she could call her own and
probably never would. Once again, it was time for her to move on and forge a
new path.
The new owner, Rob, looked up from his
newspaper and smiled at her. “There you are. I was wonderin’ when you were
gonna get here, gorgeous.”
She tried to push aside the feeling of
uneasiness that gripped her whenever he looked at her. Fortunately, she’d never
have to face his lecherous sneer again after today. She looked around the empty
studio and frowned. “Where is everyone?” She knew the afternoon instructors
were usually there by lunch time to prepare for their classes.
“I sent them all out for lunch on me when
Barb said you were stoppin’ by to talk to me.” He walked around the counter,
stopping only a few feet from her. “I thought we might need a little privacy.”
She forced herself to swallow the familiar
feeling of dread. She was a strong, independent woman. She could handle
herself. Unfortunately, Rob was also a second degree black belt, and he had few
inches and thirty pounds on her, so she knew she didn’t stand a chance of coming
out on top in a physical altercation.
“Did Barb tell you what I wanted to talk to
you about?” She’d called her friend, Barb, that morning to tell her about the
new job and the fact she’d need her to cover her remaining shifts.
Unfortunately, she never thought to ask her friend to keep it between them. She
assumed that was a given.
“No, she just said you’d be stoppin’ by
around lunch time.” He set his hands on either side of the counter, effectively
caging her in. “But I bet I can guess what this is about.”
He was close enough she could smell the
stale nicotine on his breath. Unlike most martial artists she knew, he didn’t
seem to have any qualms about consuming copious quantities of alcohol, take-out
food, and nicotine. “I’ve decided—”
Before she knew what was happening, he
grabbed the back of her head and forced his mouth down on hers. Rob was fierce,
his teeth piercing the skin of her lower lip. He was trying to force his tongue
into her mouth at the same time she was trying to push him away. She tried
turning her head and pushing against his shoulders, but he was too strong.
Everything in her was screaming out to stop
him the only way she knew how. Evidently, he was going to fight dirty, and she
was determined to do the same. She brought her knee up as hard as she could and
watched with pleasure as he reeled back in agony. “You ever put your hands on
me again and I’ll call the cops, you filthy bastard.”
“You want me, you little bitch,” he
whispered, holding his hands over his crotch as he tried to get to his knees.
“You know you do, and one day…”
Victoria sprinted to her car and didn’t
stop shaking until she was sitting in front of Jay’s karate studio at the other
end of town. It had been so long since she’d felt so helpless. She realized
with stunning clarity that martial arts had given her a false sense of
security. Against a man who was bigger, heavier, and equally as skilled, she
was still the underdog. She dropped her head on the steering wheel and closed
her eyes.
Seconds later, a sharp tap on the window
startled her and she brought her head up. Jay. Thank God. For a brief
moment, she thought maybe Rob had followed her. When she reached for the door
handle, her hand was still trembling. “Hi.” The single word sounded shaky, even
to her.
She cleared her throat and forced a smile.
Her new boss didn’t need to know about her problems with her former employer.
“Perfect timing.”
He scowled as he stepped back to let her
step out of the car.
She jumped back when he brushed his thumb
across her bottom lip.
He showed her the trace of blood on the pad
of this thumb. “What the hell happened to you?”
Victoria shook her head furiously.
“Nothing. I just, uh, bit my lip.”
Jay crossed his arms and shook his head,
looking every bit the fierce warrior she knew him to be when
probably never would. Once again, it was time for her to move on and forge a
new path.
The new owner, Rob, looked up from his
newspaper and smiled at her. “There you are. I was wonderin’ when you were
gonna get here, gorgeous.”
She tried to push aside the feeling of
uneasiness that gripped her whenever he looked at her. Fortunately, she’d never
have to face his lecherous sneer again after today. She looked around the empty
studio and frowned. “Where is everyone?” She knew the afternoon instructors
were usually there by lunch time to prepare for their classes.
“I sent them all out for lunch on me when
Barb said you were stoppin’ by to talk to me.” He walked around the counter,
stopping only a few feet from her. “I thought we might need a little privacy.”
She forced herself to swallow the familiar
feeling of dread. She was a strong, independent woman. She could handle
herself. Unfortunately, Rob was also a second degree black belt, and he had few
inches and thirty pounds on her, so she knew she didn’t stand a chance of coming
out on top in a physical altercation.
“Did Barb tell you what I wanted to talk to
you about?” She’d called her friend, Barb, that morning to tell her about the
new job and the fact she’d need her to cover her remaining shifts.
Unfortunately, she never thought to ask her friend to keep it between them. She
assumed that was a given.
“No, she just said you’d be stoppin’ by
around lunch time.” He set his hands on either side of the counter, effectively
caging her in. “But I bet I can guess what this is about.”
He was close enough she could smell the
stale nicotine on his breath. Unlike most martial artists she knew, he didn’t
seem to have any qualms about consuming copious quantities of alcohol, take-out
food, and nicotine. “I’ve decided—”
Before she knew what was happening, he
grabbed the back of her head and forced his mouth down on hers. Rob was fierce,
his teeth piercing the skin of her lower lip. He was trying to force his tongue
into her mouth at the same time she was trying to push him away. She tried
turning her head and pushing against his shoulders, but he was too strong.
Everything in her was screaming out to stop
him the only way she knew how. Evidently, he was going to fight dirty, and she
was determined to do the same. She brought her knee up as hard as she could and
watched with pleasure as he reeled back in agony. “You ever put your hands on
me again and I’ll call the cops, you filthy bastard.”
“You want me, you little bitch,” he
whispered, holding his hands over his crotch as he tried to get to his knees.
“You know you do, and one day…”
Victoria sprinted to her car and didn’t
stop shaking until she was sitting in front of Jay’s karate studio at the other
end of town. It had been so long since she’d felt so helpless. She realized
with stunning clarity that martial arts had given her a false sense of
security. Against a man who was bigger, heavier, and equally as skilled, she
was still the underdog. She dropped her head on the steering wheel and closed
her eyes.
Seconds later, a sharp tap on the window
startled her and she brought her head up. Jay. Thank God. For a brief
moment, she thought maybe Rob had followed her. When she reached for the door
handle, her hand was still trembling. “Hi.” The single word sounded shaky, even
to her.
She cleared her throat and forced a smile.
Her new boss didn’t need to know about her problems with her former employer.
“Perfect timing.”
He scowled as he stepped back to let her
step out of the car.
She jumped back when he brushed his thumb
across her bottom lip.
He showed her the trace of blood on the pad
of this thumb. “What the hell happened to you?”
Victoria shook her head furiously.
“Nothing. I just, uh, bit my lip.”
Jay crossed his arms and shook his head,
looking every bit the fierce warrior she knew him to be when
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