I nodded, reminding myself they were here to help me. Quitting before I even had a chance to learn anything would get me nowhere.
“Okay. I’ll make sure to speak up this time. I won’t run out like I did yesterday.”
“I hope you don’t, but if you need to, there’s no judgement here. Our goal is to help you,” she reiterated. “If you’re ready, have a seat on one of the chairs against the wall. Derek and I will begin a basic demonstration.”
Doing as she instructed, I stood and headed toward the line of chairs. Derek and Hana positioned themselves in the center of the mat. Derek began to pace in a circle while Hana stood motionless.
“Krav Maga when translated means contact combat,” he explained. “The technique has been proven to work in both the military and in real life situations. It also teaches you the psychological aspects of attacks so you can be aware of threats and know how to defuse them before they happen.”
Without warning, he reached out and grabbed Hana’s neck from behind, but she was fast to react. She spun and was instantly free. I stared at her in awe, wishing I’d known how to do that so many times in the past.
“How did you do that?”
Derek smiled at my question.
“We’ll show you. Slow motion this time, Hana. Let’s walk it step-by-step.” She moved back into position, and just like before, Derek’s hands circled her neck. “With this particular attack, your defensive reaction needs to be quick. Hana, explain how you would get out of the choke.”
“Using my shoulder, I’m going to lift my arm to dislodge his wrists from my throat. From here, I spin around and use my other hand to strike him in the center of the face. Most likely, the attacker won’t be expecting it. That element of surprise dictates your next move. His natural body reactions will make him vulnerable to an attack to the groin or another attack to the face.”
Her movements were slow and calculated, never actually making contact or causing harm to Derek in any way. It was hard to imagine their demonstration playing out in real life. As I narrowed my eyes and tried to envision it, Derek seemed to have read my mind.
“Very good, Hana. Why don’t you go grab the protective gear and we’ll do this for real?” While she collected items from a cabinet in the corner, Derek turned to me. “You still with me?” I simply nodded. I didn’t want to say more in case I chickened out when it was my turn. The reality was, I was completely fascinated by what they were doing.
Derek and Hana sparred for the next twenty minutes, explaining everything they were doing for rest of the training session. At times, I found it hard not to be distracted by Derek. The man was undeniably sexy, but in an understated way. He was fit with well-defined muscles. As he stood in a fighting stance, it showed off his obvious physical prowess that took up the entire room. He didn’t seem to hold back when attacking Hana—not at all. Yet her tiny body somehow managed to kick his ass each and every time. It gave me confidence that maybe—just maybe—I could actually do this.
As we neared the end of class, Hana turned to me.
“What do you think, Val? You ready to give it a shot?”
Caught by surprise, I blinked. I wasn’t sure how to respond.
“Um, I suppose. Just no…no necks. I’m not ready for that.”
I moved onto the mat and swallowed the lump that formed in my throat. Derek met me at the center and stopped when were toe-to-toe. I could feel the heat from his exertion coming off his body. His nearness sent my heart racing, causing blood to thrum loudly in my ears.
“Ahhh, Sparky. I don’t think you’re ready just yet,” Derek said, snapping me back to reality. His voice was hushed—almost a whisper.
Did he just call me Sparky?
“What—what do you mean?” I stumbled, completely confused over why I felt a blush creeping into my cheeks. I shook my head to clear it and focused on the lines of concern marring his features.
“I promised you we’d go slow and I want to make sure I keep that promise. I don’t want to spook you again by pushing you before you’re truly ready.”
Perhaps it was just my imagination, but I couldn’t help but think there was a double meaning behind his words.
“Oh, I… I suppose.”
“Perhaps you can give it a go during the next session,” he suggested.
“Yeah, you’re probably right. When do you want to meet next?”
“I teach the main self-defense class on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Let’s meet on the off days—Monday, Wednesday, Friday. Same time work?”
I suppressed my disappointment over not seeing him for another forty-eight hours and gave myself a quick reprimand. Right now, I needed to focus on myself and learn how to stand on my own two feet. Getting all swoony over a man I barely knew was foolish and reckless.
