Barefoot Heroines, Part I

LS enlists the aid of new friends to help her fight a corrupt politician

By Mongoose750 (mongoose750@yahoo.com)

Love Story Chang was performing her daily morning two-hour workout as she reflected on what has gone on in her life the last few months. The 5'2" Chinese-American put herself through a rigorous workout five days a week, but not generally with weights. Instead, she used her own body weight as resistance, and worked at a much slower speed in her exercises. For example, when she did pushups, ten pushups would be the same as twenty because she would slowly descend and rise. So an even bigger impact was felt when she did her regular fifty pushups. As a result of this type of workout, it left her with an even more muscular frame and better endurance. Another thing she liked about it was she could do this quietly without having to hear the "clink" and "clang" sounds standard weight equipment would make.

Love Story (or "LS" as she's normally called) finished her standard strength exercises and prepared to get to work on her flexibility exercises. She flung her long sweaty black hair back, which she forgot to put in a ponytail yet again, and grabbed a towel to wipe the sweatier parts of her body that wasn't covered by her blue sports bra or blue panties. After she wiped the bare soles of her feet to ensure she wouldn't slip, she began with some stretches. LS had a big-boned frame that was near solid muscle. A few ignorant fools would call her fat, but it was nothing close to the truth. To further strengthen and toughen her body, LS practiced judo, a passion she had followed since she was a child. She loved it so much; she eventually opened up her own dojo to teach others and to improve in the martial art further. After becoming an eleventh degree black belt, some wondered if she actually needed to bother going further. When asked that question, LS would shrug and say if that goal is there, she's going to pursue it. She had said that when she becomes a grandmaster, she'd know she arrived.

Over the last few months, LS had become something of a local celebrity. As much as she loved living in her neighborhood in Central Indiana, she felt duty bound to do something about the street gangs that started to overrun it. Realizing that politics weren't going to solve the problem, she and a few of her most devoted and advanced students would go and eliminate the gangs themselves. She then stumbled across a novel approach that she utilized when she defeated a gang leader in combat at her dojo ' she became a gang leader herself. She would challenge the leader of a particular gang to face her in combat, and as a result of the usual one-sided beating, the judoka would gain acquisition to another group of young men and women to become part of her team. There were always a few doubters, stragglers, and others who wanted to challenge her after she defeated their leader, but she changed their mind rather painfully. Once she received her new teammates, she transformed them into a force for good, doing good things for the community as her "angels," and making her feared by the other surviving gangs she hasn't gotten to yet. It turned out there was good reason to fear because not only was she leading the biggest "gang" in the neighborhood, her new recruits would start receiving judo lessons. It made for an intimidating combination that lowered the crime rate drastically.

[Author's Note: For a more in-depth detail on these things, you may want to go to my bookshelf, and check out And Now it's Time for a "Short" Story, and The Thrill of the Hunt. ' Mongoose.]

She had also found out that nearby neighborhoods were starting to mimic her example. She had been too busy to discover how they were accomplishing this task, but she was happy that it was being done.

As she did the splits and lowered herself to the floor of the room in her apartment that she isolated for workouts, she flashed a slight smile, as she thought about the other things she "acquired" in the last few months. She thought about her longtime friend, Lewis Spaulding, who she had known since ninth grade. They became close friends, and eventually or finally, depending on how you looked at it, they finally started seeing each other. LS thought about the advice (or nagging, again depending on how you looked at it) of her cousin, Kim Chang that they already knew each other better than even some married couples, and perhaps (with Kim, perhaps was never a suggestion) they should go ahead and take it to the next level, making their union permanent.

Much as she hated to admit it, Kim had a good point. LS loved Lewis deeply, and she knew Lewis did the same; but how do you go about something like that? LS decided to dismiss the thought for another day, and deal with it later.

After she finished her final stretch, LS looked at the clock. She was actually done a few minutes early. She thought for a moment what to do with the extra time, and then the answer came to her in one word ' chocolate. She undressed, trotted into the shower, and washed all the morning sweat off her body. Changing into a pair of navy blue biking shorts and a blue tank top, she rushed out the door and trotted up the stairs to Lewis' apartment. Keeping her excitement in check, she rang the doorbell and waited for Lewis to answer.

Lewis was a 6'5" black man with a slender build that was assisted by his morning runs around the neighborhood. He ran an Internet baking business out of his apartment, and catered his baked goods and main dishes to parties, wedding receptions, special events, etc. His expertise with food made him very well off, very popular, and very busy. But he always made time for LS, who he had breakfast, lunch, and dinner with.

"Good morning Love," Lewis said. "You're early this morning. The breakfast I have in the oven won't be ready for another ten minutes."

"That's fine," LS said with a twinkle in her eye. "That gives me time for something else."

"What's that?" Lewis said, seeing the funny look his girlfriend was giving him.

"The taste of chocolate," she replied as she grabbed Lewis by the hand, dragged him to the living room, pushed him on the sofa, and jumped on top of him.

As she started kissing Lewis deeply, despite his mock protests, LS thought briefly to earlier times when she would date someone else, and suddenly have guilty thoughts of what kissing Lewis' lips would be like. Now he's here, and she doesn't have to wonder any more. She forced herself to be mindful of their breakfast that was baking in the oven.

Ah, let them burn, she thought as LS kissed Lewis again.

Suddenly the door burst open.

The couple looked up from the sofa and saw a young man, standing six feet, and wearing worn blue jeans, a red T-shirt, and a worn black leather vest. His red bandanna was wrapped tightly around his forehead, showing off his spiked dark blonde hair. He was twirling a pair of brown wooden nunchaku, as his eyes displayed menace.

Lewis was shocked that someone actually burst into his apartment with the intent of harming them.

LS was angry. How dare this fool burst into the apartment of my beloved!

Without wasting a second, LS sprung from the sofa, her bare feet landing on the solid hardwood floor with a thump. Upon further examination as she advanced toward the assailant, she recognized him as one of the few who escaped from a gang she took over last month. He took a step back, and twirled his weapon even harder, to show LS he meant business.

In the hands of an expert, a pair of nunchaku can be a deadly weapon; however, LS saw this punk was far from being an expert. It reminded her of giving a gun to a monkey, being in more of a position to hurt himself than someone else.

"You want to play, boy? Let us play then," she said.

The street punk was gingerly advancing his weapon forward to LS when she suddenly grabbed the receiving end of the nunchaku, and yanked it out of his hand, sending them across the room, into the hands of Lewis, who wondered how she knew where to throw the things. The street punk, suddenly deprived of his weapon, was torn for a split second on what to do, flee or do what he knew best, use his fists to attack. He finally decided on throwing a right cross to LS's jaw, but to the martial artist, he might as well be moving as slow as stone. She grabbed his arm, and tossed him on the sofa. The punk's landing was soft, but that was of little consequence when he felt the solid weight of LS landing on his back.

"Attacking me at my apartment is one thing, but trespassing at the apartment of my beloved is unacceptable," LS said, landing a fist to the back of his head that stunned him.

LS then wrapped her right arm around the punk's neck, and after briefly checking where she was perched, pulled his neck back. The intruder was gasping for air and trying to relieve the sudden pain in his back.

"I wonder which will give first, your throat or your spine?" LS mused out loud as she continued her unusual hold, watching her prey squirm as he tried feebly to straighten his back and get a breath of fresh air.

Lewis began to realize that their intruder in LS's embrace wouldn't be long for this world if she kept it up. As much as he deserved a beating, he didn't deserve to be taken out, and even though they were well within their rights to defend themselves, the mere possibility of only seeing LS during visiting hours didn't sound good to him either.

"Love, stop, please!" Lewis pleaded to LS.

Through the haze of anger she was in, LS heard Lewis' request, and though breaking the punk in two was a strong temptation, it would have negative connotations in the long run. Taking a deep breath, she released her chokehold, and like a spring, her foe's back sprung straight, his face hitting the sofa cushions.

"My love saved you," LS said to the street punk, who knew from that statement she wasn't referring to her state of being. "I do not know who sent you, and right now, I do not care, but send this message; if you or anyone else invades either my house or my beloved's apartment again, even your fancy toys will not save you from my wrath, you got that?"

The punk heard LS, but didn't seem to comprehend as he slowly rose from the sofa. She grabbed an ankle, and pulled him off, his already sore back hitting the hard wooden floor.

"Let me put this in terms that even you can understand," she said. "If you set foot in this place again I will squash you like a bug." For emphasis, she stomped her foot an inch away from his nose. His eyes widened. "You got that?"

"Y-yes," he stammered.

"Then go, before I change my mind, now!"

The street punk moved as fast as he could out the door. As Lewis closed the door, the bell on the oven rang.

"How's that for timing?" Lewis said as he pulled out their breakfast from the oven. "We make out, get attacked, and you throw him out just in time for breakfast."

While Lewis put their food on plates, LS came to him to embrace him.

"I am sorry beloved," she said.

"For what? You weren't the one who came in here threatening to bash our skulls in."

"No, but the life I have led recently, I should have known it would have possible repercussions to those around me, especially those who are close, like you."

Lewis guided LS to a chair where she sat down. "Love, don't ever feel ashamed for doing the right thing. You've made life a whole lot safer for everyone here. It that brings an occasional punk up here to try to get me so be it. Besides, I can handle myself."

"And how would you do that against someone armed like that?" LS said as she started eating her breakfast. The recent altercation stoked her appetite.

"You've seen my cast iron skillets, haven't you?"

LS thought for a moment about his collection of cast iron skillets. Those things could stop a bullet.

"You have a good point, beloved," LS said as she ran her toes up Lewis' pant leg.

Lewis smiled, partly from LS cheering up, and the other part from the tender touch. He picked up the nunchaku he laid on the dining room table and started examining them.

"I don't claim to be an expert on martial arts weaponry, but these things look pretty nice," he said.

"Pity he did not buy lessons with them," LS remarked.

"That's my next point; look at the craftsmanship put into these things. Now how would a punk like that know enough to buy something like this, where would he go, and especially, how could he afford it?"

LS took the nunchaku and looked it over. Near the bottom of one of the handles, she saw a set of Chinese characters.

"These are Gold Dragon nunchakus," she said.

"Gold Dragon?"

"Yes, one of the finest places you can get martial arts weaponry. Only martial arts masters, particularly those with the money to afford it buy equipment from them. I remember Jasmine bought a sword from them once a long time ago."

"Was it pretty nice?"

"A samurai from the 15^th century would envy a sword like it. It even arrived already sharp. You can shave with it, believe me, we have done that."

"In any case, it looks like we have another mystery."

"A mystery that will have to wait," she got from the table and kissed Lewis on the cheek. "I need to get to my first class. After drilling them about showing up on time, it wouldn't look good for me to be late."

"I'll see you around lunchtime," Lewis said.

"Goodbye, Lewis."

LS bounded back down the stairs where she grabbed a casual navy blue kimono, draped it on, and headed out the door. LS wore kimonos like other people wore jeans; they were loose, comfortable, and they came in various designs and patterns. Even though it was not in her cultural tradition (kimonos are worn by the Japanese, not the Chinese), she still found them a joy to wear. She remembered with her particular kimono, the saleswoman told her the outfit came with an authentic pair of sandals, which under normal circumstances was fine, except for the fact the LS didn't wear shoes, the few exceptions were church and winter, where she wore a thick pair of socks instead when it was really cold. Because she had no choice, she bought them, and the shoes were now gathering dust in the back of the closet.

Driving towards class, she pondered what a punk would be doing with fine martial arts equipment, like pearls before swine. She mentally filed it away for later; she had a class to teach, and usually in cases like this, if she waited long enough, the answer would come to her.

She didn't have to wait long.

LS was teaching the latter part of her first class when someone came up and told her she had an important phone call. Fearing that someone tried to attack Lewis while she was gone, she assigned one of her junior instructors to teach the rest of class, and trotted to the phone.

"Hello?" She said.

"Ah, Ms. Chang, a pleasure to meet you," the voice on the phone said.

"Who is this?"

"Why it's your city councilman, Michael Johnson. I'm surprised you don't recognize me."

LS remembered the councilman. Once upon a time, she worked in the office of one of his adversaries. They didn't run directly against each other, for the candidate she worked for was a mayoral candidate while Johnson ran for councilman. Even then in the few meetings they encountered each other, there was something about Johnson that hit her as ' slimy. Even now, she still felt that. Several months earlier, LS encountered his son, who was leader of one of the town's street gangs. In fact, it was his gang that she took over first. Perhaps the apple does not fall too far from the tree, LS thought.

"Yes, I recognize you," LS said neutrally. "I was told this was an important phone call; I was in the middle of teaching a class."

"I see. Well, I need you to come over to my office right away."

"I can come over to your office after my class is over. Why, what is going on?"

"It's important, I'll explain to you when you get here in the next twenty minutes or so. Good day, Ms. Chang."

And the line went dead.

LS bristled at the fact that he ignored anything she had to say about her schedule and practically demanded that she would cater to his. The idea of not going at all appealed to her, but there was a chance that it actually might be important after all, so she might as well go. His attitude reminded LS why she didn't bother with politics or politicians anymore. Maybe she should go back to school to get a major that didn't deal with politics.

Exhaling a long breath, she walked to the doorway and summoned Rhonda Peterson, one of her assistant instructors. Rhonda was a black woman who stood about 5'7", with medium brown skin and long bleached blonde hair that flowed down her shoulders. She had a slender build with well-defined muscles. She and LS went way back, to high school when she asked LS to teach her how to defend herself from the many over-zealous males who pursued her. When the black belt was not helping LS teach the brown and green belt classes, or assisting LS in taking down gangs, she ran her own landscaping and gardening business.

"Yes sensei?" Rhonda said, straightening her light blue gi.

"We are not in the dojo now, Rhonda, you can call me by name," LS replied. "You have known me as long as Lewis."

"Sorry, I'm still in "judo mode.' So LS, what's going on?"

"I need you to cover my classes for me, something has come up."

"Another gang trying to mess with us?"

"No, our councilman has asked me to come visit him."

"Which one?"

"Jordan's father."

Rhonda made a sour expression on her face. "Oh. What does he want?"

"I do not know, he just said it was important."

"Maybe he's finally gotten around to thanking you for taking his son out of that gang."

LS laughed. "Now when have you known that man to thank anybody for anything that did not involve a sound bite or a television camera?"

"Good point. Yeah, I can cover your classes, no problem."

"Thank you, Rhonda, I owe you one," LS said as she walked to a nearby closet.

"Just don't beat him up too bad," Rhonda replied as she started to walk back to class.

"Do not tempt me."

When she designed her dojo, LS had the foresight to install a small shower in her office. It came in handy numerous times when she got sweaty during teaching her classes or when she returned there after breaking up a gang. It also helped when she was running late for dates and she didn't have time to return home to change. She smiled to herself as she realized she didn't have to mess with the dating scene anymore. That was quickly replaced by annoyance when she observed the fact that she barely worked up a sweat before she had to leave. After she showered, she picked out from her wardrobe a lime green halter-top and black slacks. She gave a final check in the mirror to make sure everything was in order, and then she got in her car and drove off for the councilman's office.

When LS worked in political circles as an assistant, she was well liked by people of all parties. She knew if she stayed in it, she could've gone up the ladder, and perhaps even run for a particular office, with the possibility of winning. But LS didn't want that; she wanted to make a difference rather than making a name with a fancy title behind it. Furthermore, in the last few months she accomplished more than a number of politicians said they would accomplish in four years, so why go back now?

She saw Brenda, the receptionist at the councilman's office, who paid no attention to LS's shoeless feet. LS was quite well known for that. Brenda smiled when she saw her.

"Why hello, LS, how are you today?" The receptionist asked.

"I am doing quite well, thank you for asking," LS replied. "I believe Councilman Johnson asked to see me."

"Yes, he's waiting for you right now. It must be something important for him to clear his schedule like that."

"Yes, I am rather curious what it is myself. Have a good day, Brenda," LS said as she walked to the councilman's office.

"You too, LS."

