The Strip

Part 14

Freen POV:

With a grumpy huff, she grabs your watch to check the time, scrunching her brows when her mind can't make sense of the time.

"It doesn't work," you say softly.

Rebecca shrieks and drops the watch, clutching her chest in fright. "Freen," she whispers, "I thought you were still sleeping."

You wince, your hands coming up to cover your ears at her shrill yell. "Well after that, I sure as hell wouldn't be. You nearly broke my eardrum."

"I'm sorry," she says, pressing kisses to your ear. "I was just trying to see what time it was. Why do you wear a watch that doesn't even work?"

"It was my dads. He wore it all the time."

"Have you ever tried to fix it?"

You shake your head.

Rebecca hums and turns the watch over in her hands a few times before setting it back on the side table with more care than someone should give to a broken watch.

You roll onto your side and snuggle into her awaiting arms. You sigh in contentedness. "Will you teach me today?"

***

Rebecca warns you that the dojo is overwhelming to new people - the sounds of grunting and loud rock music mixed with the scent of sweat and blood assaulting when you enter.

You laugh at the warning, reminding your girlfriend that you work in the sleaziest of places, and the if the smell of bodily fluids hasn't put you off yet, nothing will scare you.

You lied.

You hear the screaming rock music in the parking lot, and the sounds of weights repeatedly crashing to the floor that send vibrations through your shoes. It unsettles you, but you carry on with the false bravado you made your living with.

And then you enter the place and all eyes turn your way.

All eyes of people who are larger than life. Their muscles pop, and their legs look like actual tree trunks being swung at one another.

You're about to turn and run, but you end up slamming into the chest of a giant, dark skinned man with a shaved head. His hands are surprisingly gentle as they stop you from falling backwards.

He doesn't say anything to you, adjusting the strap of your shoulder bag for you and dusting off some chalk that his hands transferred to your clothes. Hi gives you a once over, his brown eyes kind in their solemnity.

"Hey Lincoln," Rebecca says to the man. "This is my girlfriend, Freen. We're going to be working on self-defense today, if you don't mind getting the equipment ready."

"Heda," he says with a nod before turning to leave.

"What the heck was that?" you ask, confused by the weird nickname and the even weirder behaviour of the giant man.

Rebecca just laughs as her cheeks flame with embarrassment. "Let's go change."

"No, no, no way! You need to tell me now, Bec."

Your girlfriend sighs and rubs the bridge of her nose. "I might have, maybe, got hit in the head so hard one time that I confused the word head with heda. It's stuck ever since."

You let out a peal of laughter and press a kiss to Rebecca's cheek. "I prefer calling you commander, babe."

Her cheeks dust an even darker red, and she rolls her eyes, pulling you towards the changeroom so you can get started with your session.