Cole (9 page)

“Definitely, but I have to decide if I’m going to be a morning trainer or a evening trainer.”

“Or you could be both.”

“Are you trying to kill me?”

“I’d never do that.  But break you down in the short term.  Yes.”

“Fair enough.  I guess I’ll see you at 7am then.”

“I’ll be here.  See you then.”

Carissa skipped out the door.  I was strange to see an adult, even a young one, skip so often.  Often was only a couple times a day, but it was unusual.  It had a childlike exuberance to it.  Sure she was an adult.  A successful adult.  But she never lost that little girl inside.  That little girl who wanted to explore, get lost in her imagination, and enjoy life.  Lie on her back and look up at the stars.  Skip rocks in the creek.  Imagine she was a fairy princess or a queen or even the president.  The best part was it was contagious.  Not the skipping per se, but that feeling.  That happy childlike feeling.  She was definitely breaking down my colder, jaded side.  A necessary defense mechanism I had built over the years.  My personal Berlin wall.  It wasn’t going to happen overnight, but if she kept this up it just might develop some cracks.  And what happens to cracked walls?  They eventually fall.

Chapter 13

The next morning I arrived at the gym at 6:30.  You could hear a pin drop.  Last night’s enthusiasm had likely turned into this morning’s cramps for a lot of the trainees.  This is the most pivotal time during almost any type of training.  The initial euphoria replaced with the realization of hard work.  Who would answer the call?

I went inside and restocked the cups.  I propped the door open and opened all the windows.  I sat on the middle of the mat, closed my eyes, and breathed.  Focusing myself.  Centering myself.  Not knowing if that focus would be on the training I was about to deliver or the focus I was going to need to build this business.  It wasn’t going to be all ponies and ice cream.  It was going to take work.

The minutes passed.  Although I was focused on my deep breathing I was still keeping an ear open for the sound of a car approaching.  Finally my wish was answered.  I could hear the tires roll over the gravel outside.  Then the engine turn off.  A few seconds later a head popped in and a knock on the door.

“Anyone home?”

“Hey there.  Good morning.”

“Good morning to you.  I was going to bring coffee then realized this class is coffee.  Probably a way better addiction too.”

“We don’t want to put Takumi out of business yet.”

“We definitely don’t want to do that.”

“Feeling sore?”

“A little.  Anyone else here?”

“Not yet.”

“Good for me.  Private instruction.”

“And with private instruction I can watch your form more closely and work you even harder.”  And I would watch her form more closely.  I enjoyed our conversations and banter the most, but I couldn’t resist checking out her curves whenever I had the chance.  This morning I might get that chance.”

“Well, we’ve got four minutes.  Guess we’ll see who shows.”

“Guess so, but we’re starting right at 7.”

“Perfect.  I’m ready.”

“Care to join me for some closed eye deep breathing?”

“Love too.”

Carissa sat by my side and we both did some breathing in unison.  A few times I tried to go super deep with my breaths and hold them as long as possible.  My lungs are pretty big.  When Carissa couldn’t hold it any longer she coughed out all the air she had inhaled.  We both laughed.

“Are you sure that’s how you deep breath?”  She gave me an inquisitive, questioning look.”

“It is if it’s a competition.”

“Are we in a competition?”

“We’re in a competition together.  Team up to build better bodies and minds.  We’re not competing against each other.  We’re competing with each other.”

Carissa looked me right in the eye.  A quiet calm fell over her.  “I like the sound of that.”

I didn’t say anything.  I didn’t need to.  We stared in each other’s eyes for what seemed like a full minute.

Beep, beep, beep.  My Timex’s alarm sounded one minute till class.

“Time to begin.”

“Let’s begin.”

For the next 90 minutes it was just Carissa and me.  With only the two of us I could do the exercises with her side by side.  Showing her the proper form and how to use bodyweight to remove stress from certain areas.  How to switch contraction muscles in the middle of an exercise to perform it even longer.  You can do pushups with your chest, with your arms, and even your back.  Focusing a little more on a different body part for a few reps in order to perform the exercise longer.

We were focused and serious, but we also laughed and joked.  I put her in a yoga position to build strength and flexibility.  She was trying to hold it and breath at the same time.  She made it the full minute then collapsed.

“I felt like an octopus trying to open a can of pickles while standing on my head.”

She definitely had some random funny one-liners.  It kept a serious training session a bit light.  And as much as I like to be serious when I train, it made it more fun.

During the hand-to-hand drills we found ourselves tangled a time or two.  Carissa was practicing taking me down.  She was good.  She wasn’t ready to throw me yet.  I was too big.  Too bulky.  I figured it better to practice wrestling escape moves.

“Guys always want to learn how to punch.  Knock guys out.  It looks good on TV, but the reality is a large majority of street fights wind up on the ground.  That’s why wrestling is so important.  Especially escaping.”

I showed her some simple escape moves.  How to slide out or use leverage to escape a hold.  It was time to practice.  My mind started to wander a little.  We were about to wrestle on the floor of this gym.  We were hot, sweaty, and I don’t know about her, but I wasn’t sure how my body was going to respond to rolling around on the ground with her.

She started off down.  I was on top.  She had to escape reverse bear hugs, chokes, and naked holds.  Even the moves themselves sound sexual.  I was careful where I placed my hands.  Since I was so much bigger and stronger I could control body placement really well.

The last move was the most difficult.  She had to lie on her stomach in the superman position and the goal was to escape.  She tried to wiggle her way forwards and side-to-side for a time.  It wasn’t working.  She tried quick darts, slow leverage, and a combination of the two.  She hadn’t budged.  Then she got really clever and almost like the opposite of a turtle flipping from it’s back to it feet she used her head and back leg to lock in position and flip over underneath me to her back.  Not an advantageous position, but she had moved.

