by Gail Sattler
If all he had to was stand there and let a bunch of ladies have a go at him, then he was probably safe. “I guess so. Will I need to sign a release or something?”
“Probably. I’m so glad you’re going to volunteer. I feel better now.” She gulped. “Even though we’re learning to defend ourselves, I still don’t like the thought of another man being too close to me like that. I know it sounds ridiculous, but I almost left when I heard what we were going to do.”
He forced himself to relax, trying to make it look as though it didn’t matter, and that he wasn’t nervous. “Okay. Let the games begin.”
Chapter 8
While all the women in the room watched Cory as he walked with Allie to sign the required release forms, Daphne watched the women. A mix of awe and fear pulsed through the group as one by one they realized Cory was the man they all had to try to overcome.
Not that they had to beat him. Allie said they just needed to disable him only long enough to make their escape. She’d half joked that if he were a real attacker, hurting him would be a bonus.
One of the women turned to stare at Daphne. “Is she kidding? How would we ever be able to do anything to stop a guy like that?”
Another woman turned to the speaker. “We’ll just have to work harder than we thought. Allie says it’s possible to defend ourselves against anyone, if we’re properly trained, or unless a man is strung out on drugs and is going berserk.” The second woman also turned to Daphne. “Although I don’t know how. He looks like the Incredible Hulk. Where did you find this guy?”
“He’s…” She stopped, wondering what exactly he was. She really didn’t know. He wasn’t a boyfriend—she wasn’t ready for that yet. Therefore there was only one option. The truth. “He’s my brother’s friend.” Although, he certainly didn’t act toward her like any of her brother’s other friends, and she was glad for that. She wanted to think that it could be more.
The realization of what she was thinking stopped her from adding anything—she wanted more than just his friendship.
Another woman snorted. “If my brother had friends like that, I wouldn’t need this class.”
Something in the pit of Daphne’s stomach turned to a bitter lump. He was her brother’s friend, and she still needed the class. But she wasn’t going to point that out to the woman just in case making such a comment required an explanation.
Cory and Allie returned, with Cory wearing some rather embarrassing protective gear painted with a red target, which probably made it even more embarrassing. As he walked he adjusted the strap to a face mask, not looking at any of the ladies while he fumbled with his large fingers.
Allie rubbed her hands together. “We’re almost ready to start. Who can tell our new member, Daphne, how to sing?”
Daphne looked at Allie, then to the other ladies. “Sing? I thought it would be best to scream. Really loud.”
At her comment the entire group giggled. Allie raised one hand to silence them. “SING is an acronym for the order of things to do to defend yourself against an attacker, made popular from the movie Miss Congeniality.”
“I remember that.” But even though she struggled to remember what each letter stood for, she couldn’t. She could only see Sandra Bullock’s character decimating Benjamin Bratt’s character while the audience at the pageant watched in shock.
One woman spoke out, not waiting to be asked. “It means solar plexus, instep, nose, groin.”
At the word “groin” Cory grimaced and covered the embarrassing target, causing a resurgence of the giggling.
Allie raised her hands to once more calm the group. “We’re going to concentrate on one area at a time. Attention please, we don’t want to run out of time.”
The group calmed while Allie continued with an explanation and a slow-motion demonstration of the most effective way to deliver a series of four blows with the most effectiveness to disable Cory.
Even though Cory was there as a live crash-test dummy, Daphne found herself cringing every time Allie demonstrated how to aim, despite the fact that Cory was adequately protected, and that Allie didn’t actually strike him.
Allie also said that she considered it a bonus for the group that Cory was so big, as this gave them more motivation to fight back with more force.
At Allie’s words, Daphne almost spoke out. Just because Cory was larger than the average man didn’t make him any less susceptible to feeling pain.
Yet, he was doing this for her.
When class was done, she was going to have to do something to make up for it.
For now, she had to watch all the women hit Cory in all his protected parts. If that wasn’t bad enough, soon she would have to hit him, too.
As the women stomped on top of his feet, which were also covered by big pads, Allie reminded everyone that even though stilettos would hurt when properly aimed, in actual practice, they weren’t that stable for a sharp, aimed blow, and statistically slipped more times than punctured.
Daphne didn’t want to picture that possibility. Fortunately everyone there was wearing sneakers.
Too soon, it was her turn to try to hurt Cory.
“I don’t want to do this,” she whispered. “Are you okay? I noticed one woman hit you in the leg where you’re not padded.”
His voice came out a little muffled from behind the face mask. “I might have a bruise or two, but nothing’s broken. Don’t worry. Give me all you’ve got.”
Following the instructions, when Cory made a grab for her, Daphne struck out in all the strategic places, hitting all her targets first try, earning her a round of applause from the rest of the ladies.
“Well done, especially for your first time,” Allie said as she helped Daphne pull off the protective hand coverings. Allie turned to Cory. “How about you? Are you okay?”
Cory pulled off the mask and shrugged his shoulders. “Sure. I guess.” He made a visual sweep of the seven ladies in the room. “Some of you pack a pretty mean elbow strike. I could imagine how that would feel if I hadn’t been wearing all this padding.” He smiled as he pressed one hand to his stomach, but Daphne did detect a slight wince.
