Tropical Storm

Chapter Twenty-four

THE GYM WAS a typical one, smelling of chlorine from the pool, oil from the several groups of weightlifting machines, and the overwhelming scent of macho that seemed to settle over everything like a coating of grease.

Dar finished a round of the Nautilus machines, wiping the sweat off her face and ignoring the sidewise stares from fellow employees who seemed to be caught between amazement and disbelief at her presence. Her mind wasn’t really into it, she acknowledged, so she kept it fairly light and easy, letting her thoughts wander as she went through the various motions. It had taken her a few hours, that morning, of wandering down the beach and letting the wavelets wash against her bare feet, before she settled down and tried to figure out what to do.

First and foremost, she had to figure out how Kerry felt about her.

Coming out and professing a love for the blonde woman if she didn’t share it would be embarrassing at best, and irreparably destructive at worst. So how to do that? Dar had decided on a subtle campaign of attentions, of which the rose had been a part, to see if she could get an indication of what was going on behind those green eyes. She knew Kerry liked her, but more than that?

Dar sighed, resting her chin on the crossbar of the pull-down machine she was using. She felt a little nervous and a little uncertain, but twice now, twice, when the blonde woman didn’t think she was looking, she’d caught Kerry watching her with a gentle, emotional look that made her hopes emerge timidly, wondering if this time…

If she were honest with herself, she would admit that it was mostly fear that made her cautious, fear of exposing her most sensitive vulnerabilities to someone she’d known for less than a month. Sad prudence dictated caution, demanded she wait to see if Kerry’s obvious affection for her was something more or merely the superficial involvement of her tentatively emerging sexuality.

But…she’d liked the rose. Even Dar realized that.

The self-defense class was meeting in the large open area just in front of the circuit machines, a group of a dozen or so people—ranging from two young boys to an older woman with a grizzled, pugnacious jaw. The instructor was a large bearded man, self-importantly hitching up his black-belted gi and proclaiming to his audience in tones that were grating on Dar’s nerves.

Kerry was seated near one end of the semi-circle, her elbows resting on her crossed legs, her head cocked in intent attention. Dar could see the faint 304 Melissa Good tension at her brow as she listened, and she suspected the blonde woman was finding some problem with whatever it was she was being told.

“Well, well. What have we got here?”

Dar almost jumped at the loud, pseudo-friendly voice. She turned her head and gazed at José.

“Nice headband,” she commented dryly, noting the South Park characters on it. “Funny, but I always think of Cartman when I see you.”

José stared at her, then touched his head. “Mierda. My kids got me this. I don’t watch that crap.”

That struck Dar as funny, and she lifted a hand, rubbing her jaw to disguise a grin. “They’ve got good taste,” she replied, eyeing his outfit. They must be adopted, her mind continued . José was dressed in tight purple bike shorts and a lurid, orange T-shirt that clashed so badly it made Dar’s eyes hurt to look at it.

“I’ll tell them that. So what are you doing here?” José asked pointedly.

“Don’t tell me they don’t got a gym on that fantasy island of yours.”

Dar lifted a hand and indicated the machine. “I’m doing what everyone else is doing here, José. It’s closer to the office, it’s got a much better range of facilities, and it’s got a climbing wall.” She shrugged him off. “Why the hell do you care?”

“I don’t. It’s just strange as hell to see you out here. I’ve been coming to this place for a year now, and all of a sudden, you decide you like it?” he said,

“You’ve been acting loco this past week. You taking drugs?”

“Only antacids.” Dar gave him a brief smile. “José, get out of my face.

We’re not in the office, and I don’t have to be polite to your ugly puss.” She stood, making the most of the fact that she topped him by at least two inches.

“Let me give you a hint…try running something other than your mouth. It might help.” She stalked off, leaving him spluttering by the pull-down machine, and escaped into the free weight area where she knew he wouldn’t follow.

This was the area for the serious dudes. Dar let her eyes flick to the earnest, sweating faces, eyes intent on the mirror, watching themselves as they pumped and flexed. Some paused and gave her a disdainful look, then went back to their loving self-absorption.

Feeling a mischievous streak rising, she claimed one of the press benches, and settled a bar on it, checking the locking collars carefully. Then she laid down and placed her hands precisely, focusing on the weight and preparing her body for the strain. One deep breath. A second. She wrapped her fingers around the rough metal of the bar and set her feet down squarely, pressing down to make sure her back was properly supported. Then she took a final breath and shoved upward, taking the bar off its supports and extending her arms, letting the muscles get used to the shock of effort.

