing in his presence. He was the first man she'd ever felt like doing that with.
“I fight for fun or sometimes to raise money for charity. The club I belong to is big on charity so I do what I can. You should come and see what we do.”
“Are you asking me out Mr. Zhang?” She tilted her head and looked at him.
“Maybe.” His dark eyes wandered over her face. “Would you say yes if I asked you?”
Her face sobered. “I'm not ready for that.” She looked away.
“I'm here when you are,” he told her quietly.
Her eyes swung back to his face. “Why?”
“Why what?”
“Why are you making the effort?”
“I think you're worth it.”
Chapter 4
“Go on, I'll clear away the things,” James urged his sister.
She looked at him curiously. The women were still lingering and chatting and she had a concert to go to. “I'm going to find out what's going on with you, brother,” she warned him as she went onto her toes and kissed his jaw. “I'm going to find out which one of these ladies has you so fascinated.”