“Yeah, that works. I’ll see you Friday then.”
After collecting my things, I headed back to my apartment. On the way there, I thought of Natalia. I missed my friend more than I thought was imaginable. My chest began to feel heavy. I wanted to wait to call her until I was sure it was safe, but I wondered if that day would ever come. Ethan was certifiably insane and I had to make sure my location stayed a secret. For all I knew he managed to put a tap on her phone just like he had on ours. Or maybe he was tracing the location of incoming calls to her cell. I had no idea how far his capabilities and connections within the police department went. That kind of technology was well out of my wheelhouse. Perhaps I was just being paranoid, but I had to be cautious.
As I approached my apartment, I passed by the door of another tenant. There was box laying in front of their door—a delivery from a well-known online retailer. The sight of it caused my steps to slow as an idea slowly percolated in my mind.
That’s it!
I finally figured out a way to contact Nat. I didn’t just need to get a pre-paid phone for me, I would need to get one for her too. Newfound excitement overwhelmed me and I ran the rest of the way to my apartment. Once inside, I quickly dumped my gym bag, grabbed my purse and headed back out the door. Splurging on a cab, I directed the cabbie to take me to the nearest telecommunications store.
Of course, as luck would have it, the store turned out to be only four blocks away.
I really need to get to know the area better.
I tossed a five-dollar bill at the driver, tried to ignore my irritation over the waste of cab fare, hurried out of the cab, and anxiously went inside in search of a sales rep.
“Hello, can I help you, miss?” asked a pretty brunette with dark, almond shaped eyes.
“Yes. Actually, you can. I’d like to purchase two pre-paid cell phones please. One of them is for me, and the other is for a friend who lives out of town. Do you handle shipping here or do I need to go to the post office for that?”
“We can do that for you here for a small fee,” she replied. “All of our pre-paid phones are along that wall. Just pick out what you want and I can get it packaged up for you.”
The world suddenly felt brighter. If all went well, I’d finally get to speak to my best friend again in just a matter of days.
I smiled broadly.
“Perfect.”
15
5 Weeks Later
I took a long swig from my water bottle, then tossed it in my gym bag. I had just completed my fifth week of self-defense classes with Derek and Hana and things were going relatively well—at least I thought they were. Any day where I didn’t have flashbacks of the past was always a good one in my book. Today was one of those days. It took a few hard lessons, but I no longer had to watch Derek and Hana demonstrate before I felt comfortable trying something new. I took it head on, listening to Hana’s encouraging female voice and Derek’s reassurances to master every defensive maneuver they threw at me. I felt good—stronger—both mentally and physically in ways I never had before.
As I was slipping my arms into the sleeves of a zip front sweatshirt, I glanced over at Derek. Hana had already left the room to go meet one of her other cl
ients, so it was just me and him. Sweat made small strands of hair stick to his forehead. With his face still flushed from the effort put into my lesson, he grabbed a towel by the door and wiped the moisture from his face and neck.
When he stripped out of his t-shirt to pull on a hooded sweatshirt, I cast my eyes down and peered at him through lowered lashes. I pretended like I didn’t see the sculpted landscape of his chest and abdomen, the bronze color of his skin, or the lines of sinewy muscle in his arms. And his hands—hands that had touched me in more ways than one while he showed me different techniques during our training sessions. Although his touches were never inappropriate, he had awakened something inside me. If I wasn’t aware of him before, I was now. With every passing lesson, I found myself way too cognizant of how mouthwatering, drop-dead gorgeous Derek Mills really was.
When he began to walk toward me, I busied myself with gathering my belongings, giving no indication that he stirred feelings I didn’t want to explore.
I slung my bag over my shoulder and began to move past him.
“Leaving so soon, Sparky?” he asked. I glanced up at him. I wasn’t sure how I felt about the nickname he bestowed on me a few weeks prior. I only knew I felt little wings fluttering around my insides every time he said it.
