You Have My Heart

by E. L. Todd

  “You and I will spar,” I announced. I pulled off my shirt, just standing in my sweatpants.

  “I wasn’t expecting to…”

  “It’s part of the interview,” Chan said plainly. “Fight or walk out.”

  “I just didn’t dress for the occasion,” John said hesitantly.

  “Take off your shirt,” I said. I stood across from him then took a defensive stance.

  He shed his shirt then stood across from me.

  We battled on the mat, and I immediately knew he wasn’t right for the position. He was slow and nervous. His confidence was questionable, and he seemed to think too long before he acted. Since this was an interview, it was understandable he wasn’t on his best game. But how would he act teaching a class? I overpowered him easily and left him on the mat.

  “That’s enough,” Chan said.

  I extended my hand and helped him to his feet.

  “Thanks,” he mumbled. He pulled on his shirt and thanked us before he left.

  I looked at Chan, the question in my eyes.

  All he did was shake his head.

  The next guy came in.

  “I’m Zavier,” he said. “Nice to meet you.”

  Chan interviewed him and seemed impressed with his years of experience. Before applying for this job, Zavier worked as an instructor for ten years. But people always sounded better on paper than in real life.

  Then I moved to the mat and faced him. “You and I will spar.”

  He didn’t seem surprised by the request. “Okay.”

  He looked like he knew what he was doing.

  We sparred on the mat, dancing around each other as we gave and received hits. He was good, but I was better. I rarely met anyone who met my strength and dexterity. My speed was unrivaled. I quickly took him to the ground and stood as the victor.

  “Thank you for coming in Zavier,” Chan said. “You’ll be hearing from us.”

  Zavier bowed before he walked out.

  I returned to the table. “He seems promising.”

  “Yes, he does. But we have one more person. Alex.”

  I glanced at the last resume. It looked similar to Zavier’s. “Let’s get this over with.”

  We waited until the final candidate came inside.

  “He’s late.” That was all Chan said.

  “Maybe we shouldn’t bother interviewing him.”

  He raised his hand. “Be patient. Things happen.”

  I’d never been late to a job interview in my life. But whatever.

  Finally, the door opened and a woman walked inside. She was wearing a pink shirt and blue jeans. She had brown hair that was pulled from her face. She had prominent cheekbones and crystal blue eyes. Her lips were full and red, looking soft. She was skinny but she had curves. Her stomach was tight but packed with muscle. Her legs were just as thick.

  What was she doing here?

  “You can sign up for classes at the front desk,” I blurted.

  She stopped at the table and narrowed her eyes at me. “I’m here for the interview.” A light twinge of annoyance was in her voice.

  I glanced at the resume. “We’re waiting for Alex. You aren’t Alex.”

  Now she looked like she hated me. “Alex is short for Alexandria.”

  It was? I scanned through her resume again. I hadn’t realized she was a girl. I didn’t have a problem with women learning martial arts but I never knew one that was good at it, at least to the point where they were considered a master. I guess I was a little incredulous to the idea. “I see…”

  “Our apologies,” Chan said. “Take a seat.”

  She did as he asked.

  I put her resume down then faced her. “Why are you late?”

  “Why are you sexist?”

  I let the insult wash over me. “You think that’s the best attitude to have in a job interview?”

  “I don’t care what it’s for. If you’re rude to me, I’ll be rude back.”

  I opened my mouth to speak but Chan held up his hand.

  “A warrior doesn’t back down from a fight. Nor do they let insults go. It invites the tormentor to continue their behavior.”

  “Tormentor?” I asked incredulously. “That’s a little extreme.”

  Chan gave me a look that said, “Be quiet.”

  I shut my mouth and crossed my arms over my chest.

  “Alexandria, it’s nice to meet you,” Chan said politely. “I’m Chan and this is Theo.”

  “It’s nice to meet you.” She only looked at Chan when she said it.

  Chan held her resume. “I see that you worked as a trainer for five years. What can you tell me about that experience?”

  “You only learn a small amount of what is taught to you. But you learn everything you teach to someone else.” She crossed her legs and rested her hands in her lap. “And I learned more from that experience than I did from my own masters.”

  Chan nodded, pleased by that response. “It says you were the national champion in martial arts for the women’s league three years in a row.”

  “Yes.” She nodded.

  “Why didn’t you compete in the fourth year?”

  She clearly didn’t expect this question. “I was physically unable to due to an accident.”

  “Is that why you have no work history for two years?” he asked.

  “Yes,” she said quietly.

  “What happened?” Chan asked bluntly.

  “I broke my legs, four ribs, and my right arm.” She said it plainly and with no emotion. But she didn’t explain how it happened.

  “Do those injuries still bother you?”

  “No.” She held his gaze as she said it.

  “Not at all?” I asked. If my body had been demolished like that, I’d have a hard time getting up in the morning. Her joints must hurt, and her body probably wasn’t the same as it used to be. A career in self-defense sounded like a bad idea.

  She turned her gaze on me. “Whether it does or not is irrelevant. It doesn’t interfere with my work. So, no.”

