The Hunter

I winked and said' "Thanks." As I walked back to my corner, Ashley climbed up to the ring floor and gave me a drink from a water bottle. I stood there allowing her to wipe some of the sweat and water off. My breathing calmed down to a more normal rate, and I gave a heavy sigh.

As I exhaled, she asked, "Got one more in you?" While she climbed through the ropes the guy that helped me initially with my gear produced a bag and helped Ashley gear up. She laughed while enjoying the puzzled look on my face. She playfully punched me in the stomach, winked and said, "I'll meet you in the middle." I moved to the opposite corner awaiting her to signal that she was ready. She nodded, Ding! Let the dance begin! She started moving opposite me, slowly circling the ring. It was obvious that she wanted me to be the aggressor. I approached cautiously, not picking up on any tendencies or weakness in making feints either with my hands or feet. I stepped in to jab her (hoping to throw her off balance, and demonstrate my superior strength), and she dropped to the ground using both of her legs to trip me up. Immediately upon hitting the mat face first, she hit me in the back of my head with a back handed fist forcing my face into the mat. She quickly untangled her legs from mine and while I was on my hands and knees getting up, she pounced on my back wrapping her arms around my head and neck putting me in a submission hold. I finished getting up (as she weighed nearly nothing) and she wrapped he legs around my torso squeezing me to restrict my ability to breath and thereby increasing the effect of the submission hold. She was grunting in my ear trying to keep and increase the pressure. She whispered, "You're going down big boy." I was twisting and spinning trying to get her off to no avail. I finally did a one-handed cartwheel, landing on my back hearing a resounding "Uuuuuggghhh." I felt a loosening of the submission hold. I broke the hold and reversed out of the grip on her legs. Laying there on my knees between her legs I reached her throat and as I reached back to throw a punch. She kicked me in the throat sending me reeling backward. We both got to our feet eyeing each other suspiciously. She grinned at me slowly extending a hand, I reached out slapped her hand and stated "Enough." We hugged and went to the corner to get some water. After our breathing subsided to a more normal rate, she told me to take a shower and meet her back here.

Damn the hot water of the shower felt good. I gradually tempered the water cooler and cooler until it was almost all cold water toward the end. Being from the south, this is a typical summertime shower, doing it this way, at least you don't start sweating when you get out of the shower. Also, the cold water helps to cool the core heat of your body. I finished washing and cooling off, then dried and got dressed. I went back out the gym grabbed a bottle of water and chatted with the guy that helped me with my gear at the beginning of the "sparring session". He was the gym manager/ cleanup/ master of laundry. He worked for VC and lived locally in Dunwoody. He had been with the company for about three years. He also said, "I have observed hundreds of hours of fighting and sparring. I have seen very few fighters with the discipline and control that you demonstrate."

I nodded, replied, "Thanks, I appreciate the compliment."

About that time Ashley was coming out of the women's shower. She grabbed my hand and led me toward the lobby. "Let's go talk to Roberto, Shall we?" She said. We went to the elevator got in and headed to 3.

Immediately outside the elevator on three was a large counter with three pretty female faces were visible. The woman in the middle stood and pointed toward her right. We walked in that direction and when we got to a double door knocked and heard "Come in." from the other side of the door. We entered to room and there was Roberto sitting behind the largest executive desk I think I have ever seen. There were about a hundred files on his desk organized in several file folders, there was a four screen monitor set up facing him along with a telephone and one of those standing desk set ups. He smiled broadly came around the desk and pointed to a leather couch and two leather chairs. The furniture was the old oxblood color and looked very comfortable. As I sat down he offered a drink, I said water would be fine. Ashley went to a small refrigerator and got a bottle and brought it to me. She looked at Roberto and he just shook his head and said "No thanks." He started, "JJ, The results of your labs, medical, and psychological evaluations will be completed by tomorrow morning. Ashley tells me your physical abilities are ready for field work. Now the question I have a couple of questions for you. Number one - Do you have any pain as a result of your injuries? And number 2 - are you mentally prepared for field work? I need you to look me in the eye and be honest with me."