“Shouldn’t I be?”
“I guess so,” he said with a shrug. “I just wanted to tell you something before you took off.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah.” He paused and eyed me in the most peculiar way. “Your determination to take instruction and learn is inspiring. You’ve come a long way in a very short time. You did really good today.”
“Thanks.”
He shifted his weight and cocked his head to one side.
“I’ve got to shoot over to the supplement supply shop to replenish the protein powder for the smoothies. Want to come with me? It’s only about a five-minute walk.”
Going outside still put me on edge and only went out when absolutely necessary. I wondered if I’d ever get rid of the feeling of having to constantly look over my shoulder. I turned to look out the large floor to ceiling glass windows near the main entrance to the gym. It was broad daylight out and the streets were crowded with people. Knowing those things gave me a sense of security. Combined with my newfound confidence from the self-defense classes, I found myself smiling and nodding my head.
“Sure, why not?”
After securely locking my belongings in one of the gyms lockers, we walked out together. I made sure to keep ample distance between us. However, on the crowded streets, touching was sometimes unavoidable and his arm would occasionally brush mine. The mingling scent of sweat and his cologne billowed my way. It was intoxicating.
“Have you always lived in New York?” I asked, trying to ignore the heady smell.
“Born and raised. Brooklyn to be exact—Prospect Park area.”
“I’m not familiar. But then again, I’ve only lived here for just shy of two months. I’m still trying to get to know the city,” I admitted.
“I moved to Queens to be closer to the gym and to my parents. They had a house a couple of blocks over.”
His voice sounded sad and I noticed his mention of his parents was past tense. I wanted to ask but I also didn’t want to pry. Instead, I pressed my lips together and considered the surrounding area.
“This location is convenient,” I observed. “Almost everything is within walking distance. I’ve been to many stores in the area picking up essentials, but I haven’t hit any of the restaurants yet. What do you recommend?”
“Mario’s if you want Italian or Delaney’s if you want classic American bar food. There’s a good bakery on 31st that has a pretty kick ass lunch menu. The Hatch has the best clam chowder around, but that isn’t within walking distance. You’ll have to head up to Little Neck Bay for that. The Hatch does a really good dinner cruise too.”
“A dinner cruise... hmmm. That could be fun. I’ve never been on a boat before.”
“Really?” he asked, seeming genuinely surprised. He glanced down at me and I could almost see the wheels spinning in his head. “Maybe I’ll have to rectify that one day.”
“Yeah, well…” I trailed off awkwardly. “Maybe one day. For now, I’ll stick to the neighborhood restaurants. You told me who has the best food, but what about coffee? I love it. There are chain places everywhere, but I like to support local when I can.”
“The best cup of coffee in the city is right here,” he said, pointing to the maroon awning of a storefront about fifty feet ahead of us. On it, the words La Biga were written in scrolling font. “It’s family owned by the Gianfranco’s. As big as New York is, I’m pretty sure everyone knows the family—especially Angelo. They have a few other locations in the city as well. Angelo’s daughter and son-in-law run this one.”
As we passed the front doors to the little coffee shop, I smelled the aroma of espresso and fresh pastries. My stomach gave a low grumble, reminding me it was nearly lunch time.
“I used to drink coffee religiously every morning. I feel like I haven’t had a good cup in forever,” I remarked.
“Do you want to grab a cup after I get these supplies ordered?”
“Oh, no. I didn’t mean we had to…that is…I can’t,” I stuttered, thinking about my budget. I was doing okay, but every extra cent I had was being saved so I could pay back Teddy.
“Why not?”
“I don’t have my wallet. It’s back at the gym.”
Derek laughed.
“It’s only coffee. I can afford a few bucks. It’ll be my treat.”
“Oh, well…okay. If you insist,” I said albeit hesitantly. I really didn’t want him to pay for my coffee but I didn’t have a reasonable excuse for saying no. Wallet or no wallet, I didn’t want to explain my very limited funds without going deep into my saga.
