Under the Influence

by L. B. Simmons

  “Hey, Spencer.” He’s winded as he speaks. He blots his face theatrically with the towel around his neck before blatantly eyeing my chest. I raise my brow and wait patiently for him to meet my eyes. Once he does, he smiles widely and inquires, “Want to partner up?”

  I open my mouth to politely refuse, but my words are interrupted by a rough, gravelly voice. “She’s with me.”

  My eyes fly upward to the bearded face now towering above both me and Cody. The man’s brown stare narrows on Cody and I pinch my lips together to conceal my laughter at Cody’s horrified expression and paling face.

  The man says nothing else. He just continues to glare until it becomes so awkward, Cody is forced to relent with a defeated sigh. Clearly flustered, he nervously dips his head in my direction before slinking off to find another victim. Normally I would feel bad, but I’m reminded of his eye assault on my chest, so I don’t.

  The bearded man drops his gaze to me. I clear my face of the repressed smile because this guy doesn’t look like he enjoys laughter … or humor … or much of anything, actually.

  I extend my arm. “Spencer Locke.”

  He accepts my offer and shakes my hand. “Liam Kelley.”

  As soon as our skin makes contact, my chest flutters wildly. I gently remove my hand from his grasp and wipe it on the side of my yoga pants, strangely dazed by the feeling. His gaze falls on my leg then rises to meet mine. I just smile back as though my reaction is completely normal.

  Liam’s attention is broken as Grady hands him an orange rubber gun before offering one to the couple paired next to us. We both watch in silence as he turns to face the class once all the guns have been distributed. “We’re going to focus on what to do if your attacker is holding a gun to the side of your head from behind. Cassie, can you come up here for a demonstration?”

  Cassie’s ponytail whips from side-to-side as she happily bounds her way to where Grady stands. As she turns, her eyes find mine and she breaks into a broad smile, waggling her eyebrows as he moves to stand behind her. I try to suppress my giggle as I shake my head. For some reason, Liam exhales forcefully beside me. I don’t dare look, keeping my eyes glued on Cassie, who’s still smiling. Grady takes his stance behind her, then places the rubber gun to her temple. “There are four steps to take when dealing with a gun in use by an attacker. Redirect. Control. Counteract. Disarm. For example…”

  Grady reaches around the front of Cassie’s body and moves her left wrist across her chest to secure her hand on the barrel of the gun. Her fingers curl over the top as his hand envelops hers. “Redirect, control, and counter attack pretty much happen at the same time, so pay attention. The first thing you need to do is get a secure grip on the gun as Cassie is doing correctly here. Then, you will lean forward and drop your base while redirecting the gun toward the attacker. Like this…”

  He presses Cassie’s body forward with his own and with his hand still covering hers, twists her wrist, then presses the muzzle away from her temple and points it backward. Her grin widens at their close and suggestive positioning as she focuses on the mat below their feet. My lips curl into themselves but a hint of laughter manages to escape through my nose.

  “At the same time you lean and redirect, you will also counter attack as you throw a straight arm back into this open area right here. Cassie, extend your free arm backward.”

  She does as instructed, swinging her arm back until it’s lodged in his armpit.

  “Good. Now, let’s try it all in one motion.”

  Grady removes his hold on her and rises to stand as they both reset to their original position. He places the gun back against her head and surprisingly, she executes the technique perfectly. Grady’s body falls off center with her movement and once the gun is pointing in his direction, he continues.

  “Excellent job, Cassie. Now, for the disarming. See this arm,” he motions to the arm lodged under his, “You want to bring your forearm back toward your body and lock his arm with yours, like this.” He bends Cassie’s arm until it hooks around his as she pivots on her feet. With her grip still tight on the gun, she twists his wrist with her movement and disarms the gun from his hand. He smiles widely at her before readdressing the class.

  “What that does is effectively remove you from danger, but it also thwarts the attacker’s hold, making it easier to acquire the gun as Cassie has already demonstrated.”

  Thwart.