Although she was well liked in political circles, there were a few exceptions. Councilman Johnson was one of them. The politician found in LS someone he could not control, and LS found one of the few people who made her want to smash their face at first contact. Something about the politician's personality repulsed her. She hated admitting that to herself, but it was sad that she was more apt to trust the gang leaders she pursued than this public servant.

LS didn't have to look down to notice her feet encountered rich shag carpeting covering the floor. A brief look around at the office announced to her the man's feeling of self-importance. Awards, plaques, certificates, and pictures of him with other politicians and celebrities decorated the large office. The man in question sat at his desk going over something on his computer that took a minute before he acknowledged LS's presence. LS was contemplating leaving when he finally looked up.

"Oh, excuse me, Ms. Chang, I was checking something out here," he said. He spent another thirty seconds, and then swiveled in his chair to face her. He got up and offered his hand. "And how are you today?"

LS shook Johnson's hand, but it took a modicum of self-control to not crush the cold fish his hand reminded her as being. "I am fine," she said.

Councilman Johnson was roughly speaking, the future image of what his son would look like many years from now. He was the same height as his son, 6'6", and had the same handsome good looks, accentuated more by age than taken away. His hair was a salt-and-pepper combination that had just the right blend that aging actors would envy. From looking at his build, he still kept the same slender build that he had when he played college basketball, and had a sparkling smile that was successful in winning a lot of people over to his way of thinking, and according to a few rumors, winning a number of women into his bed as well.

"Have a seat."

LS sat in a plush leather seat, tucking up one leg under her as she did so. She noticed the councilman give her an annoyed look.

"What is wrong?" She asked.

"When you come into the office of a public official, you do so paying the proper respect," Johnson said. "You've worked in political circles long enough to know that you don't just wander in looking like a hippie." He gestured his hands toward LS's feet.

"Oh, you must mean the fact that I am wearing no shoes," LS said with a slight smirk. "When I was a child, I wore shoes to the customary places like school, church, special occasions and all that. Then I discovered judo. I worked hard at that discipline, reaching my black belt at an early age, and assisting with classes. In fact, I was involved in judo so much, I spent more of my time without shoes than I did with them. And I found that I was not missing a whole lot wearing them, for my feet were already tough enough to endure the outside world. When I worked for that mayoral candidate years ago, and a few other politicians, they were comfortable enough for me to kick my shoes off and walk around in my stocking feet or barefoot, which was usually the case. I got my work done, and done well, so eventually my footwear didn't matter. Do I ever wear shoes? Yes, sometimes I do, but the occasion and especially the person has to be worthy of myself wearing shoes. People who call me and demand that I drop everything in my schedule like my life is not important or theirs is the only one that matters, do not qualify in that category. Now I believe the reason you have called me in the first place was because you said it was important. Like yourself, my time is important, Councilman Johnson, so what do you have to say to me?"

The councilman arose from his seat and walked to a window. If the remark from LS offended him, he did not show it.

"I hear that your one-woman war on crime has been rather successful lately. A few people have told me that they're able to walk the streets without having to worry about being attacked by thugs. I even heard a few accounts of a mugger being beat up by gentlemen who used to mug people until two months ago. I must hand it to you, Ms. Chang, you've done an excellent job."

"Thank you," LS said.

"And then there's the matter concerning my son. He wouldn't admit it, but I've been told you gave him quite a beating."

"I did not relish defeating him in combat, but he was the leader of the biggest gang in town, and he had to be stopped, especially after he threatened a ten-year-old girl with beating her within an inch of her life."

"Yes, that was sad," Johnson said absently. "Ms. Chang, may I call you "LS'?"

"No."

"Indeed. Ms. Chang, I would like you to give that gang back to my son."

LS's eyes widened. "Pardon?"

"I would like my son to receive his gang back."

"You can not be serious! For heaven's sake, why would I want to do that?"

"As you may or may not be aware, this is an election year. My opponent is rather fierce. Furthermore, he claims this drastic drop in crime is his idea. If my son gets his gang back, they'll hang around long enough to cause a little mischief, and then after the election is over, you can even feel free to take it away from him again."

LS couldn't believe what she was hearing. All that work on cleaning up the streets, and she was being asked to stop it, no, not stop it, but turn back the clock, and give the gang back to the man who was the biggest gang leader in town, his own son! LS paused just long enough to voice her answer without exploding.

"Councilman, when I defeated your son in hand-to-hand combat, I not only beat him, I shamed him as well. Even if I were to do such an insane request, his old gang would not go back with him, because they now see the error of their ways, and do not want to go back, and they saw their former leader beat like a disobedient dog. Surely there is something or someone else you can control, pervert, or twist for your campaign purposes," she said.

Johnson sighed. "Miss Chang, I don't claim to have the best son in the world. He has great talent on the court, but no discipline. I've been told that was because he still is angry at me for divorcing his mother."

LS thought for a moment. Which wife would that be, the first one, a former dancer, the second, a lawyer who doesn't practice in this state anymore, or number three, a middle school teacher? And is he still married now? His love life was as about as busy and chaotic as a soap opera.

"Seeing a good counselor can help with that," LS said.

Johnson ignored her remark. "But when he became leader of the Bulldogs, it's like he became somebody. He started walking around the house with a new spring in his step, with his back straight, and a gleam in his eye. When that was taken away from him, he was full of despair and that gleam was gone."

"Councilman Johnson, there is a long list of things the Bulldogs were responsible for, like robbery, drug trafficking, and other crimes too numerous to mention. There is no way I could allow that in good conscience. Even if I could, are you aware your son would be working on the other side of the law like he was before?"

The politician walked to the front of the desk and sat on it. "So are you telling me that you will not do as I asked?" He said.

"I most absolutely will not!"

"I'm not sure where it is, but I believe there is a law against vigilantism in this town."

"If there is, you are going to need a lot of proof to make it stick."

"Yes, I know. I think you may want to think over your decision. A hasty error could end up getting someone hurt."

"So it was you who sent that punk after me!" LS said with clarity. "You sent that boy into the apartment of my beloved and threatened him!"

"Hey could he help it if you changed location? My point is this, Ms. Chang; I have more resources than you, more money than you, and more power than you. If you don't want to be left with no one else but you, reconsider your decision, because if you still say no, it won't be pretty."

He said the last statement leaning his face about five inches from LS.

"Councilman," LS began in a slow, hushed voice, "To say yes to your decision would not be pretty. I am sure there is more to this than you are telling me. I'm sure you have more money, and more resources, but regarding power, right now, from this vantage point, I have the power to end this nonsense once and for all with one blow."

Understanding the veiled threat, Johnson backed his face away slowly. In his aggression, he forgot how potentially lethal the judoka could be.

"One more thing. If you so much as threaten my loved ones, or my students, then all your precious resources and money will not save you from me. If you ignore this warning, then our next meeting will be our last, do I make myself clear?"

"Crystal," Johnson said as he walked over to a wooden cabinet and pulled out a bottle with amber fluid and a shot glass. He turned his back to LS as he poured, but he could see that his hands were shaking slightly. "I will give you a few days to think over your decision, and then if there's no change, the rest will be on your head."

LS made her way to the door. "At least after this encounter is over, I will have a head, whole and in one piece. You may not be able to say the same."

She managed to muster up enough courtesy to say bye to Brenda on the way out.

She returned to the dojo to find Rhonda chatting with some of the other instructors, while making sure everything was in place for her green belt class. She looked up and saw LS reentering the office.

"So how did it go with the "man'?" Rhonda said.

"I believe you're being much too liberal with your definitions," LS said. "To be a "man,' that means he would have to be human, and right now, I have serious reservations about that."

LS told Rhonda what the councilman had said to her, gaining a similar reaction.

"That is insane! There must be more to his plan besides that!" Rhonda said.

"I agree; of course he would not tell me about that. He gave me some cock-and-bull story about how being a gang leader made his son walk tall. Then he had the nerve to threaten me, more so my loved ones."

"So close were you to punching his final ticket?"

"When he put his face almost a half foot away from me and bragged how powerful he was, I told him in so many words one final blow from me would tell him about who had power. He had to walk over to his liquor cabinet and pour himself a shot; his hands were shaking so much. I have to admit I enjoyed that."

"So what are we going to do?"

"First, I need you and the other assistants to run the dojo for a couple of days. Meanwhile, keep an eye out for anything suspicious. When you do, let me know, but do not engage unless you have to. As for me, I am going to be out of town for a day or two, and I am going to take Lewis with me, whether he knows it or not. I want him out of harm's way."

"Where are you going?" Rhonda asked.

"Mr. Johnson is not the only one who has "resources.' I'm going to do some outside recruiting. I only want the best fighters involved in this besides a few of the instructors and yourself. My cousin Kim has been bragging about the exploits of her prize pupil; I'm going to see if I can borrow her for a few days."

LS returned to the apartment building, but instead of going to her apartment, she continued up the stairs to Lewis' apartment. As soon as Lewis saw LS, he noticed her toes were wiggling fiercely, a sign that something was weighing heavily on her mind. LS didn't know she did this, and Lewis suspected that he was the only one who knew. He thought about telling her about her habit, but then he thought, why lose the edge?

"What's wrong?" Lewis asked.

"I swear, one of these days I am going to find out how you know when something is on my mind. I know you are not psychic, it must be the look on my face," LS said.

Lewis was going to say no, thought better of it, then pulled up a stool for LS to sit down on. She told him what went on earlier that day, causing Lewis to just shake his head in disbelief.

"I have to admit the timing is strange, but I've been wanting to talk with you about the possibility of moving to an apartment complex with a bigger kitchen," he said.

"The business is outgrowing the apartment, I see," LS said. Then she took his right hand and covered them with both of hers. "Lewis, beloved, I will go with you anywhere, but I want to make the neighborhood safe just one more time. I almost did it too, then this crook wants to corrupt it to make his punk son happy, and to win an election. I can not leave this neighborhood until I know he is out of the way. You understand, do you not?"

Lewis embraced her. "I understand, honey, I understand."

Suddenly LS looked at Lewis with a funny gleam in her eye. "Besides, if we are going to move, it will be into a house with a big kitchen. That is what I am going to look for."

Lewis looked at her funny. "What happens after we find a house?"

"Then we will get married."

"But what about a ring and a date?" Lewis asked.

"Who cares about a ring, we can always get one later. As far as a date, I will marry you this very hour if you so desire," LS said.

"This hour, like right now?"

LS pulled Lewis close to her, and kissed him lightly on the cheek. "Beloved, I love you deeply, and I know you love me the same way. We have been doing this "boyfriend-girlfriend' stuff for a few months now, and while it has been a long time coming, if you think about it, you know we are beyond that level. We have shared so much of ourselves, of our lives to each other; we can't even make a move without finding out what the other is doing. As much as I hate to admit it, my cousin Kim is right; we need to make our union permanent."

Lewis ran his hand through LS's long black hair. "You are right, but it's a matter of timing, I guess when we'll do this."

"Timing? Bah!" LS spat out playfully. You are just hiding the fact that you are scared. I am too, but there is no reason to be. I love you, and you are the only person who will put up with me, so what do we need to wait for?"

Lewis was stomped for an answer, then he said, "Well first, we need to find some new apartments."

"House."

"Whichever; then we need to take care of this problem with the councilman. Actually, we need to take care of him first, before we do anything else. It would make life a little more peaceful. Did you have a plan in mind?"

LS jumped off the stool and walked over to the stove, where something good was cooking, and over to the oven where Lewis was preparing an order for a customer.

"First, we need to go out of town for a few days, to plan our strategy," she said.

"We?" Lewis asked.

"Yes, "we.' Just "me' is not an option. I will carry you away on my back if necessary. I don't want you within reach of Johnson, where he could try to harm you."

"Whoa, no need to be so intense, Love, it sounds like a good idea to me. I would rather do my baking undisturbed, aside from you, of course. Have you considered visiting Kim and Jasmine? But I can see from the look on your face that you have already."

"Actually, I am thinking it may not be a bad place to live. It will give me the chance to nag my cousins, and besides, I need to borrow one of Kim's students, anyway," LS said.

"That would be Betty, right?" Lewis said.

"'The toughest girl in town,' they call her. I might be able to enlist the help of a few others as well. I do not want to endanger any green students in this coming war. And I just thought of something."

"What's that?"

"My dojo. I do not want to close it, not after all the work I have put into it. I am unsure about that."

"There's no need to be," Lewis piped up, "you can start a franchise. That's what some other dojos do. Just handpick your teachers so what you teach won't get watered down, and do a little advertising and there you go! You already have a good reputation as a great teacher, it should work."

"I never thought of that," LS said.

"Well Kim is our resident business whiz, so we could ask her for tips on that. By the way, did you just admit that Kim was right?"

LS placed a finger on Lewis' lips. "Say one word of this to her, and you die. I will not be a party to swelling her head up more than usual. If she gets wind that I actually agree with her regarding us, I will never hear the end of it. She would call us on our twentieth wedding anniversary and remind us that it was her idea that made our union possible," she said.

"Come on, Love, I think you're being a little hard on the old girl," Lewis said. "You know she has our best interests at heart."

"Dear, sweet, Lewis, it is at times like this that makes me realize you do not know how ornery my cousin can be. If you want to know how much, then you call her "old girl' to her face when we see her. Better yet, let me call her right now to tell her of our plans, then I will hand the phone to you, and you can ask the "old girl' how she is doing. You might be better off taking your chances with our councilman back here."

"I didn't realize she was so touchy. All three of us are around the same age."

"True, but I know you know better than to call me that. But I will give you a reprieve," LS said, pulling out her cell phone. "First, I will call Rhonda at the dojo, and give her some final instructions; and then I will call my cousins and tell them what is going on."

"Then what?"

"How soon can you pack?"

Lewis looked around him in horror. "Wherever I'm staying, they better have a big kitchen!"

Meanwhile, at Barefoot Betty's Auto Repair, head mechanic and owner, Betty Conrad sat at her desk in her office, feet propped up, having a conversation with her assistant, Irena Brezhnev. The two have finished performing some major repairs on a few vehicles, and decided to take advantage of the sudden lull to take an early lunch, delivered to them from the local Chinese restaurant.

Betty stood 5'7", and had beautiful cream-colored skin, the product of her white father, an auto mechanic, and her black mother, a mechanical engineer. Having worked on cars since she was a child, along with a brief regular workout regiment, Betty's body was one that was accustomed to the heavy lifting and bolt twisting a mechanic performed on the job; in her case, that was a body that was slim with well toned muscles. Her hairstyle, which was practical, but had recently came under the good natured criticism of her friends who would like her to change it, was long black hair shaped into a ponytail that hung down the middle of her back.

The name of the auto repair shop in Betty's case was appropriately named, because Betty hated shoes with a passion. With the exception of church, and a very few special occasions, she did everything in life without having to put any footwear on, even car repair (she did have a pair of steel toed work shoes that she slipped on when she moved engines, another exception).

As well as she mastered car repair, Betty was also a master at Tae Kwon Do, a fifth degree black belt. That, along with some boxing skills her dad had taught her, plus taking additional lessons in the Israeli martial art, Krav Maga, made a the lady mechanic a tough woman to deal with, if one got on her bad side. In fact, a former opponent once called Betty the "toughest woman in town." As was the case with impromptu titles, the name stuck. It was not a title Betty wanted in the first place, but it was a title she ended up "defending," for she spent part of her spare time and weekends taking on men and women who wanted to take that title away from her by force. She even tried to "give" the title away, but her opponents always insisted on fighting her for it.

It started to become a self-replicating circle; Betty didn't want the title, but in order to get rid of it, she would have to be beaten up. Of course, she didn't want to be beaten up, so she had to fight to defend her title, and so on.

Her assistant, Irena, was a 5'5" brunette with long brown hair. Her strong build besides being attributed to working on cars since she was a young child in her Russian hometown, was also the result of participating in the Russian cage matches to earn money to enter the states, and because she liked to fight. A master of Sambo, a Russian martial art similar to judo, Irena took on all comers, and emerged victorious and undefeated. As soon as she won the title, she immediately retired and moved to America.

