the door then turned back. “Oh, and Frank? Stop telling everyone we’re sleeping together.”
Ed climbed out of the shower feeling like a new man. He rummaged around his closet until he found a clean shirt and some jeans without holes.
He walked up the hall hoping to meet Cindy, but stopped when he came to Frank’s room.
“What are you doing?”
Frank was stuffing clothes into a duffel bag. “What does it look like?” I’m packing.”
“I can see that. What I meant is, where are you going?”
Frank looked up at Ed, who was leaning against the door jam, but didn’t stop packing. “What did you think of Cindy?”
Ed grinned when he thought of her silhouette in the shower. “Once you’ve seen them naked…”
Frank cut him off. “Hey, dick brain. I mean, what did you think of her?” Ed was taken aback. This was the guy who claimed he was getting laid.
“Hell, how should I know? I guess she has a firm handshake.”
Frank stood and braced both hands on his lower back. “Could you work for her?”
Ed was immediately intrigued. “Doing what?”
“She owns a little country store on the edge of the Redwoods. Sells about everything. You’d be working the counter. The main thing is rafting. Can you swim?”
This was sounding better and better. “When would I have to let her know?”
Frank put on his best shocked face. “What, you’ve got to get your affairs in order? I know—it’s your girl friend, right?”
Ed made a weak protest.
“Unless she’s going to have your babies, I’d blow her off. Cindy’s deal includes room and board if you run the rafting end of things. Matter of fact, I’m supposed to call her tonight and we’d need to be up there tomorrow to start your training. First trip is down the Illinois River.”
Ed couldn’t believe his luck and was suspicious. If he hadn’t meet Cindy, he wouldn’t believe a word Frank said. “Can I call her?”
Frank fished around in his pants pockets, before finally pulling out a wrinkled business card and holding it out.
“The Little Country Store. Cindy James, owner. Cute.” Frank was back to stuffing the duffle bag and looked up. “Call the number on the other side after seven and be sure to ask for Cindy. Don’t leave a message ‘cause she’ll never get it.”
Tuesday was an early out day from school. Ed knew Amy’d go straight to the Dojo. He could meet her there. But he’d have to wait until she finished her lesson and pick her up when she was walking home.
“I’m going need your truck for a couple hours. “
Looking exasperated, Frank stopped his packing, fished a single key out of a pocket and tossed to Ed. “Be sure to gas it up.”
Amy had a green belt in Chinese Kenpo Karate and today was working defenses for front and rear chokes and hair grabs. She knew she was past due for her brown belt test and wondered if today’s training had anything to do with it.
She pushed through the double doors at the entrance of the studio and was surprised to find Claire sitting at the front desk.
“How you doing, Amy?”
The last time her aunt had greeted her like that in the Dojo, there was a surprise belt test.
“Fine. What’s up?”
“Don’t change. Were going to go through your entire orange and purple belt self-defense techniques. We’re shooting for reality here. If you had to use one of these on the street, you wouldn’t be wearing a Karate uniform or be barefoot. Meet me in the back room on the wrestling mat in fifteen minutes.”
Amy walked down the narrow little hall to the woman’s dressing room and stuffed her gym bag in one of the lockers, then emptied her pockets, removed her bracelet and earrings.
Out in the hall, she found herself behind a group of guys that seemed unsure of where they were going. “You guys lost?”
The one directly in front of her turned around. “We’re looking for the wrestling room.”
Maybe sensei had gotten her schedule wrong. “Straight ahead.”
When they filed
Ed climbed out of the shower feeling like a new man. He rummaged around his closet until he found a clean shirt and some jeans without holes.
He walked up the hall hoping to meet Cindy, but stopped when he came to Frank’s room.
“What are you doing?”
Frank was stuffing clothes into a duffel bag. “What does it look like?” I’m packing.”
“I can see that. What I meant is, where are you going?”
Frank looked up at Ed, who was leaning against the door jam, but didn’t stop packing. “What did you think of Cindy?”
Ed grinned when he thought of her silhouette in the shower. “Once you’ve seen them naked…”
Frank cut him off. “Hey, dick brain. I mean, what did you think of her?” Ed was taken aback. This was the guy who claimed he was getting laid.
“Hell, how should I know? I guess she has a firm handshake.”
Frank stood and braced both hands on his lower back. “Could you work for her?”
Ed was immediately intrigued. “Doing what?”
“She owns a little country store on the edge of the Redwoods. Sells about everything. You’d be working the counter. The main thing is rafting. Can you swim?”
This was sounding better and better. “When would I have to let her know?”
Frank put on his best shocked face. “What, you’ve got to get your affairs in order? I know—it’s your girl friend, right?”
Ed made a weak protest.
“Unless she’s going to have your babies, I’d blow her off. Cindy’s deal includes room and board if you run the rafting end of things. Matter of fact, I’m supposed to call her tonight and we’d need to be up there tomorrow to start your training. First trip is down the Illinois River.”
Ed couldn’t believe his luck and was suspicious. If he hadn’t meet Cindy, he wouldn’t believe a word Frank said. “Can I call her?”
Frank fished around in his pants pockets, before finally pulling out a wrinkled business card and holding it out.
“The Little Country Store. Cindy James, owner. Cute.” Frank was back to stuffing the duffle bag and looked up. “Call the number on the other side after seven and be sure to ask for Cindy. Don’t leave a message ‘cause she’ll never get it.”
Tuesday was an early out day from school. Ed knew Amy’d go straight to the Dojo. He could meet her there. But he’d have to wait until she finished her lesson and pick her up when she was walking home.
“I’m going need your truck for a couple hours. “
Looking exasperated, Frank stopped his packing, fished a single key out of a pocket and tossed to Ed. “Be sure to gas it up.”
Amy had a green belt in Chinese Kenpo Karate and today was working defenses for front and rear chokes and hair grabs. She knew she was past due for her brown belt test and wondered if today’s training had anything to do with it.
She pushed through the double doors at the entrance of the studio and was surprised to find Claire sitting at the front desk.
“How you doing, Amy?”
The last time her aunt had greeted her like that in the Dojo, there was a surprise belt test.
“Fine. What’s up?”
“Don’t change. Were going to go through your entire orange and purple belt self-defense techniques. We’re shooting for reality here. If you had to use one of these on the street, you wouldn’t be wearing a Karate uniform or be barefoot. Meet me in the back room on the wrestling mat in fifteen minutes.”
Amy walked down the narrow little hall to the woman’s dressing room and stuffed her gym bag in one of the lockers, then emptied her pockets, removed her bracelet and earrings.
Out in the hall, she found herself behind a group of guys that seemed unsure of where they were going. “You guys lost?”
The one directly in front of her turned around. “We’re looking for the wrestling room.”
Maybe sensei had gotten her schedule wrong. “Straight ahead.”
When they filed
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