Allie turned to the group of ladies. “Class dismissed. Let’s give Cory a big round of applause.”
His cheeks darkened as the ladies clapped, which Daphne found adorable.
As everyone went to their cars, Daphne followed Cory to his truck. It seemed every time she climbed in it was a little easier, although the wooden step he’d built helped a lot.
After she was seated he picked up the step, tucked it behind the seat, then jogged around to the driver’s side and got in.
As he inserted the key into the ignition switch, she turned to him. “I’m sure you worked up quite an appetite. How would you like to go to the doughnut shop we saw on the way here? My treat.”
Pressing his free hand to his stomach, he turned and smiled. “An offer I can’t refuse.”
She had a feeling he wouldn’t.
Being a passenger, she didn’t have to concentrate on traffic as they exited the parking lot, but she did watch what was happening behind them in the large side mirrors.
Most of the cars turned the same way they did. A number of them made the same second turn, then a few cars still continued to make the same sequences of turns as Cory did on the way to the doughnut shop.
She didn’t know if anyone regularly came to this same place, so she couldn’t know for sure if they were being followed. But from the way many of them looked at him as he walked past, before he donned all the protective gear, she had a bad feeling.
She wanted to spend time alone with Cory. She didn’t want company, especially people she didn’t know.
Of course, as soon as the truck turned into the doughnut shop’s parking lot, the three cars that had stayed behind them did the same. The ladies from the session parked and scrambled out, with the good timing to arrive at the passenger side of Cory’s truck just as he retrieved the step from behind the seat and put it down
so she could get out without looking like a five-year-old.
She probably should have felt guilty about not wanting them there, but she didn’t.
As the women surrounded Cory he looked around at all of them, looking at him. She couldn’t help but feel sorry for him.
“We come here often,” one of them piped up. “I think we should all sit at one table, since we’re all here.”
“Sure…” Cory murmured, then looked at Daphne. “I guess we can do that.” He answered as a statement, but his voice held a question.
“Sure,” she said, agreeing out loud, the word “no” echoed inside her head. She wanted to talk to Cory, just by himself. She wanted to tell him that he didn’t have to be the class crash test dummy again and get beat up just for her. A few strikes had missed the padding, so she knew he would have some bruises.
Even though she’d felt nervous at the thought of physical confrontation, and even though she would not yet be able to really defend herself effectively against another man, today had been a good start and wouldn’t have been possible without Cory’s prompting. As with so many things in her life, it was time to move on, and now, again, with Cory’s help, she was.
She wanted, and needed, to tell him how much she appreciated him.
As everyone walked together as a group to enter the coffee shop, she positioned herself beside Cory then looked up at him as she glued herself to his side.
It almost startled her that she felt so possessive about him. But he was just…likeable. Despite his size he was gentle and kind. Or maybe it was because of his size that made him that way. That he knew his own strength was unmistakable. He didn’t have to be afraid of anyone or anything. Except cougars and bears. Or at least, not really afraid. He’d already told her what he did when he came in contact with wild animals. He’d said they left him alone if he allowed them a healthy dose of respect.
She doubted these women would behave the same.
Not saying she was cured, but he was the first man since Alex that she trusted.
If only she could talk with him privately tonight, but she couldn’t. The best she could do was to interact with him in the group setting.
Although this may not have been the best group for that purpose. The ladies with them weren’t man-haters, but they were banded together with the primary objective of learning to take down a man, which was what the classes were for. Individually each woman would have been fairly formidable. As a group, no man would stand a chance.
While everyone ordered coffee and a doughnut or muffin, she kept right with him.
Staying beside him while they selected a table, she quickly slid into the chair next to the one he selected for himself.
Joyce, one of the older ladies, selected the chair directly across the table from him. When everyone was seated she plunked her elbows on the table, joined her hands, then leaned forward, resting her chin on her twined fingers. “We’re not so tough outside of the group. Which is why we’re here. We’re so glad you came. We all really appreciate your help.”
Cory smirked. “I’m not so sure I’ve been much help, except for just standing there. But I’m glad it works for you.”
Another woman, about their age, also leaned forward toward Cory. “First I was nervous, but I know that with the right guidance, we can learn to defend ourselves properly. Will you come back next time?”
“I hadn’t planned on it, but I suppose I could if you need me.”
The blond woman glanced at Daphne and then looked back toward Cory. “We’re all supposed to take turns bringing a volunteer each week, but not all of us have someone who we can ask. Will you be my volunteer next time, too?”
“Sure. It won’t hurt. Much, anyway.”
At his comment all the women giggled.
One of the other women spoke up. “I don’t have anyone I can bring, either. Would you come as my volunteer, too?”
He stiffened, and Daphne could tell he was forcing a polite smile. “I guess so.”
The woman at the end of the table leaned forward. “I don’t have anyone, either, and neither does Tiffany. I wonder if Allie might ask if you could help us for the rest of the sessions.”