She traveled to the Midwest to see if there was a garage she could work at when someone saw her footwear (whereas she wasn't wearing any), and recommended her to go to Barefoot Betty's, who at the time, was looking for an assistant mechanic. For Irena, it was a godsend because: one, she found a fellow female mechanic to work with, and two, she found a coworker and friend who hated shoes as much as she did. Irena had a bubbly personality, further boosted by the fact that she found a place where she could get her hands (and feet) dirty without ridicule.

Her expertise in fighting (she has been hesitant to talk about the brutal fights of the cage matches) has come in handy with Betty when groups of people have issued their challenges to her employer. Similar to the wolverine, Irena was basically fearless. Women, men, big or little, one or more, it didn't matter.

However, at this moment, all was quiet. No challengers had come to call out the duet, and at the moment, not even anything as minor as a flat tire had come by. That was plenty of time for Betty to tease Irena on one of her guilty pleasures, practical jokes. The last one Irena attempted backfired during a recent search for one of their biggest antagonists.

[Author's Note: Irena's failed prank can be found in the final pages of The Search for Information. ' Mongoose.]

"Now raise up your right hand, and repeat after me," Betty began as Irena grudgingly raised her hand. "I will not play anymore practical jokes on Betty. It is not a good idea."

After she mumbled the pledge (which she did with her left hand behind her back, fingers crossed), Irena started eating her Mongolian Pork, hoping the matter will end right there. But alas, it was not to be.

"So tell me what happened," Betty said, digging into her General Tso's chicken with chopsticks (something she mastered recently) while carrying a smile on her face. "The last I saw of you, when you could still talk to me without feeling embarrassed, Mimi and Heather were taking you away, ha-ha."

The look Irena gave Betty indicated that she didn't want to tell anyone, much less Betty about what happened; but she knew she would be hounded if she didn't, so she began.

"When they "took me away,' they told me it would be a good idea to be briefed at a good restaurant in town," she said.

"In your oily and greasy coveralls?" Betty asked.

"No, they let me go into my apartment and shower and dress. They wanted to stop at their place and let me wear one of their clothes, but I insisted."

"So you threw on a T-shirt and jeans at your place, okay."

"No it was not like that. I was originally going to do my laundry after work. The only thing I had clean was the outfit I was going to wear when I saw William later that night ' my black sleeveless blouse with silver studs, and my blue jean skirt with faded stripes."

"Isn't that one of Billy's favorite outfits? I think he said to me once just how much he liked it."

"Well Mimi liked it too. She had her eyes on me all evening. After I dressed up, we went to this steakhouse. They had pretty good food."

"Then what happened?" Betty said, hanging on Irena's every word.

"I got them appropriately briefed," Irena replied. "We actually had a pleasant time."

"Uh-huh." Betty leaned back in her chair as she stabbed a piece of chicken with a chopstick. "Then what happened?"

"What do you mean, "then what happened?' That was it," Irena said.

"Not from what I heard," Betty sang out smugly. "Do go on."

Irena began to understand what a mouse felt like when a cat toyed around with it. Or was that a fly caught in a spider web? Either way, it wasn't very comfortable. She took a deep breath and continued.

"After we ate, Heather suggested that we should celebrate our new "partnership,' and suggested that we go out dancing. Next thing I know, we were in the car driving off."

"Dancing? I didn't know you danced, Irena."

"I don't. Anyway, we went to this, this place. It was like nothing I've ever seen."

"What was the name of the place?"

"It was called The Alternative."

"The alternative to what?"

"No, that's the name, The Alternative. We went in, and the place was a little busy. You could look in the darker corners, as if the place wasn't dark enough already, and you could see people making out. We passed by one couple who was really going at it."

"So you walked by one couple who were kissing and had their hands all over each other. What's the big deal about that, it's not like you never seen it before. You could go to the park after dark and see that."

"These were women," Irena said quietly.

"Oh. . ." Betty's eyes grew big as her facial expression drew blank.

"There were some minority couples there too."

"'Minority couples?'"

"That's what Heather and Mimi called the boy-girl couples that were there, the uh-"

"I believe the word you're looking for is "straight.'"

"Comrade, there was nothing "straight' about this place. Even the pictures on the wall weren't straight. They tried to buy me a drink, and I finally let them buy me a cola. As soon as our drinks arrived, some song started playing, and I was dragged out to the dance floor."

"By who?"

"By both of them. I tried to explain to them that I couldn't dance, but they said it would be okay. Then they danced real close to me."

"How close?"

"I could pick their nose, it was that close. I felt like the meat in a sandwich. Finally, the song was over, and we walked back to our table. We all sat down, both ladies again sitting real close to me."

"So you can't dance, eh?" Betty asked.

"No. Show me a complicated body throw or how to adjust the latest engine underneath the hood, I have no problem. Show me a dance move, and I can't do it."

"I'm sorry, I got you off the subject, please go on."

"Yes, I bet you're sorry," Irena said under her breath in Russian.

"What's that?"

"We sat down at the table; I was embarrassed and thirsty, they were uh, excited. Heather then let out a whoop."

"A whoop?"

"Yes, a whoop, like you do at ballgames, or in your case, NASCAR. Anyway, she did that, and said something that almost made me wish I was wearing shoes."

"Now that's bad. What did she say?"

"Being barefoot makes me feel so sensual."

"Oh, well that's interesting. I've been barefoot for years, and, uh, well, never mind. So what about it?"

"That's when someone ran their foot up my leg."

"What?"

"I'm pretty sure it was Mimi, but someone took their foot, toes and all, and ran them up my leg, from the instep of my left foot on up to my knee. It I wasn't sitting down, it would've gone further."

Betty at this time was literally on the edge of her seat. "Oh man! What did you do?"

"I shot straight up out of my seat and told them my cell phone went off. I excused myself and walked quickly to the restroom. I went to a stall, made sure everyone was gone, called William and ask him to come by and get me."

"The way I heard it, I believe you threatened for Billy to come get you, or you would knock out all his teeth," Betty said, grinning.

Irena looked at her defensively. "I apologized to him when I got in the car. It's just that he didn't know where the place was, and it was a part of town that I was never familiar with, so the pressure got to me a little."

Betty folded her hands together. "I see. So what did you tell them when you got back to the table?"

"That there was a small emergency, and William needed to pick me up immediately, and he was on the way."

"What did they say?"

"They said they hope everything comes out okay, and, and we'll do this again real soon." Irena stifled a shiver.

"Irena, you look spooked."

"It was the way Heather touched my shoulder, and Mimi looked at me before I left. It gave me the creeps. William arrived, and I told him to step on it. I think we might have burned rubber getting out of there."

"Did you explain to my brother about the whole thing yet?"

"No, not yet."

"Well, at least it's over with."

"They keep calling my house."

"Really?"

"Betty, you remember when I helped you out with that oversexed gym teacher not too long ago, right?"

[Author's Note: The battle with the oversexed gym teacher can be found in Irena's Story, also in my library. You may want to read the teacher's brief intro in the story before that, The Gang's All Here ' Mongoose.]

"Right."

"You need to help me get rid of these two women. Sometimes they drive by my house at night, seeing if I'm up."

"They really think you're a hot mama."

"That's not funny."

"Well there's two ways of taking care of this situation. The obvious one would be to find Sheila, the woman who has been giving us grief by sending all these fighters after us. The second one is even more obvious now that I think about it; I'm just surprised that it hasn't been utilized yet."

"What's that?"

"Well the old Irena I knew wouldn't stand up for such stuff in the first place. She would've given them both a whack across the head for even trying such stuff with you. But that doesn't seem to be the case."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that your romantic affair with my brother has left you whipped."

"Whipped?"

"Yeah, whipped, tamed, docile. Instead of the little ball of fire I knew when she first started working here, and who helped me out when Sheila sent that gang to beat us up some time ago, it's "yes William,' "okay William,' "right away, William,' "you're so cute, William." Betty started making kissing noises with her mouth, then almost fell out of her chair, laughing.

Irena stood up from her seat. "I am not "whipped!' I'm still the same woman I always was!"

"Maybe now, when it's the two of us, but not around him," Betty laughed.

"Just you wait when you find somebody, whenever that is, comrade; then we'll see who is "whipped!'"

At that moment, there was a knock on the door.

"I'll get it!" Irena said before Betty could say anything. She opened the door, and Kim Chang walked in.

Kim, LS's cousin, stood the same height as Irena (5'5"), and along with running an accounting firm in town, she was also Betty's Tae Kwon Do instructor. She was wearing a blue business suit and skirt, and no shoes, like her cousin. Unlike her cousin, her body was more slender, similar to Betty's, the result of practicing the family discipline since she was a child. She also had shoulder length black hair that was dyed a dirty blonde color.

"Hello everyone, I'm hope I'm not interrupting anything," Kim said.

"Just a murder in progress," Irena said, looking at Betty, who was still smiling.

"How much have you heard?" Betty asked.

"Just about somebody's old days and about someone being whipped. I'm told it happens to the best of us. I'm just glad it's not my time yet," Kim said.

"I am not whipped!" Irena exclaimed.

"Well you may get a chance to prove it. My cousin, LS is coming to town, and she needs your help Betty, and anyone else who's available. Look, I gathered up the gang to meet at the restaurant tonight. LS and her boyfriend should be in town by then, and she'll explain the whole deal to you."

"Her boyfriend? Is this the one she has been close friends with almost forever?" Betty asked.

"That's the one. She's looking forward to meeting you."

"Same here."

"I just thought of something. She's been close to Lewis for a long time, and now they're dating. And amazing enough, she's not whipped yet. Huh. Well, I hope to see you tonight, Betty, Irena. You too, Loretta."

"I'll be there," a voice sounded from the back.

Irena's face turned paler than usual. In their discourse, she forgot that Loretta DeGarmo was in the back building an addition to the garage's office. Loretta was a large Hispanic woman who stood about 6'3", and had shoulder length wavy light brown hair, and almond colored eyes. One of the jobs she had was as a Brazilian jiu-jitsu instructor who ran a "boot camp" for those who either wanted to hone their martial art for competition or wanted more out of their martial art instruction than what was offered at the standard dojo. Her other job was as a carpenter who ran her own small company, specializing in handyman jobs and general construction. As gifted as Betty and Irena was with automobiles, Loretta was equally gifted with carpentry. Her large log house and training hall that she built from scratch was a testimony to that. Her own frame was very muscular, the result of her two careers, and some power lifting she does in her spare time, whenever she has some. She was clad in white carpenter's overalls, a red T-shirt, and a white painter's cap. She wore no shoes.

She had always coveted Betty's classic vintage 1963 candy-apple red, Ford Thunderbird, back when the car was originally a two-seater that she rebuilt from a ragged frame found in a junkyard. After some haggling, the two arrived at a deal. As soon as Loretta could find a Thunderbird carcass, Betty will rebuild it into a car for her. In return, Loretta offered to work on expanding Betty's office, making it bigger, and adding a few amenities, such as a few additional restrooms for customers and herself. Betty asked if she could throw in a shower stall for those days she was too dirty to go in the front door of her parent's house, which was next door.

"You heard the whole thing, didn't you?" Irena asked.

"How could I not hear it? I was putting shelves up in the back," Loretta said. "But don't worry, I won't tell anybody, and for what it's worth, Irena, I don't think you're "whipped.' You can't beat up everybody who sees you a little differently."

Now it was Betty's turn to be a little embarrassed. "I'm sorry, Irena, I forgot Loretta was there. Besides, you know I won't tell anybody," she said.

Irena shook a finger at Betty. "Oh you'll be sorry. I have been called a number of things, but "whipped' was never one of them. I'll show you I'm still me."

Betty rose up her hands. "Hey, you don't need to prove it on my account. You don't need to beat my brother up to show me anything. I was just saying you're a little mellower since you started seeing my brother, that's all."

"You know, this all came from that trip we took to those two joints to find Sheila, so I don't blame you, I'm better than that. And maybe I'll find that adventure I was taken on as funny ' someday. But so help me, if I see that "steroid head' cross my path, there won't be enough left for you to deal with. Now if you two will excuse me, there's a customer who needs our assistance," Irena said as she turned and left out the office door.

"Wow, I didn't think anything could get her that upset," Loretta said to Betty.

"She took her practical joke backfiring okay; well as okay as you can with two people after you who's doors swing the wrong way," Betty said, "But when I said she was whipped, for a second, I thought she was going to leap over the desk and come after me."

"Let her work on a few cars, and she'll be as good as new. She'll probably be back to her bubbly self later tonight. I just wouldn't say anything to her about Sheila, those two women, and especially not that one word."

"How would you handle her situation?"

"Knowing myself, I would've told them once, then wrung both their necks the moment one of them touched me the wrong way. But then again, I'm not "whipped.'"

After they laughed (lightly, so Irena wouldn't think it was at her), Betty said, "So let me see what you've done so far. I can't wait to have an office where I won't have to wait on a customer to use the restroom."

The three women surprisingly were the first to show up at the restaurant. Usually Betty and Irena have to do some last minute service with a customer who decides to pull in the last twenty minutes before closing; however, business slowed down after lunchtime, a rarity. The two busy mechanics learned to treasure days like that. Since Loretta's chores were at the garage that day, it was no problem for her to close shop when the other two did. Neither she nor Betty was too grubby for Betty's mother to freak out when they came in the house to shower and change. As for Irena, after working on a few cars, and a trip home to her apartment to shower and change clothes, she was good as new like Loretta predicted. In fact, she was conceiving the next practical joke to spring on her employer, making sure it didn't backfire and blow up in her face like this last one.

In any case, the big thing on their mind other than wanting to meet their new guest was hunger. They wanted everyone to hurry up and get there so they could make an order.

"Okay, I'm ready to eat now," Loretta said. "I've been hammering and sawing and measuring all day. That tends to make a big woman hungry."

"Usually we're the late ones," Betty said. "This time we didn't have a crisis from somebody who forgot to get their oil changed."

"Well, there was, but I scared them away," Irena said. When both women looked at her, she said, "No I didn't, it was somebody who had a rattle somewhere in the car. I just promised them their car would still be intact when she brings it in tomorrow. Gotcha!"

"Thank you; I didn't feel like spending the last fifteen minutes tearing a car apart to find out that the cause of the noise was something left in the trunk. Did I tell you that same thing happened to us once, and we found out the cause of the noise was a baby rattle rolling in the trunk? Boy, I wanted to whack them across the head so bad . . ."

"Ladies!"

"Well if it isn't the bride to be, and future kickboxing champion," Loretta said.

"Just call me Susan, Loretta. The crown isn't mine yet, although the wedding is a certainty. If not, my mother will kill me," Susan Davidson said, as she pulled up a chair, and joined the trio. "David will be here shortly, he's parking the car."

Susan Davidson strode in, dressed in a white tank top and a blue tennis skirt, shaking out her long blond hair as she gave each of the three women a hug. For the occasion, she did something a little different; she painted the toenails of her bare feet with a shiny clear gloss. She displayed her handiwork to her audience, who smiled with their approval.

Susan was an amateur kick boxer who would be competing for the Tri-State championship crown in about a month. She stood six feet tall, with a slim, muscular build from weight training. Although she graduated from college with a bachelor degree in education, after much discussion and encouragement from her friends and fianc#e, she decided to pursue a second career in the sport professionally. Brushing her long hair back again, she looked at the three and smiled once again.

"It's great to see you guys again," she said. "I've been training so hard the last couple of months, outside of David, I've hardly seen anyone I've known. Come to think of it, I haven't seen David that much either."

"Yeah, you've changed so much, wearing toenail polish now," Betty said. "Next, you'll be doing other strange things, like wearing socks and shoes."

Susan pretended to be taken aback. "Why Betty, you know me better than that; like you, I'm barefoot forever, remember? Well, except for a few special occasions, like weddings, and funerals. Speaking of changes, I still think you should give that ponytail a rest and go with a shorter cut. I bet with the right cut, you could look like a well cut Halle Berry."

"Halle Berry? Where?" A tall, handsome black man said as he greeted the women. He was David Reynolds, Susan's fianc#. He stood the same height as Susan, but had more of a runner's build; basically because he jogs a few miles every morning before he goes to work, or in his case, looking for work. During Susan's training, he's spent the time looking for a suitable place to start his new career as an accountant. He had a few prospects, but none that provided a suitable "fit." He wanted to find someplace that wouldn't be a hindrance to Susan's championship hopes, and to provide for their new life as a family.

