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.