  She refused to show any sign of weakness. From the moment she walked through the door, she held herself with respect and grace. If she was provoked, she didn’t cower and hide. She attacked with everything she had. She had my respect. “Why do you want to work here?” I asked bluntly.

  “It’s closer to home and I’m a fan of Chan’s expertise.”

  I nodded my head slowly. “What can you do for our students?”

  “More than just skills and abilities, I can motivate them to keep going, to never give up, and make them feel safe,” she said. “I’ve wanted to give up several times but I never did. I understand how a new student could feel.”

  Chan nodded his head in agreement.

  I did nothing, just staring at her. She rubbed me the wrong way the moment she walked into the building. She was arrogant and snooty. But she was also strong and unforgiving. She was a living yin-yang, exemplifying the best and worst of herself at the same time. I hadn’t met a woman so confident and sturdy. She looked like she was impossible to break. She had the resilience of someone who just wouldn’t quit. And she was also stunning. Not only did she have a gorgeous body with muscle, not weak and thin, but her face was flawless. She had the looks of a model but she acted like she didn’t possess any vanity. Her face was free of make up, and her hair was pulled back like she didn’t spend time making herself look nice.

  Chan turned to me. “Theo will fight you. I’d like to see what you can do.”

  I expected her to argue or say she wasn’t prepared.

  But she didn’t. She stood up then moved to the center of the mat, waiting for me to join her.

  I came around the table and walked to her, trying to appear as non-threatening as possible. My entire torso was chiseled and hard. Lines of muscle covered my ribs and back. It was understandable for her to be scared of me. Since she was a girl and a stranger, I decided to go easy on her. I didn’t fight women so it was weird to take a swing at her. This was ju
st to see what she could do so I wouldn’t give her everything I had. Even though I was going to be gentle with her, I still wasn’t sexist. It was just hard for me to hurt a woman.

  She looked at me with a stoic expression, almost like she was bored. She took a defensive stance, her eyes glued to my face. Her posture was perfect, like she’d been sparring for years.

  “Begin,” Chan said.

  I struck first with a slow movement but she danced out of the way before I could land the hit. I didn’t back down. I kept going, kicking her in the stomach then smashing my fist into her side. She blocked the second hit and didn’t react to the kick in her stomach, probably because it was light. Then she jumped in the air and kicked me right in the face.

  I stumbled back, shocked she could jump that high and elicit that much force.

  I came back and moved in again, bouncing on my feet. She was on the offense this time and moved in quickly. She hit me in the ear then kicked me savagely in the stomach. She didn’t go easy on me and gave me everything she had.

  I grabbed her leg then flipped her to the ground to avoid hurting her, but she rolled in the fall then tripped my feet from under me.

  For the second time, I hit the mat.

  She was on her feet again, circling me without breaking a sweat. She didn’t seem tired or fatigued, just motivated to defeat me. It made me realize her determination wasn’t from her desire to land the job. Now it was personal.

  Alex used different types of martial arts, making her own style. It was unpredictable and hard for me to challenge. She used Muay Thai and Taekwondo. Even though she was small, she gathered enough speed to make the momentum from her hits formidable.

  I rushed her and tried to tackle her, but she dodged the hit then flipped me over, forcing me to my back. I rolled into the fall then tripped her as she tripped me. She finally fell.

  But she got up again like nothing had happened. She circled me before she invaded again, catching me off guard with her speed and power. Now she was sweating and breathing hard. I was equally out of breath.

  “Enough,” Chan called.

  Alex immediately dropped her fists and wiped away the sweat on her forehead.

  I continued to stare at her, shocked by her skill.

  “You’re hired,” Chan called.

  Alex’s jaw fell. “What? Are you sure?”

  Chan laughed. “Definitely. You defeated Theo. You’ll make a great addition to our team.”

  “She didn’t defeat me,” I argued. “We didn’t even finish the match.” And I went easy on her. I hardly made a move against her and I barely touched her. If she were a dude, the outcome would be completely different. I was pissed off Chan didn’t realize that. While Alex was strong and quick, she was still no match for me. The idea was preposterous.

  Chan seemed amused. “Let’s not kid ourselves. Alex took you down several times.”

  “Because I let her,” I snapped.

  He smirked and tried not to laugh. “Don’t take it personal, Theo.” He gathered his folders then headed toward the main office. “I’ll get the schedule ready then hand it to you on your way out, Alex.”

  “Thank you so much, Chan,” Alex said.

  I was fuming, pissed that he gave her the job when she wasn’t even qualified for it. She marched in fifteen minutes late and she didn’t even answer the question in the interview correctly.

  When we were alone, she dropped her innocent attitude. She shot me a threatening glare. “How does it feel to get your ass kicked by a girl?” she asked playfully.

  “You didn’t kick my ass,” I snapped. “We didn’t even finish the match.”

  “We both know how it would have ended.” She grabbed her purse off the floor then headed to the door. “And a real man who’s secure with his masculinity shouldn’t be intimidated by a strong woman.”

