An Elf's Rose

CHAPTER THREE

The weeks flew by for Rose, busy with her full-time summer job as day manager at the Natural Wonders in the mall, and going to the dojo sometimes four days a week. Sometimes, though she wouldn’t admit it on pain of death, she went just to catch a glimpse of Orlando.

He was still friendly to her, but no longer did they have the easy relationship that seemed to be blossoming. She suspected that sensei Akamura had something to do with that. She knew of course that he was right. A teacher shouldn’t be hanging around inappropriately with one of his students. He’d had to make a choice, whether she liked it or not, either she was in his class or she couldn’t be. Her respect for Orlando went up a couple more notches. She made her choice as well. Orlando was a strict but wonderful teacher and she wanted to keep coming to his class.

That class was now down to eight students. The poor girl with the weak knees, as well as a couple of the other younger girls, could not sustain the physical effort and dropped out. One of the “bad boys” as she thought of them, was forcibly asked to leave, not able to tolerate sensei’s iron rule.

“Fuckin’ Nazi,. T. That’s what you are!” he’d yelled as he was dragged off by Eric and Jimmy, the sempai, to Master Akamura’s office.

Orlando had just smiled, seemingly unaffected by the boys insults. “This is boot camp, ladies and gentlemen,” he’d said, his voice soft as velvet. “And you are training to be warriors. Would you trust your life to someone who cannot take orders from those more knowledgeable that himself?” Everyone had shaken their head no, although there were a few sullen faces. “Of course not. Again, please.” And the class fell back into their positions.

Rose had spoken to Orlando after that class. “It’s because they haven’t seen what you can do, like I have. Maybe they don’t trust that you’re good enough, because you seem so young.”

Orlando had stared at her with an unreadable expression, a Mona Lisa smile barely curving his lips. “You think so? Why then haven’t they come to see me like you have?” His face had hardened in sudden fury. “I don’t need to prove anything to anyone. I have been placed by the Master himself,” he had hissed at her.

Rose had flinched wide-eyed at the white heat of his rage, her heart pounding in fear.

He’d visibly taken control of his temper, closing his eyes and passing a hand across his forehead. He continued more gently. “Do the students require the English or Math teacher to show their credentials before allowing them to teach? Or write an essay or do a complicated math problem? The students are ignorant. They wouldn’t know it if it was done correctly or not. The students must trust that their teacher knows what he is doing -- that wiser persons have placed that teacher in that class. Otherwise, without this trust, there can be no learning.”

Rose had nodded. “Of course you are right. I never meant any disrespect, sensei. Forgive me.” She’d bowed to him and left.

So Rose had taken it on herself and spoken to each of the others in the class and convinced them to go at least once to watch Orlando and master Akamura spar.

It had made a huge difference in how they viewed him. They no longer saw him as a harsh taskmaster with a pretty face, but viewed him as a skilled warrior and doubled their efforts to please him. Even the “bad boys” gave him a grudging respect. For his part, Orlando acted like nothing had changed. But Rose knew he knew. He had caught her eye earlier and gifted her with a sweet lopsided smile that made her insides glow with happiness.

~~~

It was the last week of classes and sensei would be testing them individually to see how well they had learned the forms. Rose was nervous, even though she and Sarah Evans and Chrissie Peterson had gotten together on their own time and practiced with each other. She just wasn’t good at performing in front of other people.

Her only consolation was that sensei had told them what was important was correct form and not speed. Speed would come with practice. She could do the forms in slow motion if she wanted.

Rose knelt on the floor along with everyone else and breathed deeply, trying to calm her nerves.

~~~

“Rose.”

Ah God, it was her turn. She got up a bit unsteadily and walked up to sensei. He smiled warmly at her.

“You’ll do fine, Rose. Just look at me and go slow.”

She took a deep breath and let it out. She nodded. Looking at you will be the easiest thing I do… she thought.

“Begin.”

She did go slow, tai chi slow, but as she moved, she felt her body relaxing. It knew what to do, and she let it do it’s thing. As Rose moved forward, sensei stepped back; she moved to the side, he moved with her. It was like a beautiful dance. She smoothly and unconsciously melded one form into the next, wanting to keep the dance going, not wanting to stop, Orlando’s smiling face just in front of her, just out of reach.

“Beautiful. Thank you, Rose.”