"She was here, but I scared her off, especially when she had plans to take my man," Susan said as she grabbed David's arm, and pulled him to his seat beside her.

"Boy, you can feel the love in this room," Betty said, looking at the loving couple.

"Seriously, Betty, I think you should try it, at least for a while. What would it hurt?"

"I like my ponytail, I've grown "attached' to it, excuse the pun. We've been through a lot. I can't just cut it off like that."

"Then cut it off and keep it for a souvenir. Betty, you can always grow another one. What do you think, ladies?"

"I think you should try it, Betty," Loretta said. "Nothing would be wrong with trying it once."

"I would offer my opinion, but since I work with the woman, I'll keep my thoughts about her having a better look to myself," Irena said with a smile, gaining a funny look from Betty. That made Irena smile even wider.

"If I may offer something from the lone male contingent at this table, I say that the right haircut could make you look like Halle Berry. The men would find you irresistible ' ow!" David said, just before he was elbowed by Susan.

"It has been a while since you two seen each other, hasn't it?" Loretta asked.

"A little while," David said. "By the way, Irena, where's Billy? Is he coming, or do I have all of you ladies for myself ' ow!"

"William will be here shortly, he had a few errands. Benjamin will be here too. In the meantime, I would suggest you two should change places so Susan can bruise your ribs on the other side. That way, you'll have a matched set," Irena said.

After everyone laughed, Betty said, "Tell you what, I'll think about it. If a few more people suggest it, maybe I'll even do it. But don't count on anything."

Next, came in a woman who stood 5'9", with chocolate brown skin, a muscular build, and short black haircut close to the scalp. She wore a lime green T-shirt dress with ankle bracelets and toe rings on her feet, what she normally called her "slave girl" look. Velvet Jones was her name, and when she was not taking classes at the local university, she was an assistant instructor at The Iron Foot, a judo dojo in town. She said hello to the ladies and David, and then gave Betty a thoughtful look before sitting down.

"What?" Betty said.

"Nothing, I was just looking at your hair, that's all. I think if you went ahead and cut it-" Velvet began.

"I don't want to hear it!"

"But you asked."

"Betty, are you usually that resistant to change?" Susan asked.

"No, I'm not resistant to change. I just like my ponytail, that's all," Betty said, defensively.

"Really, Betty, you'll look good with a good cut. You look good now, but just think, you may look even better with the right cut. I have a hairdresser friend who-" Velvet continued.

"You ladies planned this, haven't you? This is a sneak attack, that's what it is," Betty replied. "Between work and work, and uh,"

"Fighting," Irena interjected.

"Uh, yeah, fighting, where would I have time to get a haircut? And once I got one, where would I go? Outside of church on Sundays, and tae kwon do and krav maga practice, the main bulk of my time is at the shop. So tell me, what should I do?"

"Vacation?" Irena suggested weakly.

Betty turned to Irena. "With our workload lately? That would be a lot to put on you, wouldn't it?"

"Yes, but it's nothing I haven't encountered before. And even your long hair won't take much longer than an hour to take care of."

Susan raised her hand. "I admit I planned the "sneak attack' you talked about; that is with Velvet and I. We're not doing this to be mean."

Betty let out a breath. "Yes, I know, I know. I just have some other things on my mind, I guess."

"Sheila is still sending fighters after you two?" Velvet asked.

"Every other day it seems. What's worse is I can't find where she's at. I don't suppose any of you have any connections with thugs or the wrong side of town, do you?"

"The last thug I dealt with I put to sleep," Loretta said.

"I remember, I think you put her out faster than Janelle or I did," Velvet said. "I improved my chokes since that time."

"Who have you been practicing chokes on? Not your students," Susan replied.

"No, I've been practicing on the last thug you dealt with."

"Ah yes, your maid. How's he working out, anyway?"

"Very well, he cleans real good," Velvet laughed.

[Author's Note: For any hint of what Loretta and Velvet are talking about, you'll need to read Agony in the Mud. For what Susan and Velvet were talking about, you'll need to go waaay back in my bookshelf for Velvet's New Maid and my first two stories in the series, Susan's Bad Day, parts I and II. ' Mongoose.]

"Maybe I'll drop by and say "hi.'"

"Don't do that, you'll give the boy cardiac arrest. If I even breathe your name, he looks for a reason to leave."

"I could drop by and say hello," David said. "I promise not to hit him too hard."

"You two are awful," Velvet said.

"And this comes from the slave-owner," Susan said.

"Velvet, you haven't been talking about my teaching of the new students today, have you?" came a voice from the doorway. It belonged to Janelle Edwards, the chief instructor and owner of The Iron Foot. Janelle stood about 5'11", with long black hair to the bottom of her ear lobes (she had a haircut recently, but she decided to only have a little taken off). Her frame was a body that definitely displayed the effects of regular weight training, especially the arms. She wore a simple black (her favorite color) dress with black fishnet leggings, and a silver ankle bracelet. Whereas the other women were regular barefooters, Janelle fit in the extreme barefooters category. To her, the very word shoe was a four-letter word. To even suggest that she should wear them was an insult. Aside from that, she had a very bubbly personality like Irena. Her judo teaching however, is anything but bubbly. She was an excellent instructor, but the word "slave driver" would come to mind, along with other not so nice terms to describe her methods.

Her fianc# stood an inch shorter than she did, and had a slim build and short hair in a wavy hairstyle. His wire frame glasses actually accentuated the black man's looks to a more studious appearance (actually he preferred wearing his contacts, but he ran out of solution that morning). He was Benjamin Parker, a recent graduate of college with a Mathematics degree, and with a few incoming job prospects. In the meantime, he was teaching a few algebra classes at a community college on the other side of town.

The couple said the usual hellos, and went to sit down. Janelle looked at Betty, smiling, and said, "Snip, snip."

"Hey!" Betty said.

"What, I didn't say anything. Ben, did I say anything other than "hello?'" Janelle said.

"No dear, you didn't say a thing, other than "hello,' that is," Benjamin said in a monotone.

"Seriously Betty, if you want to keep your ponytail, that's fine with me. I know what it's like for your friends to try to get you to change some things about yourself," Janelle said, turning and looking at Velvet and Susan.

"What?" Both women said in unison.

"You know what," Janelle said with a sly grin. "And don't try to deny it."

Susan, Velvet, and a few of Janelle's friends have tried to find a way to prevent the judoka from wearing black all the time. After a couple of strange looks from them whenever she wore that color (eighty-five percent of the time), along with some "suggestions," she discovered what was going on.

"So tell me, Velvet, Susan, what is it about Janelle that seems to be in need of improvement?" Betty asked, feeling a sense of payback.

Susan and Velvet looked at each other, then at the smirking faces of Janelle and Betty while they inwardly struggled to give an answer.

"Hi gang, sorry I'm late," was the unexpected response, but not from the two women. It came from William Conrad, Betty's brother and Irena's boyfriend. He roughly looked just like his sister except he was a guy. He stood the same height as Betty, and he had his hair in a short wave like Benjamin. Unlike, but similar to Betty, his career was mechanical, as in mechanical engineering. When both of them were born, the parents like normal parents wanted their children to follow them career-wise; William to follow his father as an auto mechanic, and Betty to follow her mother as a mechanical engineer. But as fate would have it, that was the case, only the roles were reversed. William started showing an interest in designing engines and wondering how to make a better one while Betty started asking her father what made this car run like a kitten while the other ran rough. As soon as she touched a wrench, Betty was hooked. William was working at the company where his mother worked.

"Did I miss anything?" He asked.

"Not a thing," Velvet said. "You came just in time."

"So we're all here, where's the guests of honor?" Loretta asked. "This woman is hungry."

"Maybe they're making a grand entrance. We've all been waiting to meet her. Outside of Kim and Jasmine, only Susan has talked to her, and that was by phone," Betty said.

"Well I thought I saw a car with four people getting out, three women, one tall guy," William said. "I think those were our guests of honor."

"You sure?" Betty asked.

"Sure sis, I know what your sensei looks like, she's wearing a blue business suit, no shoes, and the other woman wearing shoes must be her sister, and the woman in a blue kimono must be their cousin. Oh, and the tall black dude must be her man."

"Well, I think William nailed it right on the head," Irena said, squeezing his arm.

"Okay, I admit that was a dumb question," Betty said.

"And I'd say they should be here in the next twenty seconds," Billy said, feeling confident.

"You're really asking for that whack alongside the head, aren't you?"

"Nope, because here they are."

Kim walked in; still dressed in her business suit she wore to work, while the guest of honor walked in beside her in her blue kimono with red and purple flowers. Lewis followed close behind dressed in jeans, a red polo shirt, and running shoes, and bringing up the rear was Jasmine, Kim's sister, dressed in a white polo shirt, a blue tennis skirt, white bobby socks, and white running shoes. A person would be liable to think she either just came off the tennis courts, or if she was younger, from a parochial school.

Jasmine was 5'6", and had a build similar to her sister with short black hair down as far as her earlobes. She still attended classes at the local university, but was planning to graduate that semester. Janelle and Betty sometimes called her the "token tenderfoot," because unlike the other women, she always wore shoes. Back in her hometown, she earned the unusual name of "Xerox," because of her excellent physical memory to duplicate almost every move, especially when it came to fighting. Actually, that was one of her nicknames. Another one was "The Magician," because she always seemed to pull a new move or fighting technique "out of a hat." Because of this, almost all the thugs on the street were afraid of her. She also had a talent to make anything that was at hand into a weapon. Armed opponents felt ashamed to tell their colleagues who they with a switchblade for example, were defeated by a woman armed with a sharpened pencil, a protractor, ruler, or to make things even more embarrassing, a paper clip.

When she was younger, Jasmine's gifts never went unnoticed. While Kim took up Tae Kwon Do like her family had, and LS went in search of a martial art until she found judo suitable to her tastes, martial arts instructors looked for her. In an unusual practice done by sensei, karate, kung fu, judo, and instructors of other disciplines, they appeared at her door to encourage her to practice their art. As a surprise to everyone, Jasmine said no. Instead, she sought out something totally different. One day, she went to seek out the only martial art instructor in the neighborhood who didn't seek her out. Kim and LS tagged along, wondering at first what moron didn't want to have a gifted student like Jasmine in their dojo.

The sensei was an instructor in the martial arts of aikido and tai chi. He had just finished teaching one of his classes when the three girls came in. After everyone introduced themselves, the sensei sparkled with recognition when Jasmine spoke her name.

"Ah, "the chosen one,'" he joked.

"Why did you not seek her like everyone else?" Kim asked him with suspicion.

"A person, like a river, must seek their own path," he said. "Now Jasmine, I have a question for you; why have you sought me?"

"Because I've heard of your reputation as a good and patient teacher. The second reason was because unlike the other instructors, you didn't seek me to boost up your own ego or school recognition, and the third reason was because Tai Chi and Aikido take much longer to master than the others. If I took the other disciplines, I would master them in no time, and then what would be the point?" Jasmine said.

LS, like her cousin, was also skeptical. "I do not understand the effectiveness of these two arts. All I know about aikido is everyone wears these silly skirts, and all I have seen with tai chi is all this slow stuff I see in the park," she said. Kim giggled.

The sensei smiled, not feeling offended. "At first, both these disciplines seem a little unusual. Your judo and tae kwon do are more of a "hard' discipline, more aggressive. Aikido is a "soft' discipline, more of a passive art. Tai Chi, which has been around for centuries, is also soft. However, that doesn't mean it's not effective. Come with me."

The three pre-teenagers followed the sensei to a sink, where he turned on the faucet. He placed his hands under the cool water.

"Now both these disciplines are like water. Water can be soft, harmless, even refreshing as it moves through my fingers. However, water can also be hard, dangerous, and deadly. The same water that flows through my fingers can engulf my head and drown me. Water can become a flood and wipe out a whole town. It can even become hard if need be and strike a heavy blow, before it becomes soft again. You can wade or swim in the water, but you can't fight it because it's formless and enclosing.

"Tai chi and aikido are disciplines that are like water. They're soft and unassuming, but they can be very destructive in their own right."

LS and Kim were still skeptical. Jasmine on the other hand was sold.

"How soon can I begin?" She asked.

Later, Jasmine's sister and cousin were still questioning the purpose of what she being trained in when one day, a gang of three men and two women from a nearby neighborhood came by, and challenged the three teens, who were self-proclaimed "guardians of the neighborhood," to take them on. The leader came forward, threatening to beat them so bad their mothers wouldn't know them and cockily pushed Jasmine to show he wasn't afraid. Only Jasmine wouldn't move, so he tried again. Jasmine learned in both arts how to be rooted, and it was becoming a source of embarrassing frustration as the gang leader found he couldn't move her. Finally, out of frustration, he threw a punch. Jasmine then spun out of the way, grasped his wrist, and twisted it ever so slightly, bending his arm back. As a result, the man fell, landing flat on his back.

While holding on to the first attacker's wrist, Jasmine grasped the wrist of the next attacker, and with a twist, flipped him on top of the first man. The third attacker, a larger man than the other two, demonstrated his lack of brightness as he pushed Jasmine, who again didn't budge. Instead, Jasmine took both hands and pushed him, and he went flying into a pile of trashcans with a loud clatter.

One of the women attempted to grab Jasmine's hair, but as soon as she grasped her follicles, Jasmine bent her head forward and turned. Shortly the woman was screaming as her wrist was twisted where it wasn't supposed to go. Using the woman's wrist, Jasmine forced her to the ground, and then let go as the other woman tripped over her colleague, sending her sprawling into the third man who just got up from the trashcans. They both went down in a clatter.

For the next minute or two, Jasmine occupied herself with throwing, flipping, pushing, tripping, and a variety of other attacks with the gang members. Finally, the second man rose up his hands and said that she won; they surrender, and started to make his way home.

"It's not over "til I say it's over!" The leader said.

"Shut up! If you want to spend your time getting thrown in the trash, go ahead. Me, I'm going home. The rest of you with me?" The second man replied.

Everyone, except for the leader, got up and painfully followed after the second man. The leader looked at Jasmine like he wanted to attack, then paused and thought better of it. He finally turned and followed the others.

LS walked over to Jasmine watching the five shuffle off. "So that is what you have been learning, all these throws and holds?" She asked.

"I just as easily could've dislocated limbs and broke bones with those same moves, but I just wanted to toss them around a bit. There's a few strikes too that I've learned, but I wasn't ready to try them yet," Jasmine said.

Kim walked alongside her sister and said, "Sister, next time, leave some for us, would you?"

Introductions were made all around. Lewis asked for Susan's autograph, but got an elbow in the ribs from LS, reminding him that he already had an autographed picture of the kick boxer. Jasmine, Loretta, Velvet, and Irena, being of similar mindset, since the four practice disciplines of either judo or something related, bombarded LS with questions about her exploits. The men, left to fend for themselves, got acquainted with Lewis. Billy mistakenly thinking Lewis was more along the line of a greasy spoon restaurant owner asked him what his specialties were. After he found out the finer fare that Lewis fixed, and finding out a rough idea of what he grossed a year, Billy mentally corrected himself.

Betty and Susan looked at Kim and Jasmine and smiled. From the reaction of the others, it almost seemed like they had a celebrity in their midst.

"So what did LS need my help about?" Betty asked.

"After much discussion, we decided that now would not be the appropriate time. LS and Lewis wanted to spend some time getting to know all of you before she asked," Kim said.

Betty looked at the five female grapplers gabbing and laughed. "And when will that be?"

As if on cue, Velvet said, "Party at my house!"

"I think that answers your question," Jasmine said.

"I'll fix the hors d'oeuvres," Lewis said.

"Oh, you don't need to do that, hon, I can get it catered." LS placed a hand on Velvet's arm.

"You might as well give up," she said. "You will have an easier time holding back the tide of the sea than you would keeping Lewis from the kitchen, trust me."

Velvet raised up her hands. "Okay, just tell me what you'll need and I'll get it."

"I'll handle it," Lewis said.