Slowly the bar lowered, to brush her chest, then went back up, her shoulders flexing as she concentrated. At the periphery of her attention, she was aware of a little silence around her and she grinned before she repeated the action ten times, then set the bar down in place. A pleasant ache filled her upper body, and she relaxed, peeking at her neighbors.

Lots of wide, round, furtive eyes found other things to look at and the Tropical Storm 305

pumping rapidly resumed. Dar grinned impishly at the ceiling, then rubbed her hands together and went for another set. It was more weight than she usually used, that was for sure, but she wasn’t above showing off now and again when the mood struck her. The legacy of years and years of sports and martial arts had left her with a sturdily functional body, and it felt good to show that off a little sometimes.

Besides, Dar peeked again, Kerry is watching. Blue eyes twinkled at the tiles above.

AFTER AN HOUR of lecture from the instructor on movements and the preparation of the body, they were on break. Kerry had absorbed the lesson and didn’t feel like she needed it repeated six times, but she was willing to hold her tongue, since this was, after all, the first lesson. She leaned against a pile of mats, sipping on a cup of water as she let her eyes roam around, finding Dar with little difficulty.

Dar had staked out a spot in the weight section and was doing chest presses. Kerry found herself glued to the sight, wondering how in the world she could consider sweating sexy. She turned her head as Colleen joined her, the redhead immediately finding what she was looking at.

“Mmm, mmm, mmm.” Colleen clucked softly. “Aren’t we just the butch.”

“Col.” Kerry rolled her eyes.

“C’mon, Ker. In a minute, she’ll be giving the Small Soldiers over there pointers. You see tha… Ooo, look, he dropped his dumbbell on his foot.”

Kerry laughed. “Oh, that’s not funny.” She watched the overly muscular man hop around, then overbalance and go crashing to the floor. She half expected him to bounce, he had such a rubbery, bulging figure.

Hearing the commotion, Dar had hitched herself up on her elbows and was just sitting there, watching in amusement.

“We’re going to…pump. You. Up,” Colleen whispered. “God, have you ever seen anything so self-absorbed?”

“Hmm?” Kerry tore her eyes from Dar’s relaxed body, which was intriguing her with its gentle ripple of muscle just barely visible under the skin, so different than her burly neighbors. “Sorry, what did you say?”

The redhead rolled her eyes. “Talk about absorbed…”

“Sorry.” Kerry blushed. “Um, looks like he’s ready to start again.” She tugged Colleen back over to where the instructor was gathering them, and forced her attention to the man.

It isn’t hard, she decided. He’d started them with simple, repetitive motions, which at first felt awkward, but after a few repetitions, seemed to come more naturally to her. She found her balance and worked through the movements, more successfully than the rounder Colleen and a good deal more so than one of the two boys.

He’s growing fast, she realized, and is completely uncoordinated because of it.

He tried, but he just couldn’t get the motions, his arms and oversized feet getting into his way and frustrating him. Kerry moved over and made gentle suggestions, receiving a pathetically grateful look in response.

“No, look. He’s gotta do it himself,” the teacher objected, motioning her 306 Melissa Good away. “C’mon, fat boy, take your head out of your ass and watch where your feet are going.”

Kerry gave him a dour look. “Insulting people doesn’t help them concentrate.”

“Look, honey, I didn’t ask for a critique, okay? Just get back over there with your roly-poly friend, and let’s get through this.” He half turned, then found himself being hauled around to face icy green eyes and an angry, set face.

“You listen, you horse’s ass…”

“Look, either get over there and do this, or get out of here and go to wimpaerobics, all right?” He gave her a shove. Or he tried to, anyway, but he found his arm held in a grip from behind that made him spin around. “What in the hell?”

Dar just tightened her grip. “You know, big, ugly bullies with delusions of competency really piss me off,” she commented calmly. “You’re supposed to be teaching these people a martial art, not using them as your personal venting post.”

“Don’t you fucking tell me what to do. Who in the hell do you think you are?” the bearded man barked in her face. “Let go of me or I’m going to kick your ass.”

Dar smiled at him and leaned closer. “Jackass, you couldn’t touch me if your life depended on it.” She suddenly jerked him closer, then whirled him around and dumped him on the ground by sweeping his legs out from under him with a powerful kick.

“Bitch.” He scrambled to his feet and came at her, shifting to one side with moderate skill, then reaching out for a hold. She caught his arm and ducked under it, sliding past him, then whirling and pulling him over her shoulder to be dumped on the mat again.