I opened my water, took a sip, looked him in the eye and replied, "There is a small amount of pain in my leg from time to time, especially when the weather changes rapidly. Mentally, I think I can handle it. I don't have nightmares from the IED. I have accepted that it wasn't my time to go. Although I don't know when that time will come, I will accept my death when it's my time."

He replied, "Good, that's what I wanted to hear. Your work here is done for today." As I got up to leave, Ashley moved toward the double door and opened it. Roberto said, "Ashley, just a minute, Please?"

Ashley whispered as I passed, "Meet you at the reception desk."

I went to the reception desk and tried to make small talk while I waited for Ashley. I discovered the woman in the middle that pointed us to Roberto's office was Sophie (Mrs. Roberto). I smiled and told her about mine and Roberto meeting and subsequent friendship. She explained that she and Roberto were high school sweethearts that had lost touch after graduation. They had reconnected when he came home to visit his mother on leave about 8 years ago. She was divorced at the time from an abusive relationship, and after a romantic dinner they picked up where they left off. They got married when he got out and have been inseparable ever since.

About the time she finished her story, Ashley came up and asked if I was ready to go. Sophie smiled and winked at Ashley, and said, "You two have a good night." We went to the elevators and waited until the doors opened. She pushed "L" and as the doors closed she grabbed my hand.

I looked and smiled at her and she did likewise. I said, "If I didn't know better, I would say you liked me."

She replied, "I don't want to appear too forward, but maybe you don't know what you think you know..." She didn't let go of my hand and I kinda liked that. We went through the lobby toward the door and she used the biometric reader before we exited.

I asked, "What are you thinking for dinner tonight, If I am not being too forward?" As we got closer to her car, she unlocked it electronically and I opened the driver's door for her. She got in and as she fastened her seat belt she looked up at me and smiled. I went around and put my gear in the back seat. As I was fastening my seat belt she reached over and ever so softly kissed me on the lips. Daaaammn her lips were so soft, my soul melted. There wasn't a lot of passion in the kiss, I mean no tongue, but there was a kind of unspoken promise of more to come. I was replaying the past 24 hours in my mind curious about what I was feeling about Ashley and more importantly what Ashley was feeling about me. She didn't seem put off about my facial scar. She had just kissed me so there had to be something there. As we were pulling out of the parking lot she stated, "Bocca Lupo."

The words snapped me back to the present. "What?"

"Bocca Lupo." she repeated, "That's where we are going to dinner tonight. Its one of if not the best Italian restaurants in Atlanta. I called this morning and got reservations for 7 if that works for you?"

"Sounds great, slacks and polo be OK?" I replied.

"Yes, Seeing as how it is 3:45 now, I'll drop you off back at the hotel and pick you up about 6:15 OK" she asked. We talked a little chit chat and I apologized if I kept her away from her regular duties today. She smiled and said I was her regular duty today. She informed me that we didn't have to report to VC until 1300 tomorrow as that is when the physical/ lab results and the psych eval was to be completed. I nodded in understanding and smiled inwardly at the possibilities for the evening.

As she put the car in park to let me out, she reached over and grabbed my hand. I looked her in the eyes and she smiled and said, "You did great today. I enjoyed our sparring session."

I smiled back and replied, "I hope I wasn't too rough with you."

She grinned and said, "Sometimes rough is a good thing."