"Okay, I'll just have the rest of the place cleaned up. Is tomorrow evening fine with everybody?"

After everyone agreed, the usually patient waitress who usually waited on them cleared her throat. Suddenly, they realized they were in a restaurant and started making their orders. Loretta had another question for LS, but she stopped her.

"All of you heard about most of my exploits, but I want to hear what has been going on with my cousin's prize pupil," she said.

"Not much, just fixing cars and whacking heads," Betty said.

Back in Central Indiana, Michael Johnson came home to his small mansion in one of the more prosperous areas of the city. He glanced at his watch and clucked to himself. After his meeting with LS, he spent the rest of the workday and some of that evening making calls. It seemed to take forever waiting for some of these calls to be returned. At least he can relax knowing that part of the transaction was finished. He already had dinner delivered to his office, so all he had to do was unwind for the evening.

He pulled off his suit coat as he entered the house and walked into the darkened living room. Dark, except for two lit candles and the glow of the large screen television set against the wall. On the sofa in the middle of the room, a muscularly built woman, 5'8" with short blond hair reclined, eyes half-opened, watching an action show on the screen. Since for many of the major and cable networks, new episodes of shows were over and reruns have begun, the woman barely gave the repeat program any significance. The eyes sprang to life however as they noticed the man standing at the corner of the room. She was dressed in a pink negligee and sheer white pantyhose.

"Hello baby," she said, stretching and yawning.

"Hello Stacy," Johnson said. "How was your day?"

"Just fine; just working out, training, and waiting for you."

Johnson walked over and sat on the sofa. "Sounds like a nice day to me."

"Oh, I did do a little shopping. I brought a few nighties like what you see here, and a few pairs of pantyhose. These are the most amazing things. They fit like a second skin, and they are super reinforced at the foot. You put a pair of these on, you forget to wear shoes. And they feel so good! Here, see for yourself," Stacy said, placing her stocking-clad leg in Johnson's lap.

"Hmm, you're right, they do feel good," the councilman replied, rubbing her leg. "Where did you get these?"

"That's the funny thing; I had to get them through a source who's a member of this women's organization, the Daughters of ' somebody. Anyway, the way these babies fit, I can see why they don't wear any shoes with them."

Johnson stopped rubbing her leg. "If you want to strut around town wearing these without shoes, that's fine with me. Just don't do it in City Hall."

"Uh-huh. I take it your meeting with our little antagonist didn't go well?"

"Oh, it went as well as expected. I didn't expect LS to take the news well."

"What did she do, threaten to beat you within an inch of your life?" Stacy asked.

"No, she went a step beyond that. That fool boy I sent this morning went to her boyfriend's apartment instead of going to hers like I told him to. He limped back, saying she almost broke him in two. I almost wish she did. Imprisoning her on a case of manslaughter would've gotten her out of my way."

Stacy touched his shoulder. "Let me get her. I still owe her a rematch from our last meeting," she said.

Stacy, or "Storm," the name she normally used, was a kick boxer who was personally endorsed by the councilman. The "endorsement" was not made public, but then again, neither was the intimate relationship the two shared. Using his pull and influence, Johnson was able to arrange for Stacy to fight Susan Davidson in order to gain a fast track to the Tri-State Championship. That proved to be a big mistake in that she was not yet skilled at Susan's level, and her former trainer and manager gave her steroids. In a fight that went longer than it should have, Susan knocked her out in the fifth round. Stacy/Storm accused Susan of taking drugs after the fight. Susan with nothing to hide willingly took the test. Storm's accusation backfired when she realized she was going to be tested too. As a result of testing positive, Storm was suspended from the association.

While she was in suspension, Johnson had Storm gather up a few of her fighter friends, call themselves a gang, and watch LS's movements. LS found out, however, and it led to a showdown between the two fighters at LS's dojo. The match-up was short-lived as LS "put on a clinic" of her skills, and delivered a painful lesson to Storm. LS warned her to never get in her way again, and to turn her gang members over to her the next day.

[Author's Note: The main details, including the fight, can be found in The Thrill of the Hunt ' Mongoose.]

Storm returned to Johnson's house, and disbanded her gang, sending them into hiding, so LS or any of her "gang" could not find them. Using his pull again, Johnson got Storm reinstated, and fired her old trainer and manager, and replaced them with new and better ones who believed in winning fights the old fashioned way.

Johnson froze and gave her an incredulous look. "Are you kidding? She'll kill you!" He said.

Storm was shocked. "You don't think I can fight her? I've gotten much better since last time, and that sawed off runt won't catch me off guard this time."

"If I remember you telling me correctly, she didn't catch you off guard last time, except for that vicious side kick to the chest that bruised you for awhile."

Storm absentmindedly ran her hand over the spot where LS kicked her. "Lucky shot."

"Baby, you're good, but LS has been doing this type of stuff for years. I don't want you facing her alone unless you have your gang to back you up. You also don't know how serious she was to carrying out her threat this afternoon. I certainly don't want you to run across her path."

"Are you afraid of her?" Storm asked in a hushed tone.

"No. Storm, when you've been around as long as I have, you learn that there are different levels on which to engage your opponent," Johnson explained. "For me to engage LS in physical combat would not only be foolish, but suicidal. If she wanted to take me on in a political battle, I'd eat her alive. The way to defeat her in this case would be to eventually wear her down, to weaken her enough to make my move. That's where all these skilled fighters I hired come in. She might be good enough to take on a few, but not all of them. And not all her students are as good as her. She'll be overwhelmed."

"How soon will these happen?"

"Some are already here watching the dojo; others are on their way, and I found out a few have an old score to settle with LS. They almost decided to do it for free."

"So where is she, what's she doing now?"

"I don't know, my sources told me they packed and left town."

"So she's gone! That's great, isn't it?"

"It'll take more than one threat to scare her off. My guess is she took her boyfriend someplace safe. She'll be back in a day or two to take me on. Tell you what, baby, after I have my guys get through with her, you and your ladies can play with what's left. Sounds good?"

Storm got up and took his hand.

"Sounds good. By the way, how about taking me on? I've been waiting all day."

"Well by all means, let's not waste any time," Johnson said, taking off his tie as they headed to the bedroom.

The alarm on Lewis' digital sports watch beeped loudly. Lewis turned it off, and then stretched in his bed. He almost tumbled to the floor when he quickly remembered he wasn't in his bed at all, but on the sofa at Kim and Jasmine's apartment. He dimly recalled the four of them arriving home from a few hours of getting acquainted at the restaurant, and Kim offering him the guest room to sleep in. However, Lewis, always the gentleman, said LS could have the guest room, while he elected to sleep on the couch. Jasmine told him it was a good place to sleep, because she had napped there many times. She was not wrong, Lewis thought. He barely remembered staggering to the living room, collapsing on the sofa, and pulling the sheets over his head.

The first person he saw was LS bounding into the room wearing a red T-shirt and blue gym shorts. She ran across the room and jumped on the sofa, landing face to face with her boyfriend.

"Good morning beloved," she chirped.

Lewis could tell from the light aroma of strawberries that she already worked out, showered and changed. He covered his mouth and tried to turn over.

"Hey Love, I just woke up. My breath-"

LS took her hands and pulled him back. "That's all right. I like your face being the first thing I see in the morning," she said huskily, kissing him on the cheek.

"A-hem!"

The couple turned to see Kim and Jasmine standing in front of the kitchen.

"If you two are finished, your breakfast is ready," Kim said. "Come on, LS, get up, you're smothering the man."

LS looked at Kim with a smirk. "Are you going to treat us to a show afterwards?" She asked.

"What are you talking about ' oh." Kim's cheeks started turning a rosy color. She wore a large black and white striped apron over her front, and not much else underneath other than her underwear, consisting of her bra and panties. Suddenly realizing that her cooking apparel was all that stood between her and an unintended burlesque show, she started backing up. "I'll go and prepare the food," she said, almost backing into the doorframe on her way out.

"You must understand, we generally don't get that many guests," Jasmine explained, stifling a giggle. "For the record, she was wearing a new nightshirt, but she didn't want to get anything on it, so she took it off."

LS next set her gaze on Jasmine. "And as for you, I am not sure whether I should bow or address you as "your majesty.'"

Jasmine was wearing white silk pajamas with a mandarin-style collar, and white satin slippers. The sleep outfit gave the appearance that she was a member of a ruling dynasty in one of the oriental countries.

"What's wrong with my royal pajamas?" Jasmine said defensively.

"Royal pajamas?"

"That's what the catalog called them."

"Nothing if you plan on standing on the front terrace and addressing your royal subjects. Tell me, do you have your "royal wave' ready?"

"Royal wave?"

"You know, this?" LS said as she lifted her right hand in the air and moved it back and forth slightly; similar to the way the royal family greets their public in England.

Jasmine opened her mouth for a reply, but could not think of one. Instead, she said, "I will help Kim with breakfast," then shot through the doorway.

"My, aren't we feeling naughty today," Lewis said.

"Actually, I feel great," LS replied. "I embarrassed Kim, and I zinged Jasmine with a line so good, she could not think of a comeback. That's nearly impossible to do one of those things, much less two in the same day. I have dreamed for years of moments like this."

Lewis shook his head. "So other than insulting our hosts, what do you have planned for today?"

"After breakfast, I will be treated to a tour of the city, and then I will visit a particular mechanic at her place of employment, and appeal to her about our situation. And you?"

"Well first, I need you to let me go."

"Never."

"Okay, so how about long enough for breakfast?"

"Oh, all right," LS said as she got off the couch.

After all four sat at the table and said grace, Kim (now wearing her gold nightshirt) said, "I hope my breakfast is to your liking. I'm not a professional, but I think I've done okay."

"I think you've done a great job, Kim," Lewis said after he sampled some of it. "Hey, is there anyplace around here where a man could run?"

"My cousin finally getting to you?" Kim said. "Oh, thank you by the way."

"No, no, I mean someplace I can go for my morning run," Lewis replied, laughing. LS just sat there. Her cousin paid her back; Lewis' question was unintentionally the perfect setup.

"Oh, the jogging thing, I forgot you did that."

"Velvet runs; let me give her a quick ring, and I'll see if I can catch her before she leaves," Jasmine said, grabbing a phone.

"LS, I need to caution you on asking Betty for your help, you'll need to see if it'll be okay with her boyfriend," Kim said.

"She has a boyfriend? I did not see him last night, who is he?" LS asked.

"The auto shop."

"What do you mean?"

"Betty is a businessperson like we are, that's true, but she has a passion for cars deeper than other women have for chocolate."

"That deep, huh?"

"Yeah; she has ran her garage since she graduated high school, when her father had it built as a graduation present. The people in town consider her so gifted; they won't take their cars anywhere else. She could put Mr. Goodwrench# out of business. Boyfriend, hah! She's practically married to the place."

"That does not sound good," LS said, chewing on a piece of bacon. "So my trip here may be for nothing?"

"No, I'm coming with you," Kim said. "Someone's got to keep you out of trouble."

"Lewis, Velvet said she'll be delighted to jog with you. She wanted to go over the dinner menu with you anyway. She'll pick you up after breakfast," Jasmine said.

"Sounds great!" Lewis replied.

"Even if you don't get Betty's help, she's not the only one you can ask for help," Kim said.

"Really?" LS replied.

"Sure! Our little group always comes together when someone's butt needs to be kicked," Kim smiled. "It may be last minute, but ask at the party tonight. I guarantee you'll get a few recruits."

"I'm afraid I will not be one of them," Jasmine said. "I have finals coming up this week, and I need to study."

"We could use you, but I understand completely," LS said. "Kim, how are you able to get away? What about work?"

"LS, I own the place, remember? If I go away on personal business, what can they do, fire me? My secretary will keep them in line; she pretty much runs the place anyway."

LS sighed. "I do not even know how long this will take."

"I'll be with you as long as it takes, you know that."

"I know; I am trying to figure out Johnson's means of attack."

"I believe you're giving the good councilman too much credit," Jasmine said.

"How so?" LS asked.

Jasmine dabbed her lips with a napkin before she continued. "You already figured out his plan of action without knowing it. He doesn't have anything to pin on you, except for your attack on the gangs, and given its success, who's going to fuss with you on that? You're not running against him in public office; you'd be giving him a favor by doing that. No, he's going to attack you the only way he knows how, fighting fire with fire."

"So in other words, he's going to send more thugs after LS?" Lewis said.

"Yes; people in Johnson's position of power may be clever, but their solutions aren't necessarily brilliant. They think that their power alone is enough," Jasmine said.

"The problem with that is thanks to our cousin," Kim replied, lightly slapping LS on the back, "is our old neighborhood has a big shortage of thugs."

"Plus from what I've heard, a few of the connecting neighborhoods are using similar methods, so he would be low on recruits there," LS said.

"So he'll probably import help, and spend a lot of the taxpayer's dollars doing it," Jasmine shrugged. "My big question is what is your plan of action, LS?"

"That's simple, Jasmine," LS said, leaning back in her chair. Before she could begin, a car horn sounded.

"You'll need to fill me in later, I have some running to do," Lewis said as he kissed LS and said bye to the others before running to a nearby room to change into his running clothes.

"My plan is this," LS repeated, "to go back home, neutralize the enemy gangs, wherever they come from, neutralize the councilman, and take care of one last thing."

"What's that?" Kim asked.

LS gave a devilish grin. "Do you know of any good realtors?"

At Betty's garage, business was steady during the morning, but like the day before, it slowed down and almost ground to a halt by lunchtime. Betty and Irena sat in the office discussing the events of the night before. Loretta decided to take a break and join them.

"Wow, what a night," Irena said as she opened her container of Chinese food. She glanced at the chopsticks that came with it, pulled them out, tossed them to Betty, then took a plastic fork and dug in.

"I almost felt like I should get her autograph," Betty replied. "My sensei told me so much about her, I almost felt speechless when she sat at our table."

"She carries a strong presence about her," Loretta said, "you know, the sort of vibe that tells you she's a nice person, but not one you should mess with either."

"Her boyfriend isn't half-bad to look at either," Betty laughed.

"Gawk at your own risk, my friend," Irena said. "I'll remember to give my respects every time I pass by your tombstone."

Betty rose up her hands. "Hey, I'm not crazy; Lewis has everything a woman could want from a man. He's handsome, sensitive, considerate-"

"And he knows how to prepare chocolate," Loretta piped in.

That generated a chuckle from the three women.

"Hey, if a man can cook as well as they say Lewis does, I might be willing to forget the other qualities," Betty said.

"Betty, I noticed you played down your adventures whenever LS asked you about them," Loretta said. "What's with that?"

"Besides the fact that everyone heard them all at least twice? They're not anywhere in the same ballpark as her exploits. I mean, I just deal with punks who just want to fight me for some stupid reason. She went out and almost single-handedly cleaned up a neighborhood. I can't compare with that."

"She might want to hear something a little less dramatic than taking on gangs."

"Maybe, but I really don't have any new ones."

"That reminds me; LS never told you what she needed your help for, has she?" Irena said.

"No, I've been wondering about that myself. She sounds like she has everything under control; what would she need my help for?" Betty replied as she took a chopstick and speared a piece of chicken.

Loretta glanced off in the distance. "I guess we'll find out, here she comes," she said.

It took an effort for Betty to keep from choking on the chicken and broccoli she was chewing on. She and Irena rushed around the office making sure everything was straightened up and in order (which they were, but they wanted to make sure). Loretta laughed at them.

"Come on, ladies, the office is nice and straight. Even the magazines are current. Besides, this is a garage, they're supposed to be messy," she said.

A few seconds later, LS came in and said hello. She was wearing a red kimono with yellow butterflies, and no shoes. But then, among this group of women, wearing shoes was the exception instead of the rule. She looked around the office, seemingly impressed.

"I can tell this garage has a woman's touch," she said, "everything, even the outside of the place is clean."

"Over here, we try to keep the grease in its proper place, the garage," Betty said.

Irena looked at the bottom of her foot. "Of course sometimes we take a little of the garage with us," she said.

LS chuckled. "You should see the bottom of my feet after I leave Lewis' kitchen after he has done some major baking. One day he was preparing a desert for a fund raising dinner when he spilled some cocoa and flour. I left some interesting footprints going back to my apartment, one white and one brown."