  “I’m not intimidated. I don’t hit women so I went easy on you.”

  “Ha.” She rolled her eyes. “Whatever.”

  “You’re awfully cocky.”

  “You’re just an asshole.” She shot me one more glare before she walked out.

  I stood on the mat, still sweating from the fight. I was furious with the way things turned out. I wasn’t looking forward to working with that insufferable woman. If I had it my way, I would have thrown her out on her ass the moment she showed up late.

  Chapter Six

  Conrad

  I spent the entire week trying to track down Beatrice. The only things I knew about her were her name, her major, and her appearance. But how would I track her down? I could go to every party and hope I’d run into her, but that was the same thing as searching for a needle in a haystack.

  There was one person I could ask for help but I wouldn’t go that route until I was really desperate. So I kept trying to find her, taking different paths to my classes and studying in the café and cafeteria on campus. She never showed up. I even went to another speed dating session but I didn’t spot her there either.

  Now I was officially desperate.

  With a heavy sigh, I called my dad.

  “What do you want?” he said after he answered on the first ring.

  “Hello to you too,” I said sarcastically.

  “You only call me when you want something. So what is it?”

  “That’s not true,” I argued.

  “And you never return my phone calls.”

  “Well, I’m busy.” I rolled my eyes even though my dad couldn’t see me.

  “Chasing tail and getting drunk doesn’t qualify as busy, Conrad.” His voice held an edge and amusement at the same time.

  “We obviously have different definitions then. You should borrow my dictionary sometime.”

  “It would just be a Playboy.”

  I laughed. “Pictures don’t do anything for me.”

  “Good to know,” he said sarcastically. “Now what do you want? Unlike you, I have something productive to do today.”

  “Yelling at people doesn’t qualify as productive.”

  “Do you want me to yell at you?” he threatened.

  I liked pissing off my dad. It was fun. “Are you saying you aren’t doing it now?”

  “Just tell me what you want. The sooner I get off the phone with you, the sooner my headache goes away.”

  “Well, if you already have a headache, then I didn’t cause it…”

  He stayed silent on the phone, his annoyance evident.

  “Anyway…I was wondering if you could do me a favor.”

  “You really shouldn’t piss off the person you’re trying to get something out of…just a little friendly advice.”

  “Well, you’re my dad,” I argued. “I can make you mad as many times as I want and you’ll still help me.”

  He laughed. “That’s what you think.”

  “Why are you so nice to Trinity but a dick to me?”

  “Because your sister is actually sweet to me.”

  I laughed. “No, she probably just wants something.”

  “You clearly don’t know her very well.”

  “Back to what I was saying…”

  “If you ever say it…”

  “I need you to do something for me.”

  “You already said that.”

  “I know but…you can’t ask me why.”

  He paused. “That doesn’t sound good.”

  “It’s not bad. I just don’t want to tell you.”

  “Even worse…”

  My dad was difficult to work with at times. “I’m trying to get information on someone but I don’t have the resources to get what I want. That’s where you come in.”

  “You want me to violate someone’s privacy but you don’t want to tell me why?” He sounded incredulous.

  “Not violate their privacy,” I snapped. “I just want to know a few things.”

  “About who?” he asked.

  “A person…”

  “Why?”

  “I said you can’t ask that.”

  “T
oo damn bad,” he hissed. “If you want me to help you, then you need to tell me why I’m doing it.”

  My dad was so annoying. “Fine. I’m trying to get information about this girl I met.”

  A long pause stretched over the phone. “A girl?”

  “Yeah.”

  “What kind of information?”

  “I just want to know what her class schedule is. That way I can run into her somewhere. I don’t have her number and I don’t know where she lives. So…I really need something.”

  “Why didn’t you just ask her for her number and where she lives?” he questioned.

  “I didn’t get a chance. It’s long story.”

  My dad stayed silent on the line, pondering the request. “And how do you expect me to figure it out?”

  “Don’t act like you aren’t chummy with the dean. You donate so much money to that school, he probably named his kids after you.”

  He chuckled. “I guess we’re on a first name basis.”

  “Just get the schedule and get back to me.”

  “Conrad.” It was the tone he used when he was mad or serious. “You better not harass this girl.”

  “I’m not going to harass her! I’m offended you even asked that. I just want to run into her somewhere. I’m not asking for her phone number or address. Now that would be a violation of privacy.”

  My dad came around. “Okay, I’ll do it.”

  “Thank you.” Geez, it took me half an hour just to convince him.

  “So…you like her?” A teasing air was in his voice.

  I rolled my eyes. “Don’t start that shit. That’s why I didn’t want to tell you.”

  “Well, you’re going to great lengths just to talk to this girl. She must be special.”

  “No,” I said. “She’s just hot. I want to do sex to her.”

  He chuckled. “There are beautiful women everywhere. She obviously means something to you.”

  “Well, she’s a really cool chick. I guess that helps.”

  My dad seemed amused. “I’ll get you what you need. What’s her name?”

  “Beatrice Satini.”

  “As in, Satini wine?” he asked incredulously.