Rose kneeled bacwn iwn in her place, her whole body suffused with a heady mix of knowing a job well done and having Orlando pleased with her.

~~~

Orli stood at parade rest, up on the platform, glowing with pride. All his students had learned their lessons well, some even despite themselves.

“You should all be very proud this evening, as I am of all of you. Like the man once said, the journey of a thousand miles begins with one step, and believe it or not, you’ve taken quite a few s ths these past weeks on the path to becoming a warrior. I wish you well on this journey and may you find peace in your heart and strength of body and mind.” He bowed low to them with his folded hands at his lips. “Arigato.”

The entire class bowed to him, touching their foreheads to the floor and said in unison, “Sensei arigato.” Thank you, teacher.

Then they all got up and cheered and hugged each other. Tradition was broken and they all went up to give Orlando a hug or a slap on the back.

~~~

Rose walked around the store during a lull, neatening up the books and video tapes, putting scattered plastic dinosaurs back into their bins, refolding the t-shirts and straightening up the stacks, making sure they were in order by size. Her best friend and co-worker, Carly, watched her with a jaundiced eye from behind the cash register.

“Whatsa matter with you? Did you have a double cappuccino or something?” she asked.

“Huh?” Rose turned to look at her. “What do you mean?”

“You’re doing that every freakin’ five minutes. It’s making me nuts.”

“I don’t want the store to get messy.”

Carly rolled her eyes to the ceiling. “Geez, Rosie, you’re gonna start snatching things out of people’s hands before long.” She crooked her finger in a “come here” gesture. Rosie walked over to her, suspicious.

“Tell mamma what’s eating you,” Carly whispered theatrically, leaning on the counter.

“Nothing!”

Carly snorted. “ ‘The lady doth protest too much, methinks.’ “ She sighed. Rosie was getting that stubborn look in her eye.

“Ok, let’s change the subject. So, how did it go last night at the dojo?”

Rose looked away. “I passed.”

“Well, you don’t seem too happy about it.”

Rose fiddled with one of the perpetual movement toys sitting on the counter. She shrugged. “Sure, I’m glad I passed. I’m signing up for the first level class tonight.”

Carly stared at Rose’s profile, knowing there was something there between the lines. She could be so infuriating sometimes. So closed-mouthed about her feelings. What the hell could it … A big light bulb went off, just like in the cartoons, right above her head. She slithered off the counter onto the stool, smiling wickedly.

“Mmmm Hmmm. I get it now. You’re down in the dumps cuz Orlando isn’t ting ing the first level class, right? Am I right??”

Rose shrugged one shoulder very casually, but hece fce flushed pink.

“And you think that you’re hardly going to see him again, right??”

Rose looked at Carly from the corner of her eye and pursed her lips but offered nothing.

“Didn’t you tell me that he decided to stop being real friendly because you were his student and it wasn’t cool to fraternize, like Mr. Connor in fourth period did with that slut Juliet Sanders and he got his ass fired?”

“I don’t know that for a fact. But that’s what I thought.”

“She was boinking the whole football team you know.”

“No she wasn’t. Teenage boys like to exaggerate about their sexual conquests.”

“Ok, so she only gave them blow-jobs.”

“Carly! Please!” Rose’s face flushed, well, rose.

“So now you’re not his student anymore.”

Rose startled and stared at her. “I know that already.”

“You are such a doofus, Rosie.” She moved her face to within inches of her friend’s. “So what’s to stop him now from asking you out? What’s to stop you from saying yes?”

Rose opened her mouth in an “O” but no sound came out. She closed it and shook her head, turning away to hide her face. “But I don’t know that’s how he felt about me. I mean, maybe he just felt protective or something. People get that way with me. They think I’m a little kid.”