Daphne wasn’t sure she wanted Cory to be there every time. While it had helped her for him to be there the first time, the point was that she needed to learn to defend herself against someone she didn’t trust, or who would put her in jeopardy. Cory wouldn’t do that, and she didn’t fear him. When the other ladies brought a man they knew, she wouldn’t know him, and that would help motivate her to actually try to cause pain. Except it appeared no one had anyone they could bring.
Fortunately someone changed the subject, but all questions and conversation turned to focus on Cory. When the topic of Cory being a forest ranger came up, while a lot were things she already knew, she did learn a lot more about what he did all year.
She certainly didn’t like hearing the story of how a couple of years ago he was recruited to help control a forest fire. She had no idea that forest rangers did so many things, even though it was unrealistic to think that someone had to attend university for so long just to babysit campers for the summer months.
Cory was the first to push his cup away. “It’s getting a little late, I need to drive Daphne home, so I think it’s time we left.”
When Cory stood, so did everyone else. They all walked outside together. They said their goodbyes and as everyone went their separate ways, Cory opened the door to his truck, retrieved the step and put it on the ground, and stood back.
“That was really strange. It’s like they were following us, but I guess they all wanted to ask me to be their volunteer.”
They’d all been checking him out, Daphne knew, and the more the evening continued, the more they’d all liked what they’d seen.
And, he didn’t get it.
Not wanting to point that out, all she did was agree and climb into his truck.
After he backed out of the spot and began to move forward, he glanced at her quickly and then turned his attention to the road as he pulled into traffic. “Now that we’re alone, was there something you wanted to say to me? It looked like you didn’t exactly welcome their company, but it would have been rude to decline their invitation to join them.”
There was, but the moment was gone now. As well, they only had a few minutes and they would be home, and this was not a conversation she wanted to have with Rick watching through the blinds. “It wasn’t important. Are you busy tomorrow? The forecast says it’s not going to rain, so it looks like a good day for a walk.”
“Sure.”
When he pulled up in front of the house, they both looked at the front window at the same time, and both of them saw the movement of the blinds closing.
“Rick knows you’re home,” he said with a sigh.
Until now, Rick’s observance had been a relief. Tonight, though, she suspected that she would be laying awake half the night, wondering why, suddenly, she wanted more than to just say good-night and go separate ways.
She turned to Cory at the same time as he turned to the door and slipped out. He jogged around the truck, opened her door, got the step out from behind her seat, set it on the ground and stepped back.
This time, instead of just grasping the back of the seat for support as she slid out, she extended one hand toward him, forcing him to take it and hold it to help support her as she stuck her foot out to feel for the step before she put her weight on it to get out.
When she had both feet on solid ground, she didn’t pull her hand out from his. Her heart quickened when instead of releasing her hand, he gave it a gentle squeeze then reached out so he held both her hands in both of his.
“Good night,” he muttered, his voice sounding lower in pitch than his usual tenor.
She looked up at him. The setting was almost romantic. The dark night; being sheltered from the streetlamp by a tall, thick tree. Night crickets chirping.
She wanted to kiss him.
The porch l
ight flashed on, then the glow of light from the front door opening covered them.
Rick stepped out and walked toward them. “Hey, how was your class? Did you take down a creepy guy in three easy steps?”
Cory blinked with the invasion of light. He dropped her hands, stepped back and turned his head toward Rick. “Yeah. The creepy guy was me, and it was four rather painful steps.” He turned back to Daphne. “I should go. Do you want me to pick you up after work for our jog in the park, or meet me there?”
Rick’s face tightened at Cory’s words.
Daphne ignored him. “First I have to come home and change. I’ll see you there.”
After Cory left, Rick turned to her. “Don’t you think you’re overdoing it with seeing him every day?”
“I don’t see him every day.” As the words left her mouth, counting back, maybe not exactly from the chamber of commerce dinner, but not long after that, she did see him almost every day. “Never mind, I take that back. Good night. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Before her brother could respond, she turned, entered the house, went into her bedroom and closed the door.
So what if she saw Cory every day. She liked seeing him every day. He also must like seeing her every day, or he wouldn’t ask.
She hoped.
* * *
“Shh. Don’t move.”
“I have to.” Contrary to his words, Daphne lifted the camera.
Cory gritted his teeth as the Red-Breasted Nuthatch flew away.
This spot was his haven following those days he was trapped behind a desk at head office instead of out in the field. Days that drove him crazy. It probably wasn’t very macho, but when he needed to purge the stress from a day of traffic and congestion and then being trapped in a cubicle in a downtown office tower, this was how he did it. Many men went to the gym to hit something to get their frustrations out of their system, but he couldn’t do that. Instead he came here to simply sit still.
And now he’d brought his main source of stress to share it with him.
If he lived on the first or second floor, he could hang a bird feeder on the edge of the balcony of the suite above him and expect visitors all year ’round. On the seventh floor, that didn’t happen. So instead, he’d made a bird feeder and hung it in a tree on the small patch of property near the entrance to his apartment building, where he could see it with his binoculars. Many days, even in the rainy winter, he’d just sit on his balcony and watch it, waiting for the birds to enjoy his offerings.