After they finished laughing, Loretta got up from her seat. "Speaking of footprints, I need to add some sawdust to mine. I'm about ready to finish that stack of shelves to the back wall, and I'm bringing someone in later today to get started on some additional indoor plumbing. A pleasure meeting you again, LS," she said, as she walked back to the work area.

As LS sat down, Betty asked, "My sensei said-"

"Your sensei? Oh, you mean my cousin. I am sorry; it is hard sometimes to think of Kim as a sensei. I usually think of her as ornery, but please go on," LS said.

"Ornery?" Irena said.

"Oh yes. In fact, if you both have some time, I can tell you a few stories. You just need to promise not to tell Kim you know."

"Is that fair?" Betty asked.

"How many stories have you heard about Lewis and I?" LS said with a smirk.

"Okay, never mind. Anyway, your cousin, my sensei said you needed my help."

"Yes I do."

LS relayed what happened the past day, and an educated guess on what the councilman planned to do.

"So you see, I can use a woman of your skills, and a few others," LS continued.

"Uh, about how long would we be gone?" Betty asked.

"My target is a few days, but I will not lie to you that there's a possibility it might take a day longer."

"LS, I would love to help you out, really I would, but leaving the garage for a few days? I don't know if I can do it."

Irena walked over and placed a hand on Betty's shoulder. "LS, hold on for a moment. Betty, when was the last time you had a vacation?"

"A vacation?"

"Yes, a vacation. I mean a real one, where you mess with other things besides cars, outside of Sundays, and national holidays?"

"Well I, uh,"

"That's what I thought. Betty, the garage will be fine for the next few days, and you know I'm more than capable enough to handle the workload. I'll even work over if necessary," Irena said.

"Irena, I know you can, you're good, but what if we get slammed? You don't want a line of cars to deal with."

"Comrade, if the next few days are like what we had yesterday and today, you don't have anything to worry about. And even so, I can handle it."

"That's not all. What if Sheila sends a couple of fighters your way?"

"What if she does? Betty, you know my abilities, you've seen them. At the risk of boasting, the day some catfighter gets the better of me will be the day I need some boy scout to help me cross the street."

"Who is this "Sheila?' Has she been a source of problems for you?" LS asked.

"LS, you may as well have a seat; this explanation may take a while," Betty said.

After Betty explained to LS about the "bounty" placed on Betty and Irena's head, how the situation with Sheila began, and how she earned her so-called "title" in the first place, a 1971 Pontiac GTO with a gold body and a white roof, a muscle car that from its appearance had seen better days, pulled up to the shop.

"I see you get all types of customers," LS said.

"Those aren't customers," Betty moaned.

"We would chew our customers out for taking poor care of a classic car like that. The things you can do with a beauty like that," Irena said.

"It looks like you'll get a demonstration of what we go through. I'll get rid of them quick," Betty said.

"No need to rush," LS said.

The car doors opened, and two people climbed out of the car, a man and a woman. The man was 6'2", wiry, and sported a Mohawk of brown hair on his head. He wore a white muscle shirt, blue jeans, a black pair of the Converse# Chuck Taylor high top sneakers, and several tattoos on his arms. The woman was 5'6", had shoulder-length dishwater blond hair, and had the average build of a woman who did some exercise, but not a lot. She wore a turquoise tank top, jeans that were cut two inches above the ankle, and blue flip-flops. From the expression on her face as she walked toward the office, she looked like she was ready to fight. From his expression, he looked like he was ready to watch.

"I'm looking for a Betty Conrad, are any of you her?" The woman bellowed at the three ladies.

"I'm Betty Conrad, how may I help you?" Betty replied, being polite.

"I understand there's a bounty on your head for the first person to beat you up. That's what I'm here for; I never could turn down a challenge."

The man giggled. The woman turned and smiled at him.

"And your name is?"

"Tina Smith is my name, the super stud over here is Mack Norton, or as I like to call him, Big Mack. Want to know why?"

"Not really, thanks. Chances are, Tina, you'll never see a cent of that money, and if you're looking for a reputation, you can just tell people you beat me up, I don't care," Betty said.

"I was told the first thing you'd do would be to talk your way out of it; doing the honorable thing or something like that. Well, I guess I've never been very honorable. And I already have a reputation. Truthfully, I would have done this for free. You see, Betty, some people are born to do certain things. Me, I've been born to fight. I gain a particular amount of excitement when I fight, and it leaves me energized after I beat my opponent to a pulp. You want Big Mack to tell you how excited I get after a fight?"

"No thank you, Tina, please go on," Irena said.

Tina looked at Irena. "You must be the assistant they're only giving chump change for. I guess they either figured you can't fight, or you don't fight much," she said.

"Comrade, you have no idea," Irena began, but Betty waved her hand, stopping her.

"Tina, I have no wish nor reason to fight you, but since you don't leave me much choice, here's how we do it. As you can plainly see, I run a business, and I can't always drop my wrench and put up my fists at the sign of a challenge. I may not be busy at the moment, but I also have a guest who wanted to see me. What we can do is to schedule a time, an "appointment' if you will for a time we can uh, "get together.' I'm sure you've heard that I make my appointments."

"I was told you did this too, schedule your fights. Well let me tell you something. Remember when I just said I'm not very honorable? Well I guess you can say I'm old school. When I come to fight, I don't make appointments, nor check my calendar; I'm ready to do it now. Plus I really don't care much who else is around at the time. As a matter of fact, I prefer my fighting in front of an audience. It helped extend my reputation on the north side of town, and it really turns me on. Mack, you want to tell them how much this lights my fire?"

Mack began, but this time LS stopped him.

"Please do not do so, Mack, we have the idea," LS said.

"What is it with you girls? You don't like to hear this stuff? What are you, prudes?" Tina said.

"We really don't want to know how fighting gets your wick ignited," Betty replied, "My point is I do not want to fight you now."

"My point is I do want to fight you now," Tina said.

"What about having an audience?" Irena said. "If you plan it, you can bring your friends to watch."

"That's why I bring Mack, at times like this, he's all the audience I need."

Betty put her elbows on the desk and rubbed her temples with her fingers. "Irena, is the coast clear at my house?" She said.

Irena stepped outside and looked. "Everyone is still at work," she said.

"Very well," Betty sighed. "Near the rear of the garage, there's a secluded area where we can get this over with. At least give me the chance to step out of these work clothes and put on something a little more suitable."

"Do not bother Betty, I will take care of this," LS said.

"What? LS, you don't need to do-"

"I have been listening to this windbag for the last five minutes talk about how fearsome she is and how fighting gives her something that would put Viagra to shame. And she has the nerve to not accept proper protocol for engagements. I am sure no one challenges her when she goes to the beauty shop, or when or if her boyfriend's car is worked on."

"No reputable mechanic has touched that car for years," Irena said.

"Hey, you "dissing' my car?" Mack said.

"If you took proper care of your car, it would be worth quite a bit of money. Now, even the junkman wouldn't take it."

"Oh, like you could do better?"

"See that old car outside? I rebuilt that."

As Mack was stuck silent by the fact that someone, a woman especially, had made an older car look better than his "baby," Tina turned and smirked at LS.

"So you want to take me on, Dragon Lady? What are you going to do shrimp? Stab me with chopsticks?" Tina scoffed.

"No, I have a cousin who could do that against foes armed with a switchblade," LS replied. "I just want to shut you up so Betty and I can finish our business."

Tina laughed. "I could use an appetizer before the main course. Let's go, or do you want to change into something more "suitable' for you?"

"That will not be necessary. Betty, if you will lead us?"

Betty led the group to the back of the garage; Tina had to almost drag Mack away from taking a closer examination of Irena's car.

"I guess it's a good thing I didn't mention to him the classic cars you have parked nearby," Irena said to Betty. Mack however overheard.

"You mean those old cars are yours? Naw, no chick could do that," Mack said.

"Mack, don't you have a girlfriend to watch and root for or something?" Betty said.

"Hey Betty, since we're here, we might as well enjoy the show, eh? I don't know about you, but I've wanted to see her in action since I first heard about her," Irena said.

"Good point. Someone who could take on street gangs and send them to the hospital is someone I'd love to see." She said the last part loud enough for Tina to hear it.

"Oh, come on," Tina said as she kicked her flip-flops off. "Don't go far, madam Goodwrench, you're still the main course after I take care of my ninja appetizer here."

LS found the middle of the yard and started to undo her kimono. "I guess it would be fruitless to explain this, but I am as American as you are, born and raised in Indiana, ninjas are a group of assassins in Japan, and my ancestry is from China, and do not let the kimono fool you, though Japanese citizens wear them, I like them because they're comfortable, and they are easy to take off for things like this."

LS took off her kimono, and started to fold it, not noticing the stares everyone had gave her. Underneath, she wore her red T-shirt and blue gym shorts was her usual body of solid muscle. Unlike her boyfriend, relatives, and students who saw her on a regular basis, this was the first time her audience have seen her. Even Tina paused to take notice.

"Wow Irena, she's about as solid as you," Betty said.

"No, she's more solid. She must do a lot of regular work on her core," Irena replied before she trotted out to get LS's kimono.

"Okay, I stand corrected, you evidently work out quite a bit. But to fight me, it takes more than just muscle," Tina said.

"Could we just get started? I have a lot of things to do today. As a matter of fact, to make this fairer, I will take on both of you," LS said, a little exasperated.

"Both?" Tina and Mack said at the same time.

"Yes. You appear to be a person who fights more with their mouth than with anything else, and those types of people are easy to beat. Your boyfriend might help even things out a little, but I do not expect him to add much. I haven't had my regular workout today, so I'm hoping you will help me at least work up a sweat."

"So you think you can take me?" Tina said, cockily.

"Goodness woman, did you not hear what I have said, or are you deaf as well as stupid?"

Angered by that last remark, Tina charged forward, her hands extended into claws ready to yank her hair out of her head. LS grasped Tina's wrists, and despite the pressure, pushed them away with ease. In fact, LS pushed her away and looked at her as she gave Mack an elbow in the chest as he attempted to sneak up behind her. Mack collapsed to the ground holding his belly.

"Oldest trick in the book," LS said. "I've encountered it dozens of times."

Tina threw a right kick to LS's side. Without taking her eyes off Tina's, the judoka blocked and caught her leg, and jerked it up, making Tina lose her balance and fall to the ground on her back. Tina was stunned, but managed to get to her knees to face LS, who was nowhere to be seen ' in front of her, that is. A right arm wrapped around her neck, her thumb on her windpipe while her left arm was seized and bent backwards enough to put Tina in pain. Suddenly, she heard LS speak softly in her ear.

"This move in known in judo as an ude-hishigi-hara-gtame. Now chances are you do not speak Japanese, eh? Well, neither do I, but I do know my judo terms, which is almost the same as learning the language. The term translated in English means stomach arm lock." LS bent the arm back, getting another grunt of pain from Tina.

"Yes, that is right, try to grab my hair with your free hand. You are probably right-handed, so you won't need your left arm for much, eh? Now as I was saying, this is a stomach arm lock, but I have added my own special touch to this hold. That thumb on your windpipe now turns this into a chokehold as well as a joint lock. You are being pretty bright right now by not wasting your energy cursing and threatening me. And in case you are wondering, by the time Mack recovers enough to rescue you, you will be unconscious. I bet you can see spots right now; that means it will not be long for you.

"Now listen to me. We are finished here. I had an important matter of business to discuss with Betty, and you interfered in the middle of that. I am going to let you go, and you are going to get your boyfriend and leave. If you do not comply, not only will you be unconscious with a broken arm, Mack will have something broken as well, maybe an arm, maybe a rib, or maybe his face. You saw me; you know I can do it. So are we through, or would you like to take a nap in the backyard to wake up in the emergency ward?"

Tina suddenly wasn't enjoying herself anymore. She had fought dozens of fights, some quick, some long and brutal. But her fight with LS was over before it begun. Not only that, but she encountered something she hadn't felt in a long time, fear. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Mack slowly rise to his feet, along with the spots dancing before her eyes as LS increased the pressure on her throat. However, Mack's help would make things worse for her instead of help, and this woman would probably carry through with her threat to him.

"Okay, you win, I give, please let me go," she croaked.

LS did just as she promised. Tina considered a sucker punch, but a glance at LS told her that she was ready for it. She stumbled over to her boyfriend, who thought about charging LS, but a panic-stricken look from Tina told him not to. He was about to ask her why not until he saw the look on the victor's face. He looked back at Tina. Even in the few fights she'd lost, she never looked like this. As they walked toward the car, his sense of chivalry took over, and he approached LS, his right arm ready to deliver a slap across her face.

"No one treats my woman like ' wha?" Mack said when he realized LS caught his arm in mid-flight.

"You should have heeded her council," LS said, right before she delivered a right knee up into the stomach as she jerked his arm down, then swung that leg around and swept his right leg from under him, throwing him to the ground. Still holding on to his arm, she delivered two quick strikes to the man's face. Mack was seeing stars and almost out of it, when his eyes suddenly widened as LS held up her fist to deliver a third blow.

"No please, leave him alone! We'll go, just don't hit him anymore," Tina pleaded.

"Then go," LS said, dropping Mack's arm.

Tina helped Mack up, who now stood on wobbly legs. They hurried from the battlefield so fast, they almost forgot to pick up Tina's shoes on the way out.

"You should leave them, those flimsy things only get in the way," LS said as they left. Tina for a split-second almost considered it, but clung on to them as they got to their car.

The whole match, if one could call it that, was not lost on Betty and Irena.

"Myself, I would've just whacked them both across the head and loaded them in the car," Betty said, "but you had them running to their car. How did you do that?"

"I am sure Kim nor Jasmine spoke of it often, but the neighborhood we grew up in started getting rough when we were children; about the same time Kim was learning tae kwon do and I was learning judo. The police were there, but they were not everywhere. So some of us took it upon ourselves to start cleaning up our streets. Amazingly enough, it worked. In fact, it was not until this past year that gangs found it safe to get on the streets again. Of course, you heard about the "gang' of my own I formed to eliminate the gangs from my neighborhood. I am told that the neighborhood next to mine has taken up the same example, but I have been too busy to investigate. My point that I am trying to make is when you face off against those forces as long as I have, it can make you a little hard if you are not careful. Others can see that hardness, and know that you are serious. That's how I scared Tina off."

"That's still impressive," Irena said.

"The other thing is I hope your skills haven't eroded facing off against this so-called "competition' of yours, Betty. If you and Irena are as good as my cousin said you are, you could handle clowns like this in your sleep."

"Sometimes we have," Betty remarked. "So what did you need me for again?"

The party appeared to be a huge success. After his morning run with Velvet, Lewis was taken back to Kim and Jasmine's place where he showered, changed, then jumped back in Velvet's car, and traveled to the nearby grocery store to buy what he needed. Velvet, seeing Lewis was on a mission, figured the best thing for her to do in this situation was to stay in the car and keep the motor running. Pushing a shopping cart full of items, Lewis emerged from the store, threw everything into the trunk, and jumped into the car and asked Velvet to step on it. As they sped away, Velvet wondered it this was what those who drove the "getaway car" in bank robberies went through.

As they pulled up to Velvet's apartment, she barely put the car in gear before Lewis jumped out of the car and started unloading. He almost ran over Velvet's "maid," Brian Decker as he rushed in looking for the kitchen. Velvet gave a quick introduction, just before Lewis threw them out of the kitchen. Velvet walked to her bedroom to take a quick shower, but instructed Brian to stay nearby just in case Lewis forgot something and needed a last minute grocery trip. A few hours later, Lewis emerged and asked the two to be his guinea pigs and sample a few of his treats. When both of them squealed with delight, he knew that he fixed the food just right. With an hour or two left before the party was to start, he gave Velvet and Brian a few last minute instructions; namely that Velvet play the host and smile a lot (which was what she would be doing anyway), and for Brian to serve his dishes in order. There should be plenty of food, but in case supplies fell short, he was to be contacted immediately.

