Change

Kicks were too slow for someone as fast as this guy appeared to be, so Brad chose to use his fists since he had always been lightning-fast with those. He started with a right jab toward JR's nose.

Brad might have thought himself lightning-fast, but his opponent was laser-fast and easily avoided Brad's jab, as well as every other punch that Brad attempted, and he seemed to do it with little-to-no effort.

Rockie's mouth hung open in awe as she watched Brad's feeble attempts to make contact with JR being thwarted either by him moving faster to avoid the attack or easily brushing Brad's weakening punches aside with his hands or forearms. The couples by the hot tub were either speaking on their cell phones or using them to film the action before them.

After avoiding every one of Brad's attacks for more than ten minutes, JR was distracted for a second when the security gate opened behind Brad, which allowed Brad to grab hold of JR's polo shirt. Brad pulled on the shirt in an effort to bring his prey close enough for him to wrap his muscular arms around him, but JR appeared rooted to the ground and the shirt ripped from his body without him having moved an inch,

Tossing the torn shirt to the ground, Brad was getting ready for his next attempt when the police officers who had entered the pool area spoke.

"Sir, move away from that man now," said the first officer, wearing corporal stripes on his uniform.

When Brad ignored the command and started towards JR once more, the air became electrified from the twelve-thousand-volt Taser charge that hit Brad in his back. He collapsed to the ground in convulsive shudders until the voltage ceased. The two police officers efficiently rolled Brad onto his stomach and secured his hands behind his back in handcuffs. They left him lying on the pool deck as his body continued to shake and then approached JR.

"Sir, are you all right?" asked the corporal.

"Sure," said JR. "Why wouldn't I be?"

Rockie came over to stand next to JR and the other couples moved closer to better hear what was being said.

The officer ignored them and asked JR, "Do you wish to press assault charges against this man?"

He was pointing to indicate Brad on the ground.

JR glanced at Rockie and asked, "What do you want to do?"

She didn't hesitate in her response, "I want him gone and to never come back, so whatever that takes is what I want."

JR nodded and addressed the officers, "Will charging him with assault make it easier for her to get a restraining order to keep him away from her and her residence?"

"We have the whole thing on video," said one of the women who were part of the couples in the hot tub. "We're more than happy to share it with you if it helps your case."

The corporal held up his hand to silence the onlookers.

"An arrest for assault would usually be viewed by the court as justification for a restraining order to be granted, but there's no guarantee. If charges are filed, the District Attorney would likely subpoena any video of or witnesses to the incident."

"Then take him away," said JR. "I'll provide whatever information you need to file the necessary charges."

"Okay," said the corporal. "Everyone please wait here while my partner and I get the prisoner secured in our vehicle, and then I'll come back and get statements from everyone."

The two officers helped Brad to his feet and started escorting him to their car.

"What am I being arrested for?" he bellowed. "I never laid a hand on the guy."

The officers ignored his protests and were soon through the security gate. Brad's complaints faded as the trio got farther away.

The two couples closed around where JR and Rockie still stood on the pool deck.

One of the men said, "Dude, you obviously could have cleaned that guy's clock. Why didn't you just kick his ass?"

The other guy in the group said, "I'm glad he didn't. It was a much better show watching the asshole getting frustrated and embarrassed."

JR ignored them and bent down to pick up the vacuum hose once more.

Rockie put her hand on his forearm to get his attention and then rephrased the earlier question.

"Why didn't you fight Brad if you knew you could win?"

He looked first at the hand on his arm, and then into her eyes.

"Because you asked me not to hurt him. Don't you remember?"

She gasped and moved the hand on his arm to her mouth.

Recovering from his comment, she said, "I was saying that to Brad. I didn't want him to hurt you."

JR shrugged and said, "Well I guess it worked because he didn't hurt me. Now, let me try to finish vacuuming the pool before the officer comes back to take our statements."

