what I said earlier, you need to think. Panic causes you to be irrational and in a situation like this, you need to think things through. Get with your partner and practice. If you need help or have a question, just call me over.”
He sat down on a chair in the corner and pulled out his cellphone.
“Up we go, baby cakes,” Rollo said, giving me a hand. “Come at me.”
I tried out the different techniques Jared had taught us and then switched and let Rollo try.
I didn’t even like for Rollo to touch me, but I didn’t mind his touch nearly as much as I did a strangers.
After switching back and forth from being attacked, to attacker, Jared told us to stop.
“Good,” he said, with his hands on his hips. “I think you’ve all got it down pretty good. I want one partner from each pair to follow me out to the hallway, to suit up.”
“Suit up?” One of the girls asked.
“Protective suit,” Jared answered. “I want you to get a feel for hitting something with force. This way,” he nodded and headed out of the room.
I started to follow him but Rollo grabbed my wrist and pulled me back.
“I’ll do it baby cakes. Besides, we’re here for you, not me,” he smiled and followed the others.
Jared came back with the group of people. They were wearing padded suits and these weird helmet things.
“Okay, I want you to hit your partner, like they were an actual attacker. These suits,” Jared clapped his hand on the shoulder of the person next to him. “Are very resistant. Don’t worry about hurting your partner. They won’t feel much of anything. Just go at them with all you’ve got.”
I faced Rollo. “I don’t want to hit you,” I whispered.
“Baby cakes, you have to. I won’t feel a thing,” he assured me.
My hands shook.
“Come on, Katy,” Rollo said, “You can do it.”
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.
Someone grabbed my arm and I let out a small scream before elbowing them with my free arm.
“Humph,” the person let out, before letting me go.
I turned to see Jared. Instead of glaring at me like I expected, he was actually laughing.
He turned to Rollo. “Remind me to never mess with her. That was quite the hit you gave me, Katy.”
“I’m so sorry,” I shook my head, hoping my hair would hide my flaming cheeks. First, I flipped out on Paul, and now I was hitting Jared. They were going to kick me out of this class. That was for sure.
“It’s not a problem,” Jared chuckled, his warm brown eyes searing me to the spot. “It’s my fault, I kind of snuck up on you. That was quite the hit you gave me, though,” he pulled up his shirt, flashing everyone in the classroom his abs. “See,” he pointed to a red spot on his stomach.
“I did that?” I asked, surprised.
He laughed and let his shirt drop back down. “Yeah, I think it’s going to bruise. And let me tell you,” he leaned down closer to me, so that I was the only one that heard his next words. “I don’t bruise easily, Katy.”
I blushed and stumbled back a step.
In a lightning fast move, he reached out and grabbed me so that I didn’t fall. As soon as I was righted, he let go.
“I think that’s all for today,” Jared announced. “Todd should be back next week.”
With that, Jared was gone.
“He’s sexy as hell,” Rollo whispered to me, “but kinda weird.”
I laughed. I had to agree with Rollo on both accounts.
I helped him out of the protective gear and we put it away.
We were almost out of the building when someone called my name.
I turned and saw Jared standing in the doorway to the room I had run into last time we were here. What had he said it was? I think he’d called it his training room.
He stood there, wrapping his hands in the white stuff, and he’d already ditched his shirt.
I stood there ogling him and finally he said, “Katy?”
“Uh… yeah?”
“Come here for a second,” he nodded his head into the training room.
I looked at Rollo. “Wait here.”
He chuckled. “I’ll be right here, baby cakes, don’t worry,” he dropped onto one of the chairs in the waiting room.
I headed back down the hallway, and into the room Jared had disappeared into.
“What do you need?” I asked, looking anywhere but at him.
“Why won’t you go out with me?”
Way to get straight to the point.
He chuckled.
Oh