A few minutes later, we arrived at the supplement shop. Derek walked up to the customer service desk, placed his order, and was told it would be ready for him within the hour. The entire process took less than five minutes.
“Wow, that was quick!” I said as we walked out of the shop.
“That’s why I like working with them. They’re efficient and they have a good product. I spent months searching for the right supplier. I needed a product I felt comfortable endorsing to my clients. Plant based organic was a must, designed for people on the go, and formulated to fit their needs. I—” He stopped talking and gave me a sheepish grin. “Sorry. I’m probably boring the hell out of you.”
“Not at all.”
“You’re lying,” he teased with a wink. “It’s okay though. We’re just about to the coffee shop anyways.”
When we entered La Biga, I was pleasantly surprised. The café was small, with a simple interior. The sound of espresso beans being ground and the voice of Frank Sinatra could be heard above the friendly chatter of the patrons. It was a quaint little place with multiple three-person tables and a craft coffee wall.
“This place is so charming!”
“Yeah. It kind of has that feeling of being home, you know? Plus, they have amazing pastries. Their sfogliatella is to die for.”
“Their what?”
“Sfogliatella. Have you ever had it before?”
“Ah, no…I can’t say that I have,” I said with a laugh, not even attempting to repeat back what he said.
“Oh, it’s so good! I’m getting you one.”
Once we ordered and received our drinks and pastries, we found an open table and sat down. I took a tentative sip of the tall, vanilla latte. I’d drink coffee in all its forms—flavored, black, with cream and sugar, extra foamy cappuccino, or poured over ice. It didn’t matter to me as long as it was good—and this was fantastic. I sighed in appreciation over the first good cup I’d had in what seemed like forever. When I sampled the pastry, I nearly swooned. The melt-in-your-mouth shell shaped pastry was filled with some sort of orange flavored ricotta and it really was to die for.
“Can I ask you somet
hing?” he asked.
“Maybe,” I teased. His lips twitched but he didn’t smile. Instead, he leaned back and put his palms face down on the table.
“Feel free to slap me if I’m crossing a line.”
I raised a brow.
“Now I’m afraid of what you want to ask.”
His knee brushed mine under the table and I quickly shifted away, pretending not to notice by absently stirring the foamy top of my drink.
“I told you that your story is your business, but I’ve never seen anyone go from being terrified to determined quite like you have. I’m trying to figure out your drive. If I understand it, maybe I can use it to help others in my group classes. What’s your motivation for taking a self-defense class?” His question was cautious but I could hear the innocent curiosity in it.
My breath stalled at the mere idea of Derek—or anyone else for that matter—finding out my motivations. If he knew what motivated me, he’d know about all the things Ethan did to me. I reached up to touch my throat. Just like Ethan’s hand, shame wrapped around my neck like a boa constrictor squeezing the life out of me. I shrugged, hoping the action would loosen the imaginative grip on my neck as I struggled to find a simple explanation that wouldn’t provoke further questioning.
“It’s important I know how to defend myself. If I ever need to, that is. It’s a big city. You never know what might be lurking in an ally,” I said, keeping my tone as even keeled as possible. It was a good enough explanation. I didn’t need to make myself vulnerable by saying anything more.
He nodded and sipped his café Americana while I nervously ripped my pastry into bite-size pieces over my plate.
“Why do you own a gym?” I asked, hoping to change the subject.
“Because I enjoy fitness,” he responded matter-of-factly. “Believe it or not, I used to be a pretty chunky kid. Kids picked on me a lot.”
“I find that hard to believe.”
“No, really. I didn’t start working out and eating better until I was in high school. I ended up going to college for physical therapy and worked at a gym part-time. After I graduated, I decided to venture into an entrepreneurship rather than look for a job in my degree field. The problem was that New York is expensive—very expensive. Luckily for me, I was able to pull in a silent partner who believed in me. That’s the guy I was meeting in Cincinnati when we first met.”
Leave Me Breathless: The Black Rose Collection Page 38