Rockie was bothered by his dismissal but simply shook her head in amazement at his nonchalance over what had just happened. She turned and returned to her seat at the table under the umbrella, picking up his torn polo shirt on the way. The two couples pulled up chairs around the same table, introduced themselves to her, and soon had Rockie included in their conversation about what they had witnessed.

The Santa Ana winds had finally stopped blowing, but they had deposited several more leaves, twigs, and other debris into the pool than was normal, so it took him a few minutes longer to vacuum everything from the pool bottom. He had just about finished when the police corporal returned to the security gate and used the master key provided by the management company to enter.

JR pointed to the group around the table and asked, "Can you start with them, officer? I'll be done here in about five minutes if that's okay."

"Not a problem, sir. Take your time."

The officer selected one of the women from the couples and escorted her to another table on the other side of the pool deck to take her statement away from the others.

JR had finished cleaning the pool and put all his equipment away before the officer had finished with the first statement. He joined the others at the table to wait but purposely chose a seat that wasn't next to Rockie's. She noticed this but didn't comment on it.

~~~

It was past sunset, and the pool area was getting dark by the time the officer had obtained statements from the two couples, who each had returned to the hot tub when their turn with the officer was over. JR offered to let him take his and Rockie's statements in his condo, which the officer agreed to. The three of them waved to the couples in the hot tub and left the pool area together.

JR led Rockie and the officer into his condo and directed them to his study room upstairs.

He addressed the officer, "If you want to start with her, it will be quieter in here while I finish cleaning the dinner dishes in the kitchen."

Rockie thought about objecting, but the officer spoke before she could say anything.

"That will be fine. Thank you."

JR turned and left the room, closing the door behind him. As he entered the kitchen, he placed the key on the chain back on the hook where he kept it and then turned the water on at the sink to let it start warming up.

In the study room, Rockie kept making the officer repeat his questions because she continued to get distracted by her inspection of the room itself. The dichotomy that had presented itself to her so many times today was once again before her eyes.

From the floor-to-ceiling bookcase that spanned one entire wall and held an eclectic mix of literary works, to the lab table under the window where an expensive electron microscope sat, to the desk that looked too organized to have ever been used, to the leather recliner in the corner that looked comfortable enough to sleep in, none of it correlated to the image that JR's appearance projected to the world - or at least to her.

The officer was just asking his last question when a radio call from his partner reminded him that their shift would be ending soon, and they still had a prisoner to book at the station. He responded in the affirmative, finished noting Rockie's answer, and then asked her to direct him to the kitchen where he expected to find JR.

She nodded and led the way down the hallway, disappointed that the doors to the other rooms they passed were closed. They found JR in the kitchen wiping out the stainless-steel sinks with a dishtowel. Not a dirty dish was evident anywhere and the dishwasher hadn't been turned on. This made Rockie assume that he had washed and dried everything by hand.

"My turn?" JR asked without turning from the sink.

"No sir," replied the officer. "We're going to have to postpone getting your statement until tomorrow. It's getting late and we need to get the prisoner booked. Could you stop by the station tomorrow and give your statement to one of the detectives there?"

JR looked skeptically at the officer before replying, "Do you have enough with the other statements to make the charge of assault stick?"

The officer nodded and said, "I'm pretty sure that we do, but if we get your statement tomorrow, hopefully in the morning, the DA will definitely have everything for the arraignment to be held in the afternoon."

"Okay then," he said. "I'll stop by the police station right after I take Rockie to work."

"That will be fine. Let me give you my card with the case number on it. Just show this at the front desk and one of the detectives will come out and get you."

The officer handed JR one of his business cards. JR took it and escorted the officer to the front door.

"Thanks again, corporal. Your service is certainly appreciated."

At the front door, JR opened it for his guest. The officer stepped out onto the porch and then paused. "Excuse me, sir," said the officer as he turned back to face JR. "I'm curious as to why, if all I have heard is true, you didn't do more than just defend yourself?"

JR butchered an old adage when he replied, "The best offense is a good defense. Good night corporal. Thanks again."

The officer chuckled, then turned and walked down the sidewalk towards his waiting car. JR closed and locked the front door, then returned to the kitchen expecting to find Rockie waiting there, but she was once more sitting on the sofa in the living room. She had her legs tucked underneath her and was waiting patiently for his return.

He looked at the microwave and saw that it was almost nine o'clock.

"Isn't this a school night young lady?"

She smiled and said, "Oh, so now I'm a lady."

He chuckled and then took a seat on one of the chairs across from the sofa. Rockie took a few moments to silently study the man across from her. With his upper torso still exposed, she remembered that she had left his polo shirt in the room where she had given her statement to the police officer. Running her gaze over his exposed skin she observed how physically fit he actually was.

The difference between the way his fitness appeared compared to Brad and most other men she had seen was that this fitness was natural. His shoulders were broader than she had realized, his chest and stomach muscles more defined, and she knew from the experience of him effortlessly lifting her 110-pound body with one arm to move them out of the way of Brad's attempted head butt that his arms were more powerful than they appeared.