Carly sat back and shrugged. “I sure the hell don’t know how he feels. But just give him a chance, ok? Don’t kill it off just cuz you think you don’t deserve him.” She raised her leg and tapped Rose on the bum with the side of her foot, grinning at her cleverness. “You said he looks like an Elf, right? Maybe he’s an Elf that gets hot over Hobbits. Did you show him your big hairy feet?” Rose snickered and Carly giggled and they ended up laughing very hard.

~~~

It was sign-up night at the dojo and Orli had been talking to prospective students and parents all evening. He had seen almost all of his former beginning students and exchanged friendly banter with them, teasing them that if they thought he was bad, wait till they got their first level teacher. He would make them bleed.

He had yet to see Rose. There was an odd gnawing feeling in his gut when he thought she would not come, that she’d changed her mind about signing up. Changed her mind about him and their silent contract.

Get real, he thought. You don’t know what’s in her mind about anything, let alone you.

But he remembered how she turned the other students around, stepping nimbly around his pride, even in the face of his anger. He admired her guts.

He was listening to the parent of a ten-year-old talking about his own aikido experiences when he saw Rose in the doorway, wearing khaki shorts and a coral-colored tank top that showed off her delicate bones and the sweet curves of her breasts. It was the first time he’d seen her in anything but baggy sweats. His breath caught in his throat. She smiled tentatively at him and walked in, taking her sandals off. She then turned toward the sign-up tables. Orli could barely keep his eyes off her. He forced himself to look at the man talking to him.

~~~

Rose was startled when she saw Orlando. He was wearing street clothes and his braid was unbound, hanging down between his shoulder blades like a sheaf of summer wheat. It was … erotic. He smiled at her a bit distantly, his mind obviously elsewhere.

Well, what did you expect, you dunderhead? That he would rush across the room and sweep you into his arms? Rose was disgusted with herself. She turned towards the sign-up tables, wanting to get it over with as fast as possible and leave.

Eric the sempai handed her the receipt for the cash she’d given him and she turned away, headed for the door.

“I have a present for you,” said a soft voice behind her. She whirled around, startled.

Orlando was grinning like a Cheshire cat that had cream for iuppeupper. He handed her a paper grocery bag.

“Oh,” she said, feeling stupid. “What is it?”

“Open it and you’ll see.”

She unrolled the top and looked in. Folded neatly inside was a white uniform with a white belt sitting on top. She looked up at Orlando, wide-eyed and open-mouthed. “Oh!” She clutched the bag to her chest and her eyes filled with tears.

“I – I don’t know what to say. This is, wow, so great! I’m – thank you!” she stood on tip toe and kissed his cheek, then turned red at her audacity. Orlando’s eyes changed somehow and it made her feel shivery all down her spine.

“If you’re going to react like that to presents, I’ll be broke by the end of the year,” Orlando told her, his voice husky.

He looked around and cleared his throat. “Can I walk you to your car?”

Rose opened her mouth to protest he didn’t have to go to any trouble when she remembered Carly’s advice. “Yes, of course. I’d like that.”

He put ad atd at the small of her back and guided her towards the door. She hadn’t needed guiding, but when he touched her, Rose felt like her frontal lobes shut down and therefore did need guiding. It was rather funny.

She was able to think again when he removed his hand to put on his slip-on sneakers. She shoved her feet into her sandals and they were out the door.

They walked down the side street she’d parked without speaking for a bit. Honestly, she didn’t know what to say.

“Rose,” he started. “May I ask you a question?”

She ran her hand over the rough brick of the building they were passing. “Of course.”

“Hey, dude? Got a light, man?” a voice came out of the darkness. Rose and Orlando stopped, startled. There was a man standing in the dark of the telephone pole.

“Sorry, no,” Orlando told him. He put a hand on Rose’s shoulder and pushed her forward. His hand was hard as steel and a thrill of terror coursed through her. There was a loud metallic snick behind them.

Instantly, Orlando shoved Rose up against the brick wall and covered her body with his. Rose heard her breath wheeze in gasps – but she wasn’t sure if it was from fear of the man with the switchblade or because Orlando’s muscular back was pressed to her face and his butt was pressing into her groin, making her knees turn to water. She felt ready to swoon at the sensations.

“How very cute,” the voice said sarcastically. “The queer-boy is protecting his little girlfriend.”

Uh oh, thought Rose. You don’t want to piss sensei off. She sniffed deeply of Orlando’s silky braid. It smelled earthy and green, like a forest after a rain. Exactly like an Elf’s hair would smell.

Orlando said nothing.

“Jesus!” another voice whispered from another direction. “Don’t fucking play with the bastard! Cut him! Cut his face!”

Rose stiffened and grabbed handfuls of Orlando’s shirt. “Don’t hurt him!” she pleaded.

The man with the knife laughed, thinking Rose was pleading with him for Orlando’s sake. Then all hell broke loose.