After the party went on for an hour or so, the men and women settled into their separate groups. Along with the men who were at the restaurant the night before, Benjamin's good friends, Jesse Booker and Kevin Coffman attended the party.

"So tell me, LS," Velvet asked, "Is Lewis always this ' intense when he prepares for a party?"

"A little," LS smiled. "At most functions we are invited to, he is always hyper-critical of the food served. My friends always made it a point to have him fix the food, while I make it a point to always have a hair appointment during the time he cooks and prepares. It works great that way. I am sorry I forgot to warn you."

"That's all right. For food this good, I don't mind being thrown out of my own kitchen."

"I know what you mean," Janelle said, as she took a bite of one of Lewis' creations. "If he didn't belong to you, and if I wasn't already engaged, I'd think I'd ask him to marry me."

LS laughed. "You would be surprised how many potential marriage proposals Lewis receives because of his cooking. I will tell you what; when I grow tired of him, you can fight it out with Kim. She has wanted to marry him for his food for years," she said.

"At least I know what to do with him," Kim protested.

Janelle spoke into Kim's ear. "What do you say, water guns at dawn?" She said.

"Sure, we just need to find a way to get rid of her first," Kim replied, pointing at LS.

"Before you two get started, there's something I wanted to get straightened out first," Betty said. "Kim and Jasmine told me their family originally came from Japan, while LS had mentioned her ancestry came from China, yet she's your cousin. How is that?"

"It's not a problem," Jasmine said. "One of our cousins traced our family tree down to two brothers who lived in China. One day, the younger brother decided he wanted to see more of the world. However, he only made it as far as Japan. Some woman smiled and winked at him, and they ended up getting married. The older brother got married as well, and both families had lots of kids. The kids felt the wanderlust as well, and scattered themselves across the globe. Right now, our parents are arguing about where our upcoming family reunion will be."

"I think my family tree only extends over three states," Susan said, sipping her drink.

"Speaking of real estate, LS, my cousin who's an excellent realtor in this region, has located a nice house with four bedrooms just outside of town with a large kitchen. She'll be available to show it to you after the party," Velvet said. "In fact, because of whom Lewis is, and the fact that she buys his chocolate treats in bulk, he is invited to stay there for a few days while you take care of business."

LS displayed a big grin on her face.

"Excellent, call your cousin and tell her I would love to see it," she said.

Kim looked at her suspiciously. "All right, LS, what are you planning?" She asked.

LS turned to her cousin and said, "If you can't figure it out, I'm not going to tell you."

"I think someone's being sneaky," Jasmine replied.

As the other ladies laughed (with the exception of Kim, who was still wondering what was going on), Loretta grabbed a cookie, another one of Lewis' treats, and chewed on it slowly to savor the flavor.

"Oh, these cookies are so good, they make my toes curl!" She said. "Betty and Irena were telling me that when you three were younger, you were guardians of your street?"

Kim smiled faintly. "Yeah, that was us," she said. "That was the name we gave ourselves. People even had a little saying about us too. It went, "If you value your pride, don't mess with Jasmine; if you value your bones, don't mess with Kim; and if you value your life, don't mess with LS.' It was rather catchy."

A few of the women turned to LS.

"I had a bit of a temper back then," she said sheepishly.

"There are a lot of stories we could share with you, but LS, I think it's time to share with the others your dilemma," Kim said.

"Yes, you are right," LS agreed.

As LS related what had gone on with her back home, Betty and Loretta who already heard the story and made their decision (Betty was going, but Loretta reluctantly declined because of her work load), they stood apart at the other end of the kitchen.

"Hey Betty, have you seen Kevin around anywhere?" Loretta asked in a whisper.

"He's probably hanging around with the guys in the living room. Why?" Betty said.

"No reason. You think LS will get more help?"

"Probably. I'm going to the ladies room, I'll be right back."

After Betty finished in the bathroom, she started to head back towards the kitchen, but the sounds in the living room sounded more interesting, so she found a hiding place in the hallway close to the front of the living room, and listened in.

"You mean she climbed a tree to get into your place?" Billy Conrad said.

"No lie man; she scared me half to death when I turned on the lights, and she was sitting there in the recliner waiting for an explanation," David Reynolds said. "I asked her if climbing that tree hurt her feet. She looked at me calmly, and said, "Nothing hurts my feet,' and waited for me to explain myself."

"So what did you do?"

"I did what anyone would do when their six-foot kickboxing amazon girlfriend climbs a tree to go into their apartment and waited for them, I told her everything."

All the men laughed. Betty started to giggle, but she covered her mouth, lest she gave herself away.

"Hey Benjamin, wasn't Janelle like that with you?" David asked.

Benjamin mentally went over the parts he could mention in public, then said, "I remember her cornering me after self-defense class, and being told we were going on a date that evening."

"And you did it?" Billy asked.

"When a 5'10" very muscular female judo instructor tells you something-"

The men laughed again.

"So how "discreetly' did Irena ask you out?" Benjamin said, turning the tables. "She doesn't hit me as being subtle."

"Irena sometimes says that subtlety is one of the big problems in our country. She said if people just say what they mean, it would make things a whole lot clearer," Billy said.

"Good point; so how did she ask you out?" David asked.

"Now how do you know she asked me out? I could've asked her, you know!" Billy said defensively.

"Irena is a little like Janelle, that's how I know," Benjamin said. "Come on, we're waiting."

Billy, seeing no way out, said, "Well I remember I was at a little get together at my house, and I was telling her about what happened at college with one of the cheerleaders. She looked at me ever so gleefully, and told me, "William, did you know I could beat up your friends?' As you could imagine, since that came out of nowhere, I was speechless. Before I could reply, she stroked my chin with her finger, and then said, "William, did you know I could beat you up?' I was still speechless, and she then proceeded to tell me that I was going to go back to college, tell those cheerleaders and the other female athletes to "get lost,' then come back to her. She would go over the details at church the next day. She pulled me down, kissed me on the lips, and left."

The room was silent for a long moment, then everyone burst out laughing. Billy's normally creamy complexion was turning a little rosy around the cheeks. His sister was doing all she could in her power to keep from busting a gut herself. Now she knew why he was a little hesitant when she asked him how they ended up dating.

"So Billy, did she always call you "William?'" Benjamin asked.

"She started that night. I told her my name was Billy, but she said, "not to me,'" Billy said. "I hate the name "William.'"

"Join the club. I'm not really found of the name "Ben.'"

"Hey, do you guys really think she could beat me up?"

The rest of the men in the room just looked at Billy and smiled. David came over and laid a hand on his shoulder.

"I think we gentlemen need to spend an evening alone to watch a few DVD's, to give Billy here an education of some facts of life," he said.

"An education? What are you talking about?" Billy asked.

"I understand this is not a topic you two talk very much about over candlelight dinners, but you knew your girlfriend was a black belt in Sambo, right?"

"Yeah, that's something like judo, I know."

"Did you also know that she was a champion of the cage matches in Russia?"

"Yeah, I know that; so what?"

"Billy, you've never seen a cage match, have you?"

"No, I thought it would be like those cage matches in professional wrestling."

"Have you seen any of Susan's matches?"

"Uh, no."

This time, the rest of the men shook their heads in disbelief.

"What?" Billy asked.

"The answer to your first question is a big "yes,'" Benjamin said. "As for that evening of watching DVD's that David suggested, I think we need to have that as soon as possible, like tomorrow or the next day."

"Why so soon? What's the urgency?" Billy asked again.

"Billy, we're just trying to save you from a whack across the head."

Betty quickly fled from her hiding place, before she'd burst out in laughter, and give herself away. Her brother sometimes spent so much time studying at college, he would forget about the rest of the world. It was amazing he segmented some of his time for girls. With all fights she and Irena were involved in at the garage, one would figure he'd take the time to put two and two together. Besides, he knew she could beat him up, so why ask about his girlfriend with her accomplishments? Ah well, if the guys give him that "education," then he wouldn't need to get that well-deserved whack across the head. Shaking her head, she walked back to the kitchen to join the women, who were discussing what happened with LS and Lewis the other day.

"That man barging in on you two, and in the middle of making out? Girls, I think that would qualify for some serious hurt," Velvet said before taking a bite out of her cookie.

"I think I would've killed him, then later apologize," Irena said.

"Believe me, I was very tempted," LS replied.

"Susan, Janelle, you two seem to be rather silent on the matter," Loretta said. "You two just seem to be smiling strangely."

"Maybe because something similar has happened to us," Susan replied. "We know just where LS is coming from."

"Oh, I did not know," LS said, "what happened?"

"On the trip there, we can give you the whole story, but to give you the abbreviated version, I challenged the woman to a match at my dojo. Let's just say after it was over, the girl was lucky to even walk out of the place," Janelle said.

[Reference time again. That little match came from Declaration of War, still located in my bookshelf ' Mongoose.]

"In my case, the man had help. He ended up with a warning. His henchmen weren't as lucky, particularly the one I tied to a tree and used as a punching bag," Susan said.

[Regarding this story, you'll need to go back to the beginning, the very beginning, as in the first two stories that started this mess in the first place: Susan's Bad Day, Parts I & II ' Mong ' you know what? If you don't know who wrote this story by now, just go back to the first page and look at the title page after the word "by." Now keep reading and pay attention!]

"I remember Kim would make references to her class jokingly about tying someone up to a tree and beating them if they didn't act right, but I never knew where that came from," Jasmine commented.

"Who said I was joking?" Kim remarked.

Susan looked around. "He wasn't nearby, was he?"

"No, he sneaked into one of the rooms to watch a little TV," Velvet replied.

"You mean the man is here?" LS asked.

"Long story, but he's now Velvet's maid," Susan said.

"Sorry I neglected to tell you about that," Kim said.

"Apparently it will be an interesting ride back to Indiana," LS said as she looked at the two women. "So I gather from that remark you said earlier Janelle, that you and Susan are coming?"

"That's right," Janelle said.

"And you already know I'm coming," Kim said.

"Me too," Betty joined in.

"I wish I could join you, but I have too many commitments here, like keeping her out of trouble," Loretta said, putting an arm around Irena.

"Gee thank you, you're so kind," Irena said sarcastically.

"I wish there was a way I could persuade my professor to delay my final exam, but somehow I don't think he'll take my explanation," Jasmine joked.

"It is all right, cousin; I know of a few more people to ask for assistance," LS said. "My new concern is considering your er, height, what needs to be done as far as transportation back home. On the way here, I had only Lewis to be concerned about, but now-"

"Not to worry, I have it covered," Betty chimed in. "I have a brand new minivan that I just finished customizing, and is ready to go. So we'll be able to enjoy the ride."

"Excellent! The extra room will give all of us a chance to relax and be rested for our mission. Thank you Betty."

"No problem. I needed to give the minivan a road test anyway."

"Will you need more people? Will we be enough?" Janelle asked LS.

"There's a few people back home who I plan on asking when we arrive."

"Give Rini a call when you get there," Jasmine said. "She'll be more than happy to help."

"Who's Rini?" Lorettta asked.

"She's a close friend of ours. She earned her black belt in aikido the same time Jasmine did, and is also skilled in tai chi, chin na, and escrima," Kim said.

"Four martial arts? She sounds like a woman you shouldn't mess with," Susan remarked.

"Intelligent people who know of her don't. And I believe she had started taking up a few lessons in Krav Maga and freestyle wrestling the last time I talked to her," LS said.

"Krav Maga and wrestling! She's already one of the deadliest people in the state; what does she need to take those two disciplines up for?" Jasmine protested.

"Rini predicted you would respond like that," LS continued, "so her answer to your question is she wanted to work on her ground skills. She also said hello. The message was a little late because I talked with her right before my stint as a 'gang leader' started. She guessed your reaction correctly though."

Jasmine shook her head. "Ground skills; there's hardly anyone on the planet who can get close enough to her to take her to the ground," she grumbled.

"She's that good, eh?" Loretta asked.

"I remember back in our sophomore year of college, she wanted to be good enough to create a 'force field' around herself so no one could touch her if she didn't want to be touched."

"Did she succeed?"

"The following two occasions I saw her in action were amazing. The thugs couldn't get within five feet of her without her sending them flying. She succeeded, all right."

"I'd like to meet her."

"Oh you will like her; she has a pleasant personality and a beautiful smile," LS said.

"And can break your arm in at least three places," Janelle remarked.

"I guess I should be glad she didn't take up kickboxing," Susan said.

"She's not much into kicking. Still, I wouldn't give her any ideas," Jasmine said.

"Hearing about your friend is interesting, but I want to know the recipe your man has for this cheese dip," Velvet said, popping another dip-covered chip in her mouth.

"That is actually one of the few recipes Lewis shared with me," LS said, "and it's real easy too, though it takes a little bit of shopping around for the ingredients. First, you get . . ."

But by that time, Betty had sneaked away, walking down the hallway. Recipes are fine, but if she wanted dip with her chips, she'd just go to the store and buy some. She was curious if her brother was still was getting ribbed about the way Irena asked him out. When she arrived at her hiding place, she saw the men were merciful to him and left him alone. In fact, the group had drifted apart into two separate groups. Kevin and Jesse were by themselves closer to Betty while the others were talking about some other subject.

"Hey, have you noticed the way Loretta has been staring at me?" Kevin asked Jesse.

"No, I haven't. Is there something wrong?" Jesse replied.

"I don't know, man, she looks like she wants to eat me."

"I don't think it's anything for you to worry about. Loretta is a nice woman, she just happens to be taller than the rest of us, that's all."

"I'm a short man, Jesse. The "rest of you' except for LS and maybe Kim happen to be taller than me. You develop a certain wariness when you're my size, especially when you stand among the "trees.'"

"Okay, my mistake on the size thing. Still, I'm sure she means you no harm, and we have Janelle or Velvet to defend you just in case she wants to grind your bones to make her bread. Maybe she just noticed what a little stud you are."

"Oh shut up."

Betty thought to herself. Could that be why Loretta was asking her where Kevin was? This may involve some investigation; but unfortunately she was leaving tomorrow. It doesn't sound impossible, Kevin was cute, but a librarian and a carpenter, it sounded like a strange combo. She stopped her musing when the rest of the men came to the two guys.

"It's been decided, gentlemen. We're going to have an all guys night later this week at the, where are you staying at, Lewis?" David said.

"I was told this house has a huge kitchen along with some furniture for us to recline in. I'll be fixing dinner, of course," Lewis said. "I'll give the directions later."

"I'll bring the DVD's of Susan and some other ladies. Billy needs to know what he's in for."

"I've seen your girlfriend in action on TV, David. She's pretty devastating in the ring."

"I've seen her in action outside the ring. If you want to talk about something devastating!"

"I've seen LS in action against this one man who might have been taller than we are. She had him bent in knots like a pretzel in about ten seconds. And this was when she was a sophomore, and he was a college junior!"

"Wow . . ."

"Hey guys, why don't we wait until our party to share all these war stories?" Benjamin said, his arm around Billy. "I want Billy to hear every one."

"Okay, I get the idea, your girlfriends know how to fight. I don't see what you need to convince me about though," Billy said.

"We're trying to convince you of what's in front of you, that's all. Your girlfriend at one time was a champion cage fighter in all of Moscow! And your sister is the toughest girl in town. How have you missed this?"

"I don't know."

Betty shook her head again. Nothing interesting there. Billy always loved parties, so they won't have to twist his arm. This development with Loretta and Kevin sounded interesting though. That explained why she was asking for him.

Figuring she needed to get back to join the ladies, she quietly backed up from her hiding place, and prepared to turn around, when she backed into something. She almost yelped in surprise when that something turned out to be someone; namely Susan looking down at her with her arms folded.

"Hi Susan," Betty said quietly.

"What are you doing, Betty?" Susan asked.

"Oh just dropping in on our gentlemen friends. Hey, you know what they said about-"

"I don't want to hear it, it's none of my business," Susan said, with an under tone that clearly said to Betty, and it's none of yours either.

"But it's all good; it's about how some of you met, and some funny stories and-"

"It's something that they'd like to keep among themselves. I learned that as with the ladies, the men's conversation should remain private until they are willing to share. It strengthens the relationship when you do it that way."

