“No biggie, just take my word for it. He doesn’t like me.” She shrugs, but she can’t help but feel a little pang of disappointment.
“You never know. Don’t give up a hundred percent,” Victoria states.
Teagan looks at her phone and rolls her eyes. “There is no point in pursuing Trent. He simply saved me, and he is going to teach me self-defense. I’m keeping it at that.”
“Whatever…..” Victoria groans. “Sssssooooo, do you want to go out tonight?”
Laughing, Teagan says, “No. I want to go home, make some cocoa, put on pajamas and write. Last night was enough excitement for a week or so.”
“Okay, I should probably rest too,” Victoria agrees. “I will call you tomorrow. Maybe we can do coffee.”
“Sounds good, talk to you later.”
“Bye Teagan.”
“Bye Victoria.”
Pulling back out of the lot into traffic, Teagan shakes her head and sighs.
* * * * *
Pulling her hair back into a ponytail, Teagan wraps a band around it. “There, that should do it,” she states, smiling at herself.
“You put your hair in a ponytail….really Teagan? I mean, aren’t you trying to impress the guy?” Victoria scoffs.
Teagan rolls her eyes at her friend. “We are going there to learn self-defense moves, not get a date.”
“I am going to see this man candy you were talking about,” Victoria quips. “What reason do you really think I am going?”
“Do you know what happened to me!? Dear lord girl, hopefully it never happens to you!” Teagan yells back at her friend, her voice a little louder than she anticipated.
“I own a Taser,” Victoria sighs.
Teagan stops. “Really? Do you carry it with you all the time?”
Victoria looks up at the ceiling. “I don’t even know where it is.”
“Oh, that will do you a lot of good then. Be serious about this. We need to learn to protect ourselves,” Teagan emphasizes.
“I get it. I get it,” Victoria finally gives in. “We will go and learn to kick ass. Though, I don’t know why you put on make-up and a cute outfit if you are only there to learn some moves.”
Teagan smirks. “A girl can look attractive at one of these things.”
“A girl can look cute to win over the hot instructor,” Victoria replies. “Don’t think you can pull one over on me.”
“We will see,” Teagan says, looking back in the mirror.
“No matter what, you’re a bombshell,” Victoria declares. “He would have to be blind not to notice you.”
Taking one last glance of herself, Teagan states, “That doesn’t matter. We should get going. You know how I feel about being late.”
“Come on girl, let’s go meet your super hero,” Victoria snickers.
The girls do not have to drive far before they arrive at the big, white building complex that houses the dojo, a nail salon, and a pet store. The dojo is large and lit up brightly. Teagan and Victoria stop at the front door. There is a chill in the air, much like the night of the attack, and Teagan can’t help but shiver at both the temperature and the memory of what happened to her. Letting out a deep breath, Teagan says, “Let’s do this.” She opens the door and they walk in. Looking around, Teagan doesn’t see Trent, but there is a group of women standing around a mat. “I guess it’s over there.”
“Where is the sexy teacher?” Victoria whispers.
“I don’t know,” Teagan murmurs back. “Let’s go put our stuff down.” Victoria nods, and they go over to the far side of the mat, where there aren’t as many girls. Teagan slides off her red, fleece-lined jacket and sets it on the floor.
“This is the place isn’t it?” Victoria asks.
“Yeah,” Teagan answers. “Come on, let’s go stand with everyone else.” She nudges her head, and Victoria follows her over there.
There are two girls around Teagan’s age standing next to them. The one giggles and says, “Wait until you see this guy.”
“I know, I can’t wait!” The other one snickers back.
Teagan looks at Victoria and rolls her eyes. “Obviously we are in the right place.”
“Maybe you should text him and make sure,” Victoria teases. “Let him know you are waiting in anticipation.”
“No,” Teagan laughs. “Shut up. I am not texting him or calling him!”
“Come on, you know you want tooooooo,” Victoria draws out.
“She doesn’t need to. He is right behind her,” a deep voice says.
Spinning around, Teagan gasps. Trent is standing there, with a half grin. She smiles, “Hey! I made it!”