  As soon as the word leaves his lips, memories of the word used long ago flood my mind. The air whooshes violently from my lungs, which is unfortunate because I’m mid-swallow when it happens. As a result, I begin to choke and cough heinously. I cover my mouth and bend at the waist as my body tries to expel my entire left lung. Cassie whirls around as tears spring in my eyes, and through my blurred vision, I see her take a step toward me. I hold up my hand and shake my head, signaling that I’m all right.

  “I’m okay,” I force through sporadic coughs. As soon as I can breathe, I suck in a long breath and cough one more time before repeating, “I’m okay.”

  The whole class stares at me while I wipe the tears from my eyes and my face heats with embarrassment. I crinkle my nose before smiling sheepishly back at the crowd, then turn my gaze to my partner. I can’t tell because of the blasted beard covering his mouth, but I think his lips are barely curved into a hint of a smile.

  His brown eyes scan my face before he asks in his rough voice, “You have an aversion to the word thwart?”

  Yes, I do. A very strong one.

  “No,” I lie. “I just … choked.”

  Liam continues watching me and I feel my reddened face turn a shade darker.

  Thankfully, Grady addresses the class, breaking the awkwardness of the moment as we return our attention to him. “Your turn. The larger of the two will be the attacker. The smaller will play the potential victim and execute the technique just demonstrated.”

  I clear my throat and turn to Liam with my brows raised. “I’m assuming I will be the victim in this scenario?”

  He dips his head briskly and moves to stand behind me, rubber gun in hand. As he closes the distance, the heat from his body begins to seep through my tank top and I inhale deeply. His woodsy cologne fills my nostrils and an electric current begins to hum through my body that I haven’t felt in years. Not even with Brandon.

  Every single hair on my body stands on end and my pulse quickens. Liam sets his hand gently between my shoulder blades and places the gun against my head. His warm breaths hit my neck and I suppress a shudder. Yet, as I take in the situation in its entirety, I squash the temptation to burst out laughing because my response to his presence is just so odd. Odd because I have no idea why I’m reacting this way to someone I don’t even know, and odd because there is a freaking gun pressed against my temple. Talk about inappropriate.

  I shake my head and refocus. “Ready?”

  He chuckles. “You gonna ask the attacker if he’s rea—”

  I reach for the gun and twist its position before lurching forward and extending my arm backward, then lock his arm with mine and turn, removing the gun from his grasp … all before he finishes his sentence. My face splits into a satisfied grin as I take in his stunned expression. Releasing the gun, I let it dangle from my index finger.

  “Again?”

  The whites of his teeth peek out from behind his beard, confirming that the man can actually smile. He shakes his head. “I think you’ve got that one down. Want to try something else?”

  I nod eagerly and we remain in our own little bubble as we go over other defensive situations. We cover various techniques such as breaking choke holds, wrist manipulations, defensive punches, and kicks. Grady leaves us alone while he instructs the rest of the students, and by the time class is over, my tank is soaked and every single part of my body aches.

  Except one very important part…

  Because with each punch thrown, I feel my confidence grow.

  With each kick landed, I feel self-assurance brew withi
n me.

  And with each round of genuine laughter shared with my new fuzzy-faced partner, I feel the gaping hole in my chest begin to close. For the first time in five years, my heart doesn’t hurt. I feel...

  Happy.

  And as I walk out the doors of the gym, strong and assured, I find myself wanting to kiss the person who left that stupid flyer on my windshield.

  COOL AIR HITS MY FACE as I lean forward to turn the air conditioning up full blast. Cassie giddily lands herself in the passenger seat next to me with her face still flushed, although this time I’m pretty sure it’s due to the workout.

  Until she states, “We’ve got a date set for tonight.”

  A rush of panic ricochets through my chest. “What?”

  She nods, then pulls her phone out of the bag she left in my car. An unknown number is forcefully shoved in my line of sight, so close I go cross-eyed while trying to read it. I press the phone away, refocus my blurry vision, then redirect my attention to her, still unsure of what she’s trying to tell me.