She was on her back and I had her wrists wrapped up in my hands.  I could sit on her midsection to keep her in place.

“This feels like kids wrestling now.”

“You’re forgetting one thing?”

“What’s that?”

I put both her wrists in my right hand.  With my left I lifted up her shirt to just above her belly button.  I bent down at the middle and blew on her stomach.

“Stop!  I’m ticklish.”

She laughed and tried to roll to escape.  I continued.  She was laughing so hard I could see tears forming in her eyes.   I stopped momentarily and hovered over her more forward.  I separated her hands again and took one in each of my hands.  She was on her back.  Hands pined down above her head.  I sat on her mid section, but hovered over here.  I stared in her eyes as she caught her breath.  She stared back.  He chest was moving up and down.  Her heart beating fast.  It was the combination of the exercise and the intensity of the moment.  We didn’t break eye contact.  I couldn’t resist any longer.

I leaned forward and stopped just short of her mouth.  She didn’t move away.  I went the remaining few inches and kissed her hard on the mouth.  She returned the kiss with passion.  I could feel her back arch.  She moaned in pleasure.  I kissed her again.  And again.  And again.  I felt all the blood in my veins moving throughout my body.  I felt alive.  It felt like that afternoon at the wedding, but somehow even better.  Even deeper.  We had spent more time together now.  Our bond had grown.  I wanted her.  But not now.  Not in this way.

I pulled back and we looked into each other’s eyes.

“You taste amazing.”

“You too.”

I reached down and kissed her again.  I released my grip on her wrists and cupped the back of her head with my right hand as I pressed my lips tightly against hers.  My left hand slid under the small of her back.  Our bodies were horizontal.  I was in contact with all of her body.  Hers with as much of mine as her height allowed.  We kissed so hard and passionately.  I pulled back again.

“Now’s not the right time.”

“You’re right.  I’m glad one of us is keeping a level head.”

“Believe me.  It’s hard.  I want you now.  I want you here.”

“I want that too, but you’re right.”

I slid off her and got to my feet.  I offered her a hand and helped her to her feet.

“I should be heading off to school.  I have to take a shower before class.”

“Got ya.”

“What are you doing this weekend?”

“No plans yet.  Why?”

I was thinking of baking some things.  The weather is supposed to be nice.  There’s a secluded stream running down to the lake.  It’s a short, but beautiful hike.  We could go there and have a picnic in between your morning and afternoon classes on Saturday.

“That sounds great.”

“Super.  After you finish your morning class I can come by and pick you up and we can go.”

“Deal.”

“But don’t worry.  You’ll see me in class before then.”

“Good, because I like seeing you.”

“And I like seeing you.  Enjoy your day.”

“You too.”

And she slowly walked out the door.  I couldn’t help but watch her walk out.  Her body looked amazing in her yoga pants.  I didn’t know how much longer I could resist.

Chapter 14

“We really need to get you a bike.  Or maybe even a skateboard.”

“Not a bad idea.  I don’t want to commit to a car right now.  With the long term future being so uncertain right now.”

“You’re always welcome to borrow the Jeep.”

“Thanks.  You’re right though.  I do need to get my own way around.  I like walking, but maybe it’s not going to be practical all the time.”

“You could always get a clunker.  If you need to sell it quickly you can.”

“Also true.”

“What are you up to today?”

“No plans at the moment.  Why?”

“Beautiful day.  Haven’t gone fishing in awhile.  Up for it?”

“Up for it?  Sounds like fun and some good eats later.  Let’s do this.”

Jax drove out of town to a little lake.  We sat under a tree in the shade.  Fished.  We each had a couple beers, and ate some sandwiches.  We talked about old times and the future.  How Jasmine was growing up so quickly and what it’s like to have a child.  We even caught a few fish.  Nothing too big, but big enough for dinner.  Jax dropped me off at home and headed in to pick up Jasmine.

As I was turning the key the mailman approached.

“Hello.  I’m Mike the mailman.”  He had a smile ear to ear.

“Hello Mike.  I’m Cole.”

“Cole Callahan?”

“That’s the one.  How did you know?”

“Think I saw a letter in there for you.  Thought it was a mistake at first.  Didn’t know there was a Cole here now.  Was going to ask Mr. Justice if he was home, but it looks like I just got my answer.”

“OK.  Thanks.”

“Welcome to town, Cole.”

“Thanks, Mike.  Good to be here.”

He handed me the letters and made his way to the neighbor’s house.

I went inside and sat in the living room.  A letter for me?  Only one person had my address.  Or should I say one group of people.  I sorted through the stack.  There it was.  A little over half way down.  Mostly just a bunch of bills.  It could have easily been mistaken for one.  A white envelope.  Typed.  The United States Department of Navy return address gave it away.  I stared at the exterior.  I knew no matter what it said this letter was the most important I had ever received.  Either way it was going to change the course of my life forever.

I opened it and read.  It wasn’t exactly what I expected.

From:  Commanding Officer, NAVAL AMPHIBIOUS BASE CORONADO

To:  Petty Officer Second Class Cole CALLAHAN, USN

Subj:  Report for Duty

1. You are hereby required to report to the Officer of the Day at Naval Amphibious Base Coronado located at 3632 Tulagi Rd by 23:59 on 21 June, 2015.
   

So they wanted to talk to me face-to-face.  The best way to deliver bad news.

I just stared at the letter.  Over 15 minutes passed.  I knew what was coming.