“I see that. I am very happy that you came,” Trent replies, gesturing toward them. He turns to Victoria. “I take it this is your friend.”
“Oh yes, Trent this is Victoria. Victoria this is Trent Grayson.”
Victoria looks at Teagan. “Grayson, well isn’t that weird.” She turns back to Trent. “Well, it’s very nice to meet you Trent Grayson.” Victoria sticks out her hand, and Trent shakes it.
“The Grayson part, you knew the other Kellen Grayson also,” Trent suggests.
“The other Kellen Grayson…..” Victoria starts. “Teagan told you about him?”
“Yeah,” Teagan says. “He is an old friend from Chicago.”
“Huh?” Victoria retorts.
“Oh, my full name is Kellen Trent Grayson,” Trent declares. “She had a friend once with the same name.”
Victoria gives Teagan an odd look and then exhales in awe at Trent, “Yeah, not sure if he was a friend, but there was definitely a Kellen Grayson.”
“Isn’t that weird?” Teagan emphasizes, glaring a bit at Victoria while making sure Trent doesn’t notice.
“Just a little bit,” Victoria mutters.
“Are you ladies ready to learn some self-defense tactics?” Trent, oblivious to their conversation, asks them both.
Happy to diffuse the situation with Victoria, Teagan nods, “Yes, I am ready and open to learn.”
“She is definitely open for you to teach her some stuff,” Victoria nudges Teagan with her elbow.
In total embarrassment, Teagan shoots her friend the look of death. “Umm, yes,” Trent coughs. “I am going to start class now.” As he walks past Teagan, he gets close to her and whispers, “I’m glad that you made it.” She smiles broadly.
He walks into the center of the mat. “Welcome ladies. As some of you know, my name is Trent Grayson. I would appreciate it if you address me as Mr. Grayson. This is a ten-week course, every Monday at this time. You have given me your numbers, so if anything should arise, I will contact you about changes. If you have any questions during this course, please, feel free to ask. I want you comfortable and able to replicate what I teach you. So, let’s get started. I want everyone to tell me their name and why you are here.”
There are nervous giggles and groans from all over the group of women. They each go around saying their name and why they came. Finally, it’s Teagan’s turn. “Hi, my name is Teagan. Umm, last Friday night I was assaulted. Luckily, this wonderful guy was there to save me and insisted I take a self-defense course. So, here I am.” The corner of Trent’s mouth twitches up and then disappears.
Victoria goes, “My name is Victoria, and she made me come.”
There are laughs from the rest of the group. Trent claps his hands. “Alright ladies, first I am going to teach you the proper stances you should take when someone is attacking or grabbing you. Who wants to volunteer?”
A lot of hands shoot up. Trent looks at Teagan. She playfully scowls in return. Victoria suddenly shoves her forward and towards Trent. “Victoria!” Teagan hisses.
“Come on Miss Murphy, don’t be shy,” Trent says, with a hint of humor in his tone.
Teagan walks over to him. Trent grabs her and turns her around, so she is facing away from him. “Make sure you keep your hands where they are supposed to be,” Teagan barely whispers to him.
“Why
Miss Murphy, how unprofessional do you think I am?” Trent murmurs back into her ear. Looking up, he says, “All right, you always need a firm hold and stance when doing anything. If an attacker can knock you off your feet, that is going to put you at a disadvantage. So, let’s start there.”
He spends fifteen minutes using Teagan as an example. Finally, he wants everyone to pair off and try to knock each other over. Teagan and Victoria have way too much fun slamming into each other. They end up giggling into a fit. Trent suddenly appears next to them. “Teagan, you need to take this seriously.”
She tries to keep a straight face but can’t. “We are doing what you told us to do! We are just having fun doing it!”
“He would be object less if we were in bikinis and doing this in pudding,” Victoria snorts. Trent shoots her a look, and she shoots one right back.
“I just want you to be serious. This is important,” Trent emphasizes. His eyes flash something between annoyance and frustration.
