The room was very large with exercise equipment, and there was a pole set up in the middle of the room like the one Lily used in her pole-dancing class at school. There was also a large couch and a flat screen television.
“You can get changed back here.” Shade walked across the room, opening another door. As she approached the room he indicated, she noticed that there was a door on the right, another to the left and then another down at the end of the hallway.
“That room has the hot tub.” Shade pointed to the door on the left. “That’s the restroom where you can get changed. The door at the end is my room. I’ll wait for you in the gym.” Shade left her in the hallway.
Lily went into the bathroom, amazed at the space. It was large, with a five-piece set and a shower.
She changed quickly, not wanting to keep him waiting. Taking off her dress and putting it in her bag, she took out her clothes. She would just wear her workout clothes home; she didn’t feel comfortable keeping him waiting while she showered.
Her stomach clenched with butterflies, not quite believing she was going to go through with letting him teach her self-defense. Only her determination to become a social worker had her going through with it. If she was going to try to protect others, then she first had to learn to protect herself. Yesterday had proved her vulnerability when she had locked the door against whatever had been following her. If they had gotten in, she wouldn’t have known what to do.
She put on her sweat pants and oversized sweatshirt and then her tennis shoes. Taking out a rubber band, she gathered her dark hair into a tight ponytail on the back of her head. Gathering what confidence she had, she picked up her bag and went back outside where Shade was in a pair of shorts and a t-shirt.
She came to a stop. She hadn’t realized he would be changing also.
Lily felt his eyes run over her as he took in her clothes.
“What kind of workout clothes are those?”
“It’s what I always wear,” she said.
“Then you need to get some different ones. Those won’t do.” Shade motioned for her to stand on the mat. Lily came to stand in front of him where he was pointing. Shade was taller than her, but he was actually the smallest in size of The Last Riders. He was lean, but Lily noticed his tattoo-covered arms were muscular.
Shade had her warm up first by stretching, which he also did, and then he moved her again to where she was standing in front of him.
Shade showed her how to kick out at him, which he blocked over and over again.
“Come on, Lily; you can do better than this.”
Lily tried to move, striking out with her foot several times.
“That’s enough,” he said when she stopped to catch her breath. “At least you’re in good shape physically, but you need to do some weight training.”
Lily nodded her head. “I agree. Thanks, Shade.”
“When we’re in here, you call me Sir.”
“Okay.” Personally, Lily thought he was taking his role of instructor a little too seriously, but she wasn’t going to make a big deal out of it. The few tips he had shown her today were enough to make her see that she would be easily victimized as she had been in the past if she didn’t continue. Maybe, if Shade taught her well enough, she would be better prepared.
Picking up her bag, she turned to leave, surprised when Shade walked her back out to her car.
“Bye, Shade.”
“Later.” Shade closed the car door and watched as she pulled out of the parking lot. Lily shivered as the air conditioner kicked on, cooling her overheated flesh. She was not sure what the look she had caught on Shade’s face in her rearview mirror meant, yet a sense of foreboding overcame her.
On her way home, Lily decided to stop at the local discount store for a different workout outfit. She was going to the checkout when she saw her friend, Miranda, who was pushing a cart with her young daughter in the basket.
“Hi, Lily.”
“Hi, Miranda.”
They chatted pleasantly for several minutes before Miranda brought up her sister. “Kaley quit her job at the pharmacy in town. I’m really worried about her.”
Lily didn’t tell Miranda she had seen Kaley at The Last Riders’ clubhouse. She didn’t like gossips and made it a point not to do it herself.
“I’m sure she’ll be fine. I’ve got to go, Miranda. It was nice seeing you again.”
Lily checked out, feeling guilty for not telling her friend, yet Kaley was a few years older than both Miranda and Lily, and she was sure that the woman wouldn’t be happy if she knew her sister was spreading her private business around town.
Lily drove home and took a quick shower before getting dressed and fixing dinner for herself, Beth and Razer.
When they arrived home, they ate dinner before going into the living room to watch a movie. It was times like this, as they sat and watched television, sharing popcorn, that Lily would miss.
Later, as she got ready for bed, she turned off her bedroom light, leaving her bathroom light on. Snuggling under her covers, she stared at the light coming from the bathroom until she fell asleep.