A famous Ozark philosopher once said 'Weeeeelll dogies!' "Great, I look forward to seeing you in a little while." I said as I got out of the front seat. I grabbed my bag from the back, winked at her and went inside and up to my room. I took a quick shower, mainly to get rid of the industrial soap/ shampoo scent from the locker room. I shaved and used my regular stand by Stetson after shave, not too much I didn't want to overpower her scent. I watched just a smidge of the early news and weather. I was back down in the lobby by 6, just looking over the newspaper, waiting on my date. The holding of hands, the little kiss, the eye contact all playing with my head. I told myself, look JJ she is young, pretty, smart and fit. Don't make a mountain out of a mole hill. Be cool, relax, and just let things go where they go. No need to complicate shit, quit over thinking and over analyzing everything. I let out a deep breath and snapped back into the present. By that time, Ashley was pulling up.

I got up and went outside to the car. She was wearing a strapless sun dress with a floral pattern. She was wearing a single strand pearl necklace with pearl earrings. She had black flats. I thought she looked beautiful and I told her so. She smiled with a slight blush and thanked me for the compliment. She said, "I hope you are hungry. The food is excellent and they give healthy portions."

I nodded and said, "Great, I'm hungry enough to eat a horse. Then off to Bocca Lupo, James!" During the drive she commented that I had made quite the impression with the nurses and admin staff. She went on about my accent, and manners. I smiled and said "Yes, they were friendly and very professional. Being polite is just the way it is with me." I went on, "In my opinion a man should treat a woman as a lady until she either acts offended or makes a negative comment about it. Thank God, there are differences, beautiful differences, between men and women. Men shouldn't try and intimidate or coerce a woman into things they didn't want. Women are much smarter than men in socially, they play social interaction games between each other as soon as they start speaking and understand each other. I understand that women can and usually do manipulate men, often times without the mens' knowledge, to get them to do things they normally wouldn't do, mainly because they didn't think to do it on their own. I think it is just part of the dance that goes on inside a relationship. No man should raise his hand to a woman in anger. That crap don't fly with me. If a woman does something to piss off a man that much, to where he feels like he has no other alternative than to strike her, then he needs to breathe and retreat. If she riles him up to that point, then he probably doesn't need to be with her. Sorry, I'll get off my soapbox." Hoping that I didn't offend her with JJ's relationship 101 rant. She maintained eye contact, as much as driving allowed, and smiled while nodding slightly in agreement.

When we arrived at the restaurant I got out of the car and opened the driver's door, offering my hand to assist her in getting out of the car. She smiled as she held on to may hand. She continued the hand contact on our walk into the restaurant. The hostess asked if we had reservations and Ashley said, "Yes, table for Jones, please." The hostess looked at her book and nodded please follow me. As we were walking, I noticed a three-piece band walking around playing the mandolin, violin, and organette. They were doing a great job with the atmosphere music. We were seated toward the side opposite of the kitchen entrance which pleased me.

Shortly after we sat the sommelier came to the table and introduced himself. "Hello, my name is Mario. Thank you for coming to Bocca Lupo this evening, I am here to help you with selecting your wine for the evening. Do you have an idea as to what you will be ordering for your meal?"

I looked at Ashley and she said, "I was thinking about shrimp alfredo or a shrimp carbonara."

Mario, quickly replied, "The carbonara seems to be very popular tonight, but, if you decide on the alfredo, then I recommend you ask for the chef to go easy on the garlic. With either dish, I recommend a white wine. We have an excellent Garganega that is not too dry, and they have a beautiful companion white wine for dessert."

Ashley smiled and said, "That sounds magnificent, Thank you."

Mario then looked at me and asked, "And for you Sir?"

Breaking my eye contact with Ashley, I looked up and said, "I was hoping for the veal marsala tonight."

Mario smiled and stated, "Excellent choice. We have a beautiful Chianti that is not too sweet and pairs well with the marsala in the dish, Then, if you wish, I have a luscious port wine for dessert." It was obvious Mario really enjoyed interacting with the guests.

"Thank you, Mario, for your help this evening." I stated.

He immediately left us and just as he left a nice looking young woman appeared with some garlic knots and some oil/ herbs. She asked if we wanted and appetizer?