“I know,” Teagan sighs, “But I can have fun doing it.” She takes a stance. “Try and push me, and you will see that I have been practicing.” Trent shakes his head and shoves her. Teagan barely falters. “See, I am doing well at this.” Trent grins and then pushes her sideways, and she falls back. He quickly grabs her. Teagan gasps, “That is not fair!”
“No, no it isn’t,” Trent replies. “Sorry.”
Teagan stands up and glares at him. Finally, she smirks, “If you wanted to sweep me off my feet, you could have gone a different route.”
“Teagan, stop,” Trent sternly demands. It is obvious he does not appreciate her humor, but she just can’t stop herself.
“Trent, relax,” she retorts quietly.
“It’s Mr. Grayson while we are here,” Trent states.
Rolling her eyes to the heavens, Teagan says, “Batman has disappeared, and Captain stick up my ass is here.”
“Teagan!” Trent hisses loudly. “I don’t want to remove you from class.”
She shuts up quickly and stares at him. “Fine,” she snips. Turning to Victoria, Teagan says, “Get your stuff.”
“Uh oh,” Victoria giggles. She turns and walks to their jackets. Teagan gives a look to Trent and then follows her.
Trent walks up behind them. “You aren’t seriously leaving!?” He reaches out to grab her shoulder, but she brushes him off.
Spinning on her heel, Teagan looks at him. “Listen Trent, I like you. I think you could teach me a lot, but you need to stop being such a hard ass.”
He exhales and rubs his temple. “I told you. Here, I will only be professional.”
“I understand that, but would you talk to any of your other students like this?” With a sigh, Trent shakes his head. Teagan looks down. “Then why are you with me?”
“Because,” he starts. “We have this thing going on outside of class. I need to keep them separated.”
Her eyes flash open. “We have what going on outside of here?”
“We had lunch. You have my numbers. I have your number.”
“You were you planning on using it?” Teagan inquires with curiosity, “Mr. I Don’t Fraternize With Students?”
Trent opens his mouth and then pauses. “Well, I am going to Michigan with you, aren’t I?”
“He is wwwhhhhaaaattttt,” Victoria draws out in shock.
Teagan gives him a look and whispers, “I hadn’t made my mind up about that yet.”
“Well, I’m still offering,” Trent replies. He reaches over and rubs her arm. “Sorry….. please stay. I have to go finish teaching, and I want you here.”
“Okay,” Teagan says, feeling relieved. “No more being a jerk?”
He shakes his head, “No, no more being a jerk. Come on.” Trent nudges his head, and they all walk back to the mat.
A half an hour later, Teagan is putting her jacket on. Victoria exhales dramatically, “I’m tired.”
“You need to get more physical exercise,” Teagan laughs. “I told you I would go run with you or something.”
“You girls should work out three times a week,” Trent states, appearing behind them out of nowhere.
Victoria smiles, “You can give Teagan a workout whenever you want.”
“OH…MY….GOD. Victoria! Shut up!” Teagan yells. Trent looks uncomfortable, but a grin twitches on his mouth anyway. Teagan hangs her head. “Please excuse her.”
Scoffing, Victoria counters with, “Whatever, you need a guy in your life.”
“I don’t need you to get me one, and it’s not going to be Trent,” Teagan declares hotly.
With an evil smile, Victoria laughs, “That’s what you say. Meet you at the front door.”
Teagan and Trent watch her walk away. Teagan turns and says, “Please, ignore her.”
“I don’t fraternize with students, which includes sex,” Trent replies.
“Oh, but you will go to Michigan with me?” Teagan inquires.
He shrugs, “That’s different.”
“Awww,” Teagan whines. “I won’t get any after the wedding?”
“Not from me,” Trent retorts, smiling broadly.
“Damn,” Teagan sighs. “I was hoping to.”
Trent narrows his eyes. “Liar.”
“Yup, pretty much,” she laughs. “You teach an awesome class. I feel as though I am actually learning something.”
“You doubted that you would?” Trent asked, with his eyebrows raised.
She shrugs, “I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I think I will feel more comfortable with myself.”
“Good,” Trent replies.
“Well, I have class in the morning,” Teagan says, picking up her bag. “I will see you next Monday.”