"I'm going to replace the shirt that Brad tore, and I won't take 'No' for an answer."

He smiled. "I'll expect the replacement to be just as broke-in and ratty as that one was, or I won't accept it."

She stood and said, "You intrigue me. I want to get to know you better, but I sense that is something that you will resist, at least in the short term. I'll leave you alone for now, but I'm not giving up on you."

JR stood as well and said, "There are some books that you can judge by the cover. Maybe I'm one of those or maybe I'm not. That's something you need to decide, but in either case, I am an open book Rockie. All you have to do is read what is inside."

Rockie was walking towards the front door when she said, "Oh, I plan to read up on you JR, but I have a strong sense that I will find many of the pages have been written with invisible ink."

He opened the front door for her and said, "Will I see you in the morning or will you use Brad's truck to drive yourself to work?"

"If your offer for a ride is still good, I would appreciate it. Brad never gave me a key to his truck, and I don't know how to drive a stick shift even if he did."

"The offer stands," he said. "Come over whenever you're ready."

Ignoring any possible objections, she rose on her toes and kissed him on the cheek.

"I'll be here around eight-thirty. Is that okay?"

He smiled down at her and said, "That fits right into 'whenever you're ready' so, yes that's okay. Sweet dreams, Rockie."

He watched her practically skip down the sidewalk to the walkway that led to her door, then the light clicking of her shoes as she reached the porch for her condo. Once he heard her open and then close her front door, he closed his own and headed for a much-needed shower.

Chapter Four

The Rockie that greeted JR when he opened his front door the next morning was a different woman. While he had recognized that the woman he had met and spent so much time with yesterday was pretty, the version on his porch this morning was radiantly stunning. There were subtle changes that by themselves would not have been that significant, but on a whole, they had transformed her.

There was the obvious application of makeup, really just a conservative application of mascara that accentuated her blue eyes, a little hint of blush on her cheeks, and the lip gloss that seemed to draw the eyes to her mouth; a mouth smiling up at him with appreciation that he appeared to like the changes. Her curly black hair was secured at the back of her head in a barrette, which pulled it behind her ears so that the pearl studs in her earlobes were visible. However, the most striking difference from yesterday was in her clothing.

Starting with her shoes, he noticed that she wore conservative yet stylish two-inch-high heel shoes that not only made her that much taller but also made her legs much shapelier, especially her calves.

Her legs were further highlighted by the waist-high cotton skirt that ended about three inches above her knees with buttons that ran from the waist down her left thigh. The buttons stopped halfway down the length of the skirt, leaving almost half of her left thigh exposed by the slit. Tucked into the skirt, which helped make it flatteringly form-fitting was a sleeveless red satin blouse with a neckline that teased the eyes while remaining professional.

"Wow!" JR said. "I hope that my admiration of your appearance doesn't offend you Rockie, but you need to be told just how beautiful you look."

The blush on her cheeks paled under the reddening of her face and neck from his compliment.

"Thank you, JR. I always tried to dress in a manner that didn't entice Brad to think that I was trying to attract him back, so it's nice to play dress-up, so to speak. I like the opportunity to be a girl instead of a frump, and if you appreciate it, so much the better."

She winked at him and said, "Plus it helps dispel the rumors I heard last night that you might be gay."

"I think that would only be effective if we were seen together when you 'play dress-up', as you put it," replied JR as he stood aside to allow her to enter his condo.

The delicate scent of perfume filled his nostrils as she glided past him. "Since you will be at work while I am here studying..."

"I'll work on your reputation around here," she retorted, turning to watch him close and lock his front, door, "but not so much that the single, and probably some of the married women here start bothering you."

He chuckled and led her through the kitchen and into the garage, where he followed the same routine of the previous morning by opening the garage door and then holding the passenger side door open for her. When she slid into the seat, more of her thighs became visible. She noticed that he had paused with the door open, looking at the hemline of her skirt before closing it and walking to the driver's side. Once he was settled in his seat, she asked to borrow his cell phone.

Without questioning the reason for the request, he unlocked his phone and handed it to her, then started the car and backed out of the garage. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her entering something into his phone.

"Your phone number?" he asked.

She just nodded.

"Want to do me a favor?" he asked her.

"Anything," she replied. "God knows that you have done enough for me lately.

"Use my phone to take a picture of yourself. I suspect that you will be very photogenic, so if your picture turns out as well as I believe it will, I may ask you to pose for me."

She stared at him in disbelief, but as the car started moving. After stopping at the first red light, she positioned the camera to capture her face. Once the car started moving, she took a picture with the wind blowing her hair behind her head.

She took several shots, not certain how the motion of the car would affect their focus or stability. She thought of JR teasing her about being a lady to help her form the best smile she could muster. The car didn't have cupholders or any convenient spot to place his phone while he was driving, so she opened the glove compartment to place his phone in there.

She saw the registration card for the car and read the owner's information as she set the phone on top of it. James Robert Brandt Jr.

Rockie didn't say much more before reaching her office, but JR felt her repeated gazes on him until he had waved to her as she had gone through the employee's entrance at her office.