I looked at Ashley, she asked what I thought, I said, "Well, if the serving sizes are as you describe, Then I don't know if I'll have room for appetizer and dessert."

She nodded in agreement and said, "I think we are ready to order the meal, please." The waitress nodded. Ashley continued, "I would like shrimp Carbonaro with blue cheese dressing with the salad and please put the dressing on the side."

As all eyes turned my way, I said, "I would like veal marsala, and Italian dressing, also on the side, with my salad."

The waitress replied, "My name is Gina. I will be taking care of you tonight. Please, let me know if there is something you need." She smiled and left to place our orders.

I looked over at Ashley and said, "This seems like a good choice, good atmosphere, attentive staff, I hope the food is as good."

"It will be, I've been here a few times and I have never been disappointed." She smiled as she replied. We continue our small talk getting to know each other a little better sipping our wine. She held up her end of the conversation, cracking on me about the nurse's comment on my donkey imitation. I asked her about her childhood where all she went when her dad was in the army. She talked about Fort Sill, Fort Benning, and some time in Germany. About that time, the meals arrived and Mario appeared and refilled our wine glasses. The meal was delicious and after continuing our discussions about just anything and everything I realized we had a lot in common and I was really getting a good vibe about spending some quality time with Ashley. I told her that I didn't have any pressing issues back home and I was thinking about sticking around a couple of days and seeing the sights in the area. She said, "That sounds like fun. I can offer my services a tour guide if that would interest you. I can talk to Roberto, I'm pretty sure I can get a couple of days off to play tour guide." We talked about some of the tourist stuff to see and do. Probably a lot more than could be packed into a couple of days. After the meal, as we walked back out to the car, we ended up holding hands. Before I opened the driver's side door, I pulled her toward me and embraced her and was gazing into her gorgeous blue green eyes. I moved my face closer to hers at a glacial pace and she responded moving her face closer to mine. I parted my lips slightly hoping she would respond like wise and she did. As our lips met and my mouth opened slightly allowing my tongue to ever so slow lightly caress her lips and tongue. She responded and we wrestled our tongues back and forth allowing exploration of each other's mouths, taking each other's breath away, feeling each other's breathing deepen and our exhausted breaths warming the cheeks of the other. 'Wow, what a kiss', I slowly and deliberately caressed her back enjoying the soft skin slightly above her sun dress, and slowly lowering my hands to feel the sway of her lower back, being careful not to grasp a handful of the luscious rear end. 'Daaaammn, what a fine looking woman!' We finally broke the kiss and looked into each other's eyes knowing that each wanted to continue, also knowing that the Bocca Lupo parking lot was not the appropriate stage for the upcoming activity. I opened the door and held her hand as she got in behind the steering wheel. I closed the door and went to the passenger side. I got in and leaned over toward her and angled my head to accommodate another meeting of our faces. She angled hers such that not only gave me access to her lips but also her neck and ears. Which I heard a soft moan while kissing her neck and jawline. 'Houston we have lift off', her moans, however soft and muted, were music to my ears. We broke the kiss, she started the car and we left Bocca Lupo and headed for the Hotel.

On the way, she mentioned, "Valhalla, has a "cabin" up on Lake Sidney Lanier. I've been there a couple of times on company business entertaining guests and company retreats. It is lakefront property (about 40 acres). It has a large covered pavilion with a large fireplace on one end. There is a boat slip with a boat and a couple of jet skis. If that sounds good to you, I will talk to Roberto tomorrow and see if it is available? There is a marina nearby and we can get gas and fishing license, if needed. They also have a small store where we can get some supplies should we run out of anything."

I grinned and said, "That sounds excellent! I look forward to getting to know you better."

When we arrived at the hotel she parked and I asked if I could interest her in a night cap. She smiled and said, "I would love one." I got out of the car and went around to the driver's door and opened it for her. She smiled and took my hand and let be back to the trunk. She popped the trunk and there was her gear bag. I had a puzzled look on my face and