  “Grady,” she responds, lowering her cell into her lap and thumbing his name into her contacts. Her eyes are filled to the brim with excitement when she brings her gaze to my stupefied expression.

  “We’re going on a date with Grady?” My tone is incredulous.

  Brows pinched, she jerks her head back, clearly appalled. “No, hooker. I’m going with Grady Bennett—Krav Maga instructor extraordinaire and quite possibly the hottest guy on the entire planet. You will be accompanying his friend, Liam Kelley—the beautifully built bearded wonder who made you smile for the first time since you’ve been back in Fuller.”

  I shake my head frantically. “Um, no.”

  A devilish smile is received in return. “Um, yes.”

  I begin to vehemently refuse, but I’m interrupted as Cassie launches forward and covers my mouth with her hand. “Spencer, you need to get out and go on a goddamn date. Since you’ve been back, you’ve done nothing but hole yourself up in your room and study for your Masters. Other than going to work at the coffee shop and helping your mom at the center, of course. You chose to come back here, instead of staying at Wilmington, and so help me … if it has anything to do with Dal—”

  At the mention of his name, an inaudible sound reverberates through my throat and my eyes widen as hers narrow into a determined glare. She firms her hold against my mouth, pressing her hand closer. “Dalton, I will throat punch you. I know you say you’re over him, but you’re not. You weren’t when you were dating Brandon and you’re not now. I can see it in your eyes.”

  Her expression softens and a tinge of sadness flashes across her face as she whispers, “He’s gone, Spence. He’s not coming back.”

  Our gazes remain unbroken as I allow her words to penetrate the fortitude of my self-delusion. She’s right. I know she’s right.

  And I hate myself for it.

  I exhale through my nose and give her a defeated dip of my head. Then I lick her palm because I can’t breathe.

  “Ewwwww! Spencer!”

  Laughing, she whisks her hand away from my mouth only to press it against my cheek and drag it down my face. Giggling, I swat her arm away before rubbing my face against my shoulder. “Fine. I’ll go. But for your information, I came back here because it’s less expensive and Jim’s college fund was almost depleted.”

  Cassie winks as she relaxes back into her seat. “Right.”

  I roll my eyes before starting up the engine. Now that his name has been spoken, I can no longer avoid the memories associated with it. Images of Dalton flood me. Shaggy blond hair. Crooked smiles. Sweetness of scent. Softness of lips. Laughter. Sunsets. Stars. Crystal clear blue eyes holding the promise of tomorrow.

  I swallow deeply as I try to control their progression, finally turning to Cassie for a much-needed distraction. “You know, the last double date we went on didn’t turn out so well.”

  She laughs. “Yeah, but at least this time if you throw a punch it will be with correct form.” Her smile softens as she squeezes my hand. “Give him a try, Spence. You never know.”

  I place my other hand over hers and offer with sincerity, “I promise to give Grizzly Adams a fair try.” A goofy grin crosses her face as I ask, “What’s the plan?”

  As though jolted back to reality, she stiffens and removes her hand from my grasp to grab her phone. Her home screen flashes on as she exclaims, “Shit! Showers! That’s the plan! We’re meeting them in an hour and a half at Bambino’s!”

  My arm lifts and I throw the car in reverse. “Seriously? You couldn’t give us more time?”

  The car coasts backward as she responds, “I didn’t want to give you time to think about it.”

  “Well, shit…” I shift into drive before practically peeling out of the parking lot. “Mission accomplished.”

  An hour and a half later, we pull into Bambino’s right on time and surprisingly put together for the amount of time allotted.

  Cassie’s dark hair is pulled into a tight bun at the base of her neck, the smooth effect matching the sleekness of the black, one-shoulder mini dress practically painted on her body. Her dark eyes are framed top and bottom with smoky gray, and her lips are coated in a light color gloss, bringing out the dramatic effect of the eyeshadow. And, of course, her feet are donning six-inch heels with a thin black strap crossing over her toes and a wider one circling her ankle. She looks incredible.

