Chapter Fourteen
Jet
I rolled over in bed to see the most beautiful creature beside me. Sunlight shone through the window and caressed her face. I didn’t want to wake her; I just wanted to watch her while she slept. She was peaceful and beautiful, and when she opened her eyes, the spell was broken. Her eyes fluttered open and closed repeatedly as she fully awakened.
“Hi,” she whispered.
“How did you sleep?”
“Like a baby. You have a nice bed.”
I laughed. “The parental units spared no expense.”
“Must be nice.”
“It's alright. Doesn't matter to me what kind of bed I sleep in.”
“Yeah, you say that until you sleep in a bad bed and wake up sore.”
I smiled. “Maybe.”
She rubbed her eyes, and brushed her hand through her hair. She wasn't self-conscious at all; there was no rush to get to the bathroom to put on makeup. Her movements were from habit, not out of insecurities. She rolled over on her back and stared at the ceiling. I wondered what went through her head; l wished I knew.
“Would you like some breakfast?” I asked.
She turned her head to me and grinned. “I would love some.”
“Okay, I will meet you in the kitchen. Feel free to use the bathroom to freshen up.”
“Thanks.”
I rolled out of bed and waited until she got out and went into the bathroom. I changed out of my flannel pants and put on some clothes. I exited the bedroom and headed to the kitchen. Kyle was up, and already playing video games.
“Hey, man, what time did you get in?”
Kyle looked up and answered, “Like, 4:00 a.m. You left the bar pretty quickly. You found a girl real quick, right?”
“Something like that.”
“What time did she leave?”
“She didn't. She's still here, so behave yourself.”
“You let her sleep over? Seriously? When have you ever done that?”
I went into the kitchen and started to put some coffee on. I grabbed a filter and put it in the coffee machine. I added a scoop of coffee, and then filled the pot with water. Once I emptied it into the machine, I turned it on. I loved the smell of coffee in the morning because it always reminded me of possibilities, of a fresh start to take over the world.
I opened the fridge and pulled out some cream. I assessed the rest of the fridge to determine what there would be for breakfast. It looked like it was going to be bacon and eggs. I turned on the stove, and started to put slices of bacon in a pan. I waited to hear the sizzling of the bacon cooking. I pulled out the eggs as well, but they would have to wait.
When I turned around, Natalie was behind me, and Kyle's jaw was on the floor. Yes, I would have some explaining to do later. However, for the time being, it was sort of amusing that Kyle was so shocked that it was the artist I had brought home from the bar.
“Kyle, this is Natalie. Natalie ... Kyle. Kyle is my roommate and teammate.”
“Hi,” she said tentatively.
“Hey, what's up? Nice to meet you.”
I could tell by Natalie's expression that she realized that Kyle was the one who told everyone we had slept together. She held herself together pretty well, though, not giving anything away.
I turned back to the bacon, and started flipping the pieces while she moved up beside me and smiled.
“Bacon. How healthy.”
I laughed. “Please tell me you're not on a diet.”
“No, but aren't you supposed to eat properly?”
“I do, for the most part. But I also indulge. My body burns food up like fuel since I train a lot. I am careful when I'm preparing for a fight, because I may need to cut weight; but if I'm not training, then I have a little more leeway.”
She just nodded.
With the bacon well underway, I fried us up some eggs.
“Would you like some coffee?”
“Yes, absolutely.”
I poured her a cup of coffee. “Would do you like in it?”
“I can make my own, thank you.”
I watched as she opened drawers until she found the silverware. She plucked out a spoon and proceeded to add cream and sugar to her coffee. I watched her stir it, mesmerized by the swirling in her cup. I smiled as she looked up at me.
“Have a seat,” I told her.
She carried her cup over to our small kitchen table. I prepared some plates with bacon and eggs and brought them over and sat them down.
“So I was thinking that maybe I could help you out today.”
“Help me again? I think you’re already doing that with my school assignment.”
“Yeah, well. Good thing I like you.”
She blushed, and I liked how the crimson went across her cheeks. “So how are you going to help me?”
“By teaching you some self-defense. That way, if you ever find yourself in a situation like yesterday, you will be able to defend yourself.”
She thought about it for a moment and then nodded. “I guess so.”
“Great. Let’s get going, then.”
We quickly finished our breakfast before heading to the gym.
“Okay, self-defense is really simple. The movements are basic, and they will ensure your safety the next time some guy gets in your face.”
I saw her shudder as she remembered what happened to her the night before. I went through some movements with her on how to get out of a choke hold, as well as a defensive hold. I showed her how to use her car keys as a weapon, and how to throw a punch.
“Okay, let's try an attack. I'll come up from behind you and put my arms around you, and you try to break the hold.”
She made a face, and then said, “Sure, let's give it a try.”
I went up behind her nice and close, wrapped my arms around her shoulders, and pulled tight. It was then that I realized her hair smelled like strawberries. My heart began to beat hard, and having her there in such close proximity aroused me the hell out of me.
“Jet?”
I hadn't realized I dazed out for a bit. I pulled her in tighter, trying to concentrate on the movement, and then told her to go for it.
In one fluid movement, she elbowed me in the stomach, which loosened my grip on her. She moved quickly, grabbing my arm and twisting it around so that I was forced to let go. She spun around, and only then did she let me go. She was blushing hard, and it made me think she knew why I was in such a daze. Oh boy.
“Well that's probably good for today, you got some basics down, and at least you can throw a clean punch.”
“Yup, and next time a guy tries to mug me, he’ll wish he didn’t.”
I wrapped my arm around her neck and held her for a second before letting her go.
“Well, let’s hope it never comes to that.”