Getting into a relationship was the last thing he’d thought about two weeks ago. But as he watched Lynn across the table, he could picture that with her. The realization both scared and intrigued him in equal measures.
~*~
Lynn had dressed in some cotton pants that morning and a baggy tan t-shirt just in case she decided to take Nathan up on the invitation to class. Her intention was to play it by ear and see how breakfast went.
She hadn’t anticipated spending nearly two hours at the waffle house eating and talking. They might have stayed longer if some of the staff wasn’t giving them some funny looks. They finally took pity on them, Nathan paid the bill, and they left the restaurant.
Now she was following him through town to the academy where he promised to show her around while they waited for his first class to begin.
Butterflies flitted around in her stomach as they pulled into a parking lot and found spaces to park. It was ridiculous to be this nervous. After all, she’d performed in front of huge crowds many times in the past. This ought to be a cake-walk. Annoyed with herself, she tried to shove her nerves aside as she got out of her car.
Nathan told her about the academy and about Gregor, the man who owned it. Lynn noted the photos of individuals and classes that covered the walls inside while shelves proudly displayed trophies.
Nathan led the way to the front counter. He leaned over and nabbed a piece of paper while the woman behind the counter spoke to someone else on the phone. She shot Nathan a smile.
He handed the paper and a pen to Lynn. “Here, if you’ll fill this out, then we’ll have everything we need in case you decide to come back after today.”
The hopeful look on his face was adorable. It was almost enough to make Lynn commit to the class right now. “You’re very optimistic.”
“I try.” He cupped her elbow with a large hand. “If you’re good here, I need to go get a few things ready before class starts.”
All Lynn could do was nod. He squeezed her elbow slightly before moving away. It took her several moments to stop thinking about the way his touch had sent her pulse into a gallop.
When she’d finished filling out the form and handed it to the woman behind the counter, Lynn turned and made her way to the mats out on the floor.
There were several families already out there. Lynn was relieved to see she wasn’t the only individual to join as well.
Nathan held a clipboard and made several notes before looking up with a smile. “Good morning, everyone. I hope you all had a good week.” Several murmurs followed along with one young girl who announced that she lost a tooth. Nathan knelt down to see the new gap in her mouth and nodded appreciatively. “That’s awesome, Sarah.”
“Now I can do this!” The little girl stuck the tip of her tongue through the gap, eliciting chuckles all around.
Nathan gave her a high five, and she went back to stand with her family. “We have two people trying out the class today. Please welcome Vince,” he pointed to a guy who didn’t look the least bit nervous, “and Lynn.”
Lynn gave a little wave and what she hoped was a normal smile. Nathan’s gaze rested on her a moment longer before he started the class.
She had no idea what to expect from jiu-jitsu, but she was surprised that the first twenty minutes of the class was comprised of stretching and conditioning exercises. It made sense, especially considering how difficult some of them were. Lynn did her best to keep up with everyone else and thought she didn’t do too badly. Only once did Nathan have to stop by and help her correct her form.
Once they’d finished warming up, Nathan explained what they’d been doing last week. He called up another guy to demonstrate the hold. Lynn worried about who she would be sparring with until Nathan paired her with another woman. She ignored the one-part disappointment mixed with the three-parts relief that she wouldn’t be sparring with Nathan.
Even then, Lynn felt awkward and uncoordinated as she tried to figure out the hold. At one point, Nathan came over to them.
“You’re doing great, Lynn, but you need to put your arm on the other side. Like this.” He placed a hand on her arm and showed her where it should be positioned.
The whole time, Lynn willed herself not to blush, although she was certain her face was already red from exertion. Her lighter complexion and the ease with which she blushed was one of the things she’d always hated growing up.
She’d since learned how to control her reactions better. Except, apparently, when she was in Nathan’s presence.
With the help of her partner, she tried to follow his directions and got a nod of approval. Hopefully she wasn’t making a complete fool of herself.
~*~
Lynn had clearly never participated in any form of martial arts. Nathan could tell she was trying just as hard as anyone else, though, and saw improvement in that first class. If she decided to sign up for his class, he was certain she could pick things up quickly.
He stopped to help her and Jasmine several times as they practiced holds. Every time he spoke directly to Lynn, she maintained eye contact just enough to get directions before she was focusing on the exercise or hold itself. He wasn’t sure if she was that intent on his instructions, or if she was nervous around him. That last possibility intrigued him.
They finished the lesson. Once he’d answered questions from other students, he moved to speak with Lynn. “You did great out there. Are you considering signing up for next week?”
She hesitated. “I’m not sure. I thought about seeing if a friend from work might be interested in coming with me.” Her cheeks reddened, and she seemed to find a worn spot on the floor particularly interesting. “Then again, I might be better off getting a taser or some pepper spray. Or maybe a nice, metal baseball bat to carry around with me.”