He bounced up and tried a kick. She blocked it, then returned the favor with a sideways spinning kick that slammed against his chest and knocked him back. Then they were at it full-out, and she was mixing holds with powerful blows, dodging his best efforts and ending by nailing him on the jaw with a thrust of her elbow in close, sending him to the mat in a stupor. She bounced a little in place, waiting to see if he was going to get up. I shouldn’t enjoy this as much as I do, Dar reflected ruefully, aware of Kerry’s rapt eyes on her.

“Hey, what’s going on here?” A short, bandy-legged man pushed his way through the crowd that had gathered, glancing at the gasping man on the mat, then up at Dar. “What the hell happened?”

Dar glanced at him. “I took exception to his teaching style,” she answered, deadpan, her eyes taking in the newcomer’s lithe, graceful physique. “It tended to the abusive.”

The man cursed in a fluid language. “Frank, get outta here. I’ve had enough of your damn troublemaking self.” He nudged the man with a toe.

“G’wan, I’ll see what I can do for you later.”

With a venomous look at Dar, the bearded man got up and stalked off, shoving people out of his way. The short newcomer looked up at Dar, setting his hands on his hips as he regarded her. “You know what you’re doing.”

Tropical Storm 307

Dar dusted herself off, and shrugged lightly. “Used to dabble in it,” she admitted, noting the intent and interested look she was getting from him. “I would guess you do yourself.”

“Could be, could be.” The man sighed, then faced the class, who were watching in fascinated interest. “Listen, sorry, folks. I’ll try to get you in a different instructor next week and give you a credit for an extra lesson.”

The crowd broke up, leaving the two of them standing there. Dar met Kerry’s eyes as she was moving away, and winked, getting a mouthed,

“Wow!” back from her.

She and the newcomer studied each other, and the man held out a hand.

“Ken Yamamura.”

“Mmm, you took the state championship two…no, three years ago.” Dar took his hand and gripped it. “Last round, took out that bruiser from Orlando with the red hair.”

He blinked. “Wow. Yeah, I sure did. Um…”

She smiled. “Dar Roberts.”

His jaw dropped and his eyes lit up. “Holy Buddhist Monk in a bottle…I thought you looked familiar!” He told her with delight. “Son of a… Man, I was there when you won the National. I never saw anything like that final bout.”

Dar ducked her head in acknowledgment. “Long time ago,” she said.

“Nice to meet you finally, though.”

“Wow, check this out—just any Wednesday and I have Dar Roberts show up to beat the crap out of my god-damned useless piece of crap brother-in-law.” He sighed. “I gotta get someone else now. I know he’s not worth much, but I thought he’d at least be able to show these newbies some of the basics.”

Dar took a breath, her eyes flicking to where Kerry was waiting, leaning against a towel rack and watching her. “Listen, if you want, I’ll teach the class.

I was going to make Wednesday my regular night here anyway.”

He stared at her. “You’re kidding, right?”

“No, I’ve just been doing some casual stuff the last few years, I could use the practice.”

“Whooo, I’m not gonna turn that down. Maybe…I haven’t been keeping up the last year either. I pulled a knee out after that last fight, never really set right after that, but if you want, we could work together a little. I could at least give you more of a challenge than these kids.”

Dar considered. “Yeah, all right, that sounds like a deal to me.” She nodded. Her sparring mate on the island was a beginner at best, and she had felt a lot of things slipping lately. Maybe she needed a challenge—knock the rust off a few skills. “I’d like that. Sign me up.”

“Great.” Ken gave her an enormous grin, transforming his elfin face. “I’ll put you on the payroll.”

Dar waved him off. “No, thanks, I’m fine. Use it to get some basic equipment for these folks, okay?”

“Deal.” Ken reached out a hand. “Dar, it’s good to meet you. This’ll be a story to tell around the campfire.”

The term sent a strange prickle down her back. “Glad to meet you, too, Ken. See you next week.” She watched him walk off, then exhaled. What in the 308 Melissa Good hell did I just get myself into? she wondered as Kerry ambled over, offering her a bottle of water.

“Wow.” The blonde woman smiled at her. “That was pretty impressive.”

“C’mon, Kerry.” Dar snorted, then took a long sip of the water. “José could have dumped him on his ass, he didn’t know a damn thing.” She sighed. “What an idiot.”

“Well, but will his replacement be any better?” Kerry queried. “The class seems a little generic.”