Betty looked at Susan with a smirk. "I suppose so when you have a relationship to strengthen in the first place."

"It helps to develop one too."

"Whatever. So what are you doing here?"

"I was looking for you. I saw you sneaking away while we were talking about recipes, so I thought I'd catch up to you. What's with this eavesdropping? That's not like you."

"Well, I don't know; they were sharing stories about each other's girlfriends, and then they asked each other about how they met, and I was hooked, I guess," Betty said almost apologetically.

"Well sometime in the near future, I'm sure they'll be talking to your boyfriend about how you two met. It'll come, Betty; you haven't been impatient before on the matter, just wait a little while, and one will fall into your lap before you know it."

"Or maybe I'll track one down, and threaten to beat them up," Betty remarked as they walked back to join the women in the kitchen.

"Huh?" Susan asked.

"Nothing."

"Hey, I know just what you need to bring those guys running."

"What's that?"

"A brand new hairstyle."

"Don't even start with that."

"You can't blame a lady for trying."

"Ah, I see Susan decided to give the hairdo idea one more try," Janelle said, approaching the two. "While we're talking about changing things on people, let's discuss the subject of colors."

"I'm going to go powder my nose. I'll be right back," Susan replied, suddenly fleeing the scene.

"Thanks for the save on the hair, Janelle," Betty said. "What's this thing about you and colors that Susan and Velvet want to change on you?"

"It's not just those two, it's also two other friends of mine. They think I'm either in mourning or turning Goth because I wear black a lot of the time. It took me a while to figure it out, but I'm on to them."

"Isn't black your favorite color?"

"Yes! It didn't take you long to figure that out, how come nobody else can?"

"You got me. How soon are we taking off for Indiana?"

"LS wanted to get back as soon as possible, so we were considering tomorrow. Since you were the only one who might have a time conflict, we wanted to hear what you had to say."

"Tomorrow is fine. In fact, I'm going to leave in a minute to make sure the minivan is ready to travel."

"Great, I'll tell the others."

After she said her goodbyes (to both the men and the women, respectively), Betty drove back to the garage to do some last minute checking on the vehicle. As she thought about it, Susan was right; eavesdropping on the guys wasn't like her. However, after a moment's reflection, she realized what it was. Regarding relationships, Betty was rather secure and patient that when the time is right, it'll come. Susan and Janelle have been with their boyfriends as long as she knew them, so it wasn't any big deal. And as far as Irena and her brother Billy, it was the whole thing seemed rather laughable. Not that they were a funny couple, it's just the way her employee nabbed him and how ' "whipped" she acted around him, it just made her smile. But when LS and her boyfriend Lewis arrived, it gave her a taste of what she was missing. She really hadn't had that much time for that sort of thing, between working and, and whacking people across the head. Nah, even if she wasn't whacking, she'd just fill it up with more working. Maybe Irena was right, a little vacation, a short diversion was what she needed. It'll give the time to think about these things while she was ' well, while she was whacking some more people across the head.

The next day, Betty pulled up in front of Kim and Jasmine's apartment to load the minivan and the passengers before embarking on their journey to Indiana. The minivan was a crimson color with dark grey upholstery. Outside of that, the vehicle was anything but normal. Inside the van was a small collection of computer equipment. From global positioning equipment to satellite radio, the van was loaded. There were even two compartments underneath the front seats that held two laptop computers. Obviously, this gained a lot of attention from the passengers and bystanders alike, particularly Benjamin, who stared inside with longing. The idea of asking to tag along for the ride crossed his mind more than once. His fianc#e Janelle asked if they were riding this minivan or climbing onboard the Starship Enterprise. She also asked Betty if there were any cruise missiles or laser guns under the hood that would make their task easier. When asked how much the price was for this project, Betty shook her head and told them it was a secret.

"That's all right; if I sold my house, I might be able to afford most of it," Loretta quipped.

After loading the van with the necessary luggage, everyone (except for Betty, who remained in the minivan) was giving each other their goodbyes.

"Hey Betty, why don't you get out of the van so you could get a few hugs before you go?" Irena asked.

"I'll just stay here, the seats are nice and comfy," Betty said.

Irena noticed Loretta giving the two of them a smirk.

"What are you grinning about?" Irena asked.

"Oh nothing; I'll tell you later," Loretta replied.

Meantime, the couples were giving each other their own special farewells. Susan and David spent the majority of their time gazing at each other, not saying a word. Jesse was tempted to yell at the two "get a room," but he wisely kept quiet. Finally, David said, "Do what you need to do, then come back to me."

"Yes, sweetheart. I miss you already," Susan said breathlessly.

"Me too. I love you."

"And I love you."

The long kiss they shared after their exchange was hard to ignore, but the rest gave it their best. LS and Lewis wasn't as long and intense as the first couple, but it was as serious.

"Go kick some tail, Love; make our home safe once again," Lewis said.

"Our home? Oh, yes, I will," LS said, keeping back the changes of their future homestead to herself. "I trust you will stay out of trouble, but just in case something comes up, call Jasmine. If she is not available, you have the numbers of the others left here."

"I'll be fine, Love. I'm just going to hang around with the guys and catch up on my orders," Lewis said, appreciating his lady's concern.

"Very good. I will be back soon. Cousin, what are you looking at?" LS said, glancing at her cousin who was watching the show.

"Just wondering how long you were going to say goodbye before we left. I'd like to travel by daylight, if possible," Kim said, a small smirk on her face.

"Jasmine, are you sure you can't come? I would like to make a trade."

"Sorry LS, I'm afraid you two are stuck with each other," Jasmine said, pulling Kim away.

"Ornery! Good-bye, beloved," LS said, giving Lewis a deep kiss. Not long, but deep.

"Goodbye; I'll see you soon," Lewis said.

"Of course I will. You know how much I love the taste of chocolate." LS replied, waving.

Lewis waved back, finding himself slightly blushing from LS's remark.

"Chocolate, huh? Would that be regular, milk, or dark?" Velvet said, getting a few laughs from the crowd.

"Well we know it's not white chocolate," Billy said, getting a few boos for the joke.

In the case of Janelle and Benjamin, since the latter wasn't accustomed to overly affectionate behavior in public, they just gave each other a kiss, told each other they loved each other, come back soon, etc. However, before she left for the minivan, Janelle pulled Benjamin close and whispered something in his ear. Instantly, Benjamin's eyes widened, his mouth formed an "O" shape, and he found himself wearing a rosy complexion as well. Janelle got in the van with a devilish grin on her face.

"What did she say?" Kevin asked.

"I, uh, I rather not say. I better not say. It has something to do with our honeymoon, that's all I'm going to say," Benjamin said, suddenly noticing a smudge on his car to wipe off.

"Oookay," Kevin replied, backing off. If Janelle's whispered statement to Benjamin involved something that may happen during their soon-to-be married life, he didn't need to know anyway. Still, it's not everyday that something said made Benjamin turn red with embarrassment.

Irena and Billy walked to the minivan hand in hand to say goodbye to Betty.

"Since you're too good to get out of the van, we decided we would come to you and give you our ' what are you wearing?" She said, peering into Betty's open window.

"What? It's nice and comfortable," Betty replied.

"I don't think you could get any more comfortable unless you visit those beaches in Europe," Billy commented.

"You want me to get out of this van and whack you across the head, Billy?" Billy warned.

"No! Please don't; he'll be good," Irena said, a little more concerned about the implications of Betty's appearance that of her boyfriend getting whacked. "I think you'll be busy enough explaining to your crew what's going on. And when you get back, you can explain it to me."

"I don't see the big deal."

"Of course you don't. I may be whipped, but you're bizarre. Have a nice trip; come on, William."

Out of the corner of her eye, Irena saw Loretta leaning against a mailbox laughing.

"Irena, what is "whipped?'" Billy asked.

"Nothing you need to be concerned about, honey. Go and say farewell to the others, I need to talk to Loretta," Irena said.

Loretta was all smiles when Irena came to her. "Seen enough, "comrade?'" She asked.

"You knew?"

"Yeah, I found out myself when I rode with her on a trip up north to find a Thunderbird chassis. She said she likes to feel loose and comfortable on long trips."

"Loose and comfortable," Irena repeated. "I never thought I'd be the one to say this, but she's been working in the garage too long."

"Then this trip should be good for her. Still, I'd like to see the look on the other's faces when they get a good look at her."

Finally, after the farewells have been completed, the minivan went on its journey to Indiana. Those who stayed behind had things to do, so they departed as well. Kevin was about to open the door to his car when he heard someone call him.

"Kevin?"

He turned around. It was Loretta.

"Oh, hello," he said, a little surprised.

"Going back to the library to work on - Archives, is it?" Loretta asked.

"Yeah, you can't keep those dead folks waiting," Kevin answered with a small chuckle.

"No, I guess not. Do you watch the History Channel#?"

"Why yes I do. It supplemented my college education."

"There's a new show on tonight called, "The History of Carpentry.'"

"Really? Sounds fascinating; I'd like to watch it."

"Well I was wondering if you could watch it ' with me, at my place."

"Well. . ."

"I have free popcorn, made the old fashioned way. I also have homemade ice-cold lemonade. I also have homemade ice cream that my mother taught me to make. Now how can you turn that down?"

"You're right, I can't. When do I come over?"

"It's always tricky for people who come the first time. I'm going to be here in town working at Betty's garage and getting supplies, so how about I pick you up at your apartment at six, then we could get a quick bite to eat, then we go to my place?"

"Won't that be a lot of driving for you?"

"I do it all the time. One more trip won't hurt."

Kevin thought about it for a moment. "Okay, I'll be ready. Six o'clock, right?"

"Six o'clock."

"Well, I'll see you then."

"Okay. Bye."

"Bye."

Loretta walked to her truck listening to the sound of a plan falling together. Despite her height, she's always have been attracted to shorter men. "Teddy Bear Syndrome" she sometimes jokingly called it. When she first met Kevin, he seemed to have all the qualities she was looking for in a cute package. Unlike the others, she liked to be a bit more subtle and discrete in her romantic pursuits. She smiled to herself as she got behind the wheel. She was successful in her little mission; she hoped and prayed the others would be successful in theirs.

"Off to Indiana we go!" Betty said.

In the minivan, the seating was situated like this: Betty was the driver; Janelle with opposition at all volunteered to be navigator, which suited Betty fine with not having the problem of map reading and driving at the same time; Susan had the second back seat all to herself, which suggested the possibility of taking a nap in the near future; and LS and Kim sat in the back seat. LS always liked sitting in the back seat, while she said Kim liked being a "backseat driver." Kim just glared at her in response.

Janelle since the time she got in the minivan spent her time buried in the maps, not looking up for anything until the vehicle started leaving the city limits.

"Hey, this isn't bad; the way we're going, we'll be there in a couple of hours or so. Betty, what are you wearing?" Janelle said.

"Huh? What about what Betty is wearing?" Susan said as she poked her head over the front seat. "Oh."

Kim and LS being in the very back, couldn't see what was going on.

"What's the big deal? What is she wearing?" Kim asked.

"Well, she wore an itsy-bitsy, teeny-weeny, yellow polka-dot bi-" Janelle started to sing.

"So it's a bikini! I like to be comfortable when I drive, all right?" Betty said defensively. "And it's dark blue; I don't like polka-dots, and it's not teeny-weeny!"

What Betty was wearing behind the wheel was indeed a modest dark blue bikini. No one outside of one's great-grandmother would consider it racy if seen on a beach. It was modest, but it was still a bikini, nonetheless.

"I like to be nice and loose when I drive on long trips," Betty continued.

"Betty, honey, just how "loose' do you need to be?" Susan said.

"You're wearing a bikini?" Kim asked. "I don't think they'll be any pools where we're going, not that we'll have time for that sort of thing."

LS started giggling.

"I'm thinking about the possible road hazard this will present," Janelle said.

"Road hazard? I obey all the traffic laws, and I never speed. When I do, I have this radar detector-" Betty replied.

"No, that's not it. Betty, you're an attractive woman, and the sight of you in a bikini may cause some people to, well, you know."

"What?"

"You'll make people run off the road!" Kim said.

"Oh, come on!" Betty protested.

"What do you do when you stop to eat, or you have to pump gas?" Susan asked.

"I always have a t-shirt and a pair of shorts or blue jeans to pull on when I do."

LS just giggled.

"Do you ever get pulled over? Come to think of it, that may not be a bad thing," Kim mused.

"Not if it's a lady cop," Susan replied.

"Well we're on the road, so I can't stop now," Betty said. "Besides, I'm not that big a "road hazard' as you think."

"We'll see," Janelle replied.

"Betty Conrad, auto mechanic and exhibitionist," Susan said.

"Hey!" Betty objected.

Kim turned to LS. "What are you giggling about?" She said.

LS just sang, "She wore an itsy-bitsy, teeny-weeny, yellow polka-dot bikini. . ."

Councilman Johnson decided to sleep in on that day. It turned out that Stacy's new hose put her in a more ' energetic mood than the usual norm. He prided himself that he was in relatively good shape; otherwise he'd still be asleep, or maybe dead. Somewhere in the middle of the night, he had to tell Stacy to let him sleep. Now that he was awake, the idea of taking a long nap ' alone ' sounded like a good idea.

He staggered down to the kitchen in his robe and boxers, and fixed himself a cup of coffee. He wished the maid didn't have the day off, because he wasn't in the mood to fix breakfast himself. Willing himself, he grabbed a box of cereal and poured it in a bowl. Just as he was planning to pour the milk, Stacy bounded into the room, wearing only a white T-shirt, and those blasted hose that she had on last night. She gave him a peck on the cheek, poured herself a cup of coffee, and sat down at the kitchen table across from him. While the councilman was munching away at his breakfast, Stacy decided to let her toes do the walking up his leg; but he stopped her before they reached their destination.

"Not now, honey; I'd like to live to see retirement one day. Man; what did those sisters of-" Johnson began.

"Daughters," Stacy corrected.

"Daughters of what's her name do, sprinkle pixie dust on those hose? You were on fire."

"I don't know; whoever designed them made it so they fit so good, it's like a second skin. It makes you feel so sensual, so alive."

"If they give you that much energy, perhaps you should wear them next time you're in the ring," Johnson said.

"You know, that doesn't sound like a bad idea. Tell you what, I'll wear a pair of these to practice, and I'll see if that will work. Then I'll come back and finish with you; I'm not done yet."

"Thanks for the warning."

"I also had an idea concerning our little antagonist," Stacy suggested.

"Really? What is it?" The words came between crunches of the last of the councilman's cereal.

"When the little runt comes home, have a little welcoming committee waiting for her; two people should do it," Stacy said as she rose in what appeared to be getting some breakfast for herself, but instead pulling the councilman's chair away from the table and sitting in his lap.

"Stacy, that would normally be a good idea, but this is LS we're talking about, remember? She would have no problem taking care of two attackers. She might even expect me to have two goons waiting for her. Down, girl," Johnson said, the last part in a whisper while Stacy ran her fingers through the hair on his chest.

"I know," Stacy said huskily, "that's why we should do it. She'll think that you know better to try something like that, so you won't do it. So you'll surprise her by doing it anyway."

Johnson thought about it for a moment. "You know, in a crazy way, that makes sense. I would be faking her out, actually. It would make my plans go quickly, and I can send my hired muscle to go home early. I'll try that."

"You see, there's more to me than just my legs, I have brains too," said Stacy as she attacked him hungrily. "And if you had any brains, you shouldn't bother with work today, or I'll tear you apart. Send two of your goons who know some karate, kung fu, or something that should work."

"I will, if you'll let me get the phone," Johnson said, pushing her off enough to reach for the cordless phone. After he gave the order and hung up, he looked at Stacy's eyes. He made a mental reminder to hide those hose while she was working out. Meantime, he might as well stay home. He's not fit for any work at the office anyway; not with as little sleep as he got. "Aren't you going to eat any breakfast?"

"I have my breakfast right here," Stacy snarled.

Yeah, it was going to be rough until she left for her workout, but enjoyable.

To be continued . . .

For suggestions, comments, or story ideas, email the author at shrewsberry@juno.com.

#Barefoot Heroines, 2008.