  Not nearly as overtly sexual, I glance down at my off-the-shoulder, rust-colored peasant top that lies above a pair of dark skinny jeans. My hair is down as usual, with tiny braids that crown my head and join together in the back. The only thing remotely out of the ordinary for me are the heels on my feet. The style is similar to Cassie’s with the exceptions of color (mine are beige) and the fact that they’re not stilts (only four inches).

  After pulling into an open spot, the growl of my engine dies and we both look at each other, our nervous excitement charging the air. We smile in unison, then both release a calming breath and nod when we’re ready to exit the car. As we approach the restaurant, we’re met by two rather handsome gentlemen standing by the front door.

  Grady looks delectable dressed in a navy blue button down folded over his muscular forearms and tucked into a pair of dark, charcoal dress pants. The color of his shirt highlights his bright blue eyes, and I shake my head to rid the involuntary comparison my mind brings forth. His light brown hair is still tied secured at the back of his head, showcasing those eyes, and the wide grin on his face tells me he is very pleased with the appearance of his date. As he should be.

  Cassie releases a light sigh and steps ahead of me, taking his offered hand as he guides her toward the door. I smile as I watch them, then turn my attention to the man now heading in my direction.

  My smile broadens when I see the white teeth through the full beard of Liam Kelley as he approaches. Like Grady, he’s donning a button down shirt that hugs the muscles of his chest and is clad in a pair of dark dress pants. Unlike Grady, the shirt is a medium grey, and instead of being secured, his coffee-colored hair flows freely as it hits his shoulders.

  A nervous flutter stretches through the expanse of my stomach. “Hi,” I offer meekly once he’s in front of me.

  “Hello.” The low register and rasp of his voice hits my ears and the flutter spreads to my chest in response. He glances down at my wrist. “Nice bracelet.”

  My hand involuntarily crosses my body to cover it, almost as though I’ve been caught wearing something I shouldn’t. “Yeah, I’ve had it for years. I can’t seem to take it off. They’re…” I lightly trace the tips of my fingers over the beads, “Onyx.

  He hums. “The stone of protection.”

  I give him a small smile as his gaze meets mine. The sides of his eyes crease as he gestures toward the door. “Shall we?”

  I nod and fall into step with him as he places his hand at the small of my back. Leaning in as we walk, he states, “I’m sorry. This kind of came out of nowhere. Once Grad
y gets an idea in his head, there’s no stopping him.”

  I laugh. “Yeah, Cassie too. I have a feeling they’re very much alike.”

  Liam chuckles. “You have no idea.”

  My eyebrows quirk upward with his response because neither should he. It’s not like he knows her. I let the oddity go without comment and smile as we enter the restaurant. Once we’re seated, I order a glass of Pinot Grigio while Grady and Cassie both order Cabernet. Liam orders a glass of water and I find myself praying he’s not one of those health food gurus. The thought, however, is quickly laid to rest when he orders chicken parmesan instead of a salad. I breathe a small sigh of relief, then order my own chicken parm.

  After a small session of obligatory small talk, Grady and Cassie quickly abandon us as they fall into their own discussion and an awkward silence begins to filter between Liam and me.

  My fingers lazily trace the condensation on my wine glass and I haphazardly glance over at Liam as he watches Grady and Cassie’s interaction, his face completely relaxed for the first time since I’ve met him earlier today.

  And what I see drives a molten hot spear right through my ribcage straight into my heart.

  Because with the orange glow of the candle on the table highlighting his features, there’s a freakishly uncanny resemblance to the person so often seated to my left during many a sunset. I didn’t see it before, but with the lighting…

  My eyes widen and a current of surprise jolts my entire system. Reflexively, my hand shoots forward and sends my glass of wine flying across the table.

  And on to Cassie’s dress.

  As soon as she’s splattered with the cold liquid, she gasps out loud and swipes madly at the black fabric. I grab my purse, lean over the table and down the rest of her Cabernet before announcing, “Cassie, we need to go to the bathroom. Now.”