talking about wanting to find a slower pace city to teach in I told him about our town. I invited him out for a visit and he fell in love with the place and opened his studio down the road. So I moved back home and became his assistant.”
Maggie stood listening to Jessi’s story. This was probably the last thing in the world she imagined Jessi doing. Sure she liked to run, but she had never been a girl that was particularly into sports. She’d been a girly girl, into boys and her music and that was all. This girl that Maggie had always thought of as the epitome of pretty and feminine had turned into a badass babe.
“Wow Jessi, that’s amazing. I could never imagine taking a karate class. I think I would feel stupid or something you know? I’ve never been into sports and I know I’m not coordinated.”
Jessi laughed the wonderful sparkling laugh Maggie remembered that always reached her eyes, “That’s the great thing though. You don’t have to be sporty or in great shape or even particularly coordinated. You learn that. You build it as you go. You know what? We’re actually having a free self-defense class coming up this weekend. You should come. It’s all women in the class except for Sensei Sung of course. He’s fantastic though. I think you would really like him.”
Maggie couldn’t help but smile when Jessi laughed. She tilted her head to the side thinking about Jessi’s words. “A self-defense class huh? You know that actually might be exactly what I’m looking for right now. I need to get out of the house for more than work. Yes. I think I will go. Thanks for inviting me Jessi I really appreciate it.”
It was Maggie’s turn to check out so she stepped up to the register to pay. She waited for Jessi to complete her purchase and they walked out to the parking lot together. They chatted about old friends and what Maggie had gone to college for, and what she was doing now. Jessi gave her condolences for the death of Maggie’s father. They said their good-byes at Jessi’s jeep and Maggie made her way to her Prius. She felt lighter, happier somehow.
All in all it had been a good day. Reconnecting with an old friend. Making plans to take a self-defense class which that in itself would definitely help her to feel more secure. Maggie loaded her groceries in her car and made her way home. For the first time in years she actually felt a sense of hope about the future and the journey to come.
Chapter 4
ASH
Ash took a drag off the one hitter between his lips and leaned against the corner of the barbershop that stood across the street from the library. He watched Maggie get out of the white Prius that belonged to her father and walk into the library. Her steps seemed faster today. Almost chipper. It was a big difference from the day before. Ash watched her walk into the library on the first day of her new job looking like she was carrying a hundred pounds on each shoulder. Today she was almost smiling.
Last night Ash recruited the Steel Breed’s computer guru to track down some background info on Maggie. So far Ash had learned that she’d received her bachelor’s in library sciences the year she’d married her husband and that otherwise her life had been a blank slate. She hadn’t worked since finishing school and other then a brief stint in the hospital from what was reported to be an assault during a breaking and entering she didn’t have any outstanding notes on her record.
Whether consciously or not she was still clothing herself in black. Lucky for Ash black was his favorite color. Up top she wore a simple button down long sleeve shirt with the top few buttons popped open. Below she wore a knee length pencil skirt and tights with what appeared to be sensible chunky shoes.
As his eyes traveled up her body they stopped dead at her hair, which she had worn up in a high tight bun. How the fuck Ash could get an erection from a damn hairstyle he had no clue. And even