~~~

While he drove the few blocks to the police station, JR contemplated her obvious curiosity about him. He wasn't hiding anything from her, but he had been taught not to divulge personal information to others "Willy Nilly" less it be used against him.

He liked what he knew about Rockie, and found her fun to be around so far, and not at all difficult to look at. However, he had to stay focused on his education and his life's goals, so did he want to risk the challenges that a more involved relationship could entail?

He gave his statement to a detective at the police station, once more side-stepping questions on why he didn't fight rather than merely defending himself. The detective stated that upon reviewing the witness statements, Brad's lawyer would probably seek a plea bargain with the DA's office so he wouldn't do any jail time, but part of that would include honoring the permanent restraining order related to Rockie Preston and her residence, should she file for one and have it granted. The detective assumed that since this was Brad's first offense, he would be granted reasonable bail at the arraignment this afternoon and out of jail by the end of the day.

This gave JR something to think about. He had retrieved his cell phone from the glove compartment when he had arrived at the police station, so he checked the time before leaving the parking lot and heading back to his condo to get some studying done.

~~~

Rockie found three interesting e-mails waiting for her once she had logged onto her computer. The first was from Karen Mason, informing Rockie that she would be acting as her mentor in the Emerging Leader program and scheduled a meeting later in the day to discuss this in greater detail. She hadn't heard of the President ever serving as a mentor before, but she accepted that her knowledge of the program and past participants was limited, so it may not be uncommon after all.

The second e-mail was from a technician in the company's IT department asking when it would be convenient to swap out her desktop computer with a new laptop. Apparently, participants in the Emerging Leader program were expected to be mobile workers from time to time, so the technician also wanted to discuss her internet access capabilities in her home.