“Um…actually, it’s me,” Dar muttered.

“What?” She leaned closer. “Did I just hear you say what I think I just heard you say?”

Dar gave her a sheepish look. “I volunteered. I felt bad for those kids, and if I’m going to be around anyway, what the hell, right?”

“Mmm.” Kerry smiled at her. “Well, then, can I get some private lessons?” she quipped.

“Sure,” her companion agreed. “You finished here?” She glanced around.

“I think I promised a hot tub, if I’m not mistaken.”

“Ugh.” Kerry stretched out her arms. “After that climbing thing and those exercises, yeah, I’d love that.” She put her towel over her shoulders, feeling a welcome tingle of anticipation. “Besides which, I’m starved.”

Dar chuckled, and grabbed her own towel. “I can do something about that, too,” she teased gently. “C’mon.”

They retrieved their bags from the locker room and exited the gym, walking out through the well-lit parking area toward where they’d left their cars. Dar knew she was in trouble as they turned the corner of the building, and she felt, rather than saw, shadows heading towards her, the wind bringing a scent of anger and sweat.

“All right, bitch, now we’ll see who’s tough!” The bearded man surged forward, another, shorter figure behind him.

IT WAS AN instinct bone-deep, and Dar obeyed it, pulling Kerry behind her and putting her body between the threat and her companion. She was facing two men, and the darkness kept her from seeing them fully, but her senses were enough for her to react as the closer one swung a dark object at her. She dodged the blow, letting it carry her opponent around, then went for the tough stuff, as her father would have said, and nailed him in the crotch with a powerful knee. He squealed like a pig and dropped to his knees, then she took advantage of that by kicking him in the face.

His friend almost got her, though. He was faster and had time to move in while she was fighting with the other man, and he got in a blow to her kidneys with a piece of steel pipe. Dar felt half her body go numb for a frightening moment, then she let loose with a clumsy, but effective right cross which got past his surprised defenses and bloodied his nose with a crunch.

It gave her enough time to catch her breath and her balance, then she set her body and whipped up a roundhouse kick that nailed her opponent in the jaw and sent him sprawling. “Any more, and I call the cops,” Dar managed to get out. “And I guarantee you’ll be courting girlfriends in the Dade County Tropical Storm 309

Jail in under a half hour.”

“You got my ass fired, you bitch.” The closer man groaned, holding his crotch.

“You got your ass fired, buddy,” Dar responded, taking a step back and feeling Kerry’s hands touch her. “Don’t go blaming it on me.”

The man climbed to his feet and glared at her. “Not just me’s got a problem with you. Better watch your back, ’cause someone’s gonna put a knife in it.” He stumbled off, pulling his companion with him.

Dar watched them go, then let her body lean slowly back against the wall, very aware of concerned green eyes that were studying her in the dim light.

“Morons.”

“Are you okay?” Kerry whispered. “Jesus, Dar, those people are crazy.

Maybe you should have called the police.”

Dar gingerly felt her ribs, then sighed. “No thanks. I’m not in the mood to be spending a couple of hours doing paperwork, I’ve got better things to do.”

She picked up her towel and bag, then nodded toward their cars. “C’mon, let’s get out of here.” She glanced around, spotting a shadowy figure watching them from under a tree nearby. Dar strained her eyes, but she couldn’t make out the features, and she finally turned away with a grim look.

They quietly parted as they reached the car lot, and Kerry went to her car, unaware of the pale blue eyes that watched her until she was safely inside.

Only then did Dar open the door and slide into the leather seat of the Lexus with a stifled groan. The ache in her side throbbed painfully and she sat a moment, leaning against the steering wheel before she straightened up and started the car, putting it in gear and following Kerry’s taillights out of the parking lot.

A grudge? Or something more. The man’s words bothered Dar, and she briefly wondered if some co-worker had taken the opportunity to get back at her. Someone like José, for instance. Would he be that stupid? That venal? The executive sighed. He was that stupid, yes. And hotheaded on top of it. Maybe the chance had just been too much for him to pass up. A couple of bucks slipped to an already pissed-off moron and no dirt on his hands. With a sigh, Dar tried to put it out of her mind and concentrate on something more pleasant.

Who happened to be driving just in front of her, moving the Mustang through the relatively light traffic with casual skill. They would use the hot tub, that’s for sure, then have a light dinner, and her strawberries were waiting—no way was she going to waste time going to the doctor’s for a few bruises. Hell, she was tougher than that.