Part 45 (1/2)
”Sure we”
”Josh, my lover. You ain't seen nuthin' yet.”
On the first day of preparation, Josh cleared the lounge floor as he had with Richard, then he faced Suzanne in the centre of the room, and told her to put her hands out in front of her, keeping elbows bent. Placing his wrists against hers, he pressed gently.
”So, here's the game. As I move my hands, you keep your wrists pressed against mine.”
”You said you were going to teach me how to fight.”
”Trust me. Here we go.”
He began moving his hands independently of each other, in slow motion at first. An observer would have seen a kind of tai-chi waltz, initially with feet static, then with slow footwork as he began to move and Suzanne reacted. There was no need to tell her to pivot rather than backstep: with this low intensity, the reaction was natural, coming from a place of calmness.
”This doesn't seem much like”
”Let me up the pace a little.”
His hand pressure became harder as well as faster, increasing by increments so she kept pace. And then his hand motion became more directed, left and right still moving independently, but occasionally curving or thrusting toward her face or ribs, liver or spleen. All the while, her wrists remained glued to his, absorbing and redirecting the force vectors, protecting the vulnerable parts of her anatomy.
Finally, he called a break.
”That's amazing.” Suzanne was breathing. ”Suddenly, it clicked, and I understood what we were doing.”
”Wax on, wax off.”
”I beg your pardon?”
”Never mind. Do you do much dancing? Because you handle your bodyweight pretty well.”
”Yoga,” she said. ”I do a bit of yoga.”
”Hmm. You know the Salute to the Sun?”
”Of course, but I'm surprised you do, Josh c.u.mberland.”
”All right, we'll stretch and get warm with that, followed by some Indian wrestling exercises that sort of come from yoga. Then we'll chi sao chi sao a bit more.” a bit more.”
”Chi sao?”
”With the wrists, sticking 'em together. Chinese term. The Okinawans call it kakie kakie.”
”All right. What else are we doing today?”
”How about I show you how to break a person's neck?”
”Oh, goody.”
On the third day of preparation, it was nearly noon when Suzanne turned from the coffee machine and stood with hands on hips.
”Josh? Weren't your friends supposed to be here an hour ago?”
Leaning against a wall cupboard, Josh answered, ”The RV was your place, right here, at eleven hundred. Fifty-seven minutes ago.”
”RV?”.
”Rendezvous. I believe that's a French word, cherie.”
”Ouais. I had the impression your punctuality was a professional habit.”
”We're never late for an RV. On operations, a few minutes late can mean disaster, so we learn to be on time.”
”But fifty-seven minutes late, and you don't look worried, Josh.”
”I'm not.”
”I don't”
At that moment a shape unfolded itself from behind the couch, and another rotated around a corner from the bedroom door.
”Merde! Qui etes-vous? Espece deJosh? Who are they?” Who are they?”
Suzanne backed up against the cooker.
This handsome reprobate is Tony.” Josh gestured. ”And the lady over there is Hannah.”
”I...” Suzanne's hand was at her throat. ”That's not... How long have they been there?”
”Since 11 o'clock,” said Hannah. ”Like your boyfriend says, we're never late for an RV.”
”Merde,” murmured Suzanne.
”Sacred blue,” said Josh. ”Cause I'm too polite to say s.h.i.+t.”
”You know, you're sensitive and intelligent and overwhelmingly observant”
”Ta lots.”
”and there's a part of you that's incredibly creepy. Did you know that? All of you?”