Knightless in Seattle by Jill Jaynes Read Free Book Online Page A

who he
wanted it with. But for now, he had this class to teach.
    In short order he had everyone involved and having fun.
Enlisting Jackie's aid, he demonstrated a series of simple moves that
soon transformed the group from skittish observers to confident
participants. He moved around the room and dispensed pointers and
encouragement as everyone brandished the foam daggers he had
supplied them in choreographed attacks and feints.
    Jackie's boss, Fred, stood apart from the group, taking a post
beside the doughnut table. Arms crossed, feet apart, he observed the
action with a critical eye. Lance sighed inwardly. Apparently Fred
was one of those leaders who thought themselves above the team
they were trying to build.
    "Okay, I need everyone's attention, please." Lance stepped
into the center of the room once more. Everyone stopped mid-lunge,
or whatever they were in the middle of, and turned to face him
expectantly.
    "You've now mastered a couple of the basic moves for
attacking and defending. I'm going to ask Jackie's help once more to
demonstrate how to not only defend yourself, but how to turn one of
the defenses I showed you into an attack."
    "Wow! This is awful! Where'd you get it, the dumpster?"
Everyone's attention turned to Fred as he spat a bite of doughnut
into a napkin. His features were contorted into a grimace of distaste.
"If this is the best you can do, Jackie, the next time I've got an event I
need planned, I'll just put the cleaning lady in charge of it."
    Jackie whirled to face her boss, hands fisted at her sides.
Lance could almost hear her counting silently to ten. His guess was
that this was not the first time. The thousand-and-first time was
probably about right.
    General foot shuffling erupted into low murmurs around the
room. Fred was getting close to crossing the too-far line with these
people.
    Lance put his hands on Jackie's shoulders, giving her a quick
squeeze of support. "You know," he said over her head, "I think it
would be great if Fred would come out here and help demonstrate
this next tactic."
    He smiled at Jackie when she turned a startled look toward
him. "Yesterday I vanquished my enemy," he murmured into her ear.
"Today's your turn."
    He started clapping, urging the group to join him. "C'mon
everybody, let's give Fred a big hand for helping."
    Visibly preening at the applause, Fred strode out to join
Lance and Jackie on the mats.
    Lance smiled. He was going to enjoy this.
    After handing Fred a foam dagger, he instructed Fred and
Jackie to stand about ten feet apart on the mats. Jackie shot Lance a
questioning glance. He knew his answering nod was all she needed
to prepare for what was coming next.
    "Okay," Lance took several big steps back from the pair. "On
my go, Fred, I want you to rush at Jackie and attack her with your
dagger."
    Fred arched a questioning brow at Lance. The smirk that
played around his lips told Lance that the man would be more than
happy to oblige the instruction to attack his unarmed female
employee. Lance pushed down the urge to punch him in the
face.
    Everyone was watching them, except for Henry, who had
covered his face.
    Lance was pretty sure nobody was breathing. He shot a
meaningful glance at Jackie.
    "A-a-and go!"
    Holding the faux-weapon overhand at about eye-level, Fred
rushed at Jackie.
    Jackie tensed, ready for him. Balanced, with her feet at
shoulder width, she watched Fred close the distance between them
in the same move she and Lance had rehearsed for over an hour the
previous evening. She would have felt sorry for Fred if she'd had
time to, and if he wasn't being such a grade-A jerk.
    Lips drawn back in a feral snarl and a manic glint in his eye,
Fred slashed the blade downward when he came within striking
range. An audible gasp went up from the sidelines.
    But Jackie kept her focus. Lunging forward to meet him, she
got her hand under his elbow and pushed up hard, grabbing his
dagger-wielding hand by the wrist at the same time. Still pushing
against his