He gives her a soft look and then mutters, “Yeah, I guess I will see you Monday.” Teagan smiles and starts to walk to the door. Trent casually follows her there. “If you need anything before then, let me know.”
Teagan looks up at him. “What do you mean by that?”
Hesitating, Trent shakes his head. “I don’t know, never mind.”
“Like if I can’t get a jar open, you will come to help?” Teagan teases.
“Yes,” Trent laughs. “That’s exactly what I meant.”
“Figured, well sorry, I can open jars just fine without a man,” Teagan declares proudly. “So, I won’t need your help.”
“Okay, then I will see you Monday,” Trent chuckles.
Nudging him with her hip, Teagan whispers, “Maybe I will text you out of boredom.”
“No fraternizing,” Trent retorts.
“Well, I will keep the texts innocent then and send the naked shots to some other guy.”
Trent laughs and then says, “Have a safe ride home.”
“Okay, you too,” Teagan replies. “Talk to you later.”
“Bye.” Trent smiles and then turns around to walk away.
With a smirk, Teagan walks out the door. The chill in the air has turned into straight up cold, and she can see her breath. Victoria is waiting for her at the car. “So….what did his hotness have to say?”
Teagan shakes her head. “Nothing really, that he will see me on Monday.”
“What is this about him going to Michigan with you?” Victoria probes with humor in her tone.
“Well, he offered to go to the wedding. He wants to make sure Justin stays away from me.”
“You need to take him up on that offer!” Victoria exclaims. “Can you imagine the look on Justin’s face!? Trent is like three times the size of Justin!”
Giggling, Teagan says, “Yeah. It would actually be pretty funny.”
“Funny,” Victoria counters. “It would be hilarious! Plus, Trent is hot! Justin would know he doesn’t have a chance in hell.”
Shaking her head, Teagan sighs, “I can’t take him to Michigan. It would be lying to my friends.”
“You don’t have to say he is your boyfriend,” Victoria points out. “Just a date.”
“That is what Trent said. I don’t know. I just
met the guy. It could be weird. Maybe he is a serial killer in his spare time.”
“Well…..I doubt that, but okay. Isn’t it worth the risk?” Victoria inquires with a grin. “Imagine what Justin’s reaction would be.”
Teagan smiles, “He would have a coronary.”
“I say, take Trent. Maybe you guys could get closer while you are there.”
With a snort, Teagan replies, “It’s not even like that at all, but I will definitely think about taking him.”
“Go for it Teagan,” Victoria urges. “It’s better than going dateless and being near Justin alone.”
“True,” Teagan exhales, not sure on what to do. The idea of seeing Justin again makes her stomach turn.
“So, do you want to do breakfast before class tomorrow?” Victoria inquires. “I could go for an omelet.”
“Sure,” Teagan laughs as they drive away from the building and into the darkening night.
* * * * *
The newscaster says, “Hello, thanks for joining us on this beautiful Sunday morning!”
Teagan pours her coffee and sighs. When she takes her first sip, she glances down at her cell phone. She has been wanting to text Trent all week, but has chosen not to. She doesn’t even know what she would say. Abruptly, her phone starts to ring. Teagan gets hopeful, but then sees that it is Isaac. She exhales and answers, “Hello.”
“Hey Teagan!” Isaac exclaims. “What are you doing this afternoon?”
“Studying for my test,” Teagan sighs. “I have been all weekend.” She looks around the apartment. “I need to get some cleaning done around here, also, before my dishes go on strike from neglect.”
“Want to get away from it for a while? We are going to the pub to shoot some pool.”
Thinking about it for a minute, Teagan asks, “Who is going?”
“Michael, Emily, Victoria and me,” Isaac answers. “Come on, you know you want to come!”
“Sure, why not,” Teagan replies. “What time are you going?”
“2 o’clock. Want me to pick you up?”
“No, I will meet you there,” Teagan states quickly. “I’ll call Victoria and see if she wants a ride.”
“Okay,” Isaac mumbles, sounding disappointed.
Teagan rolls her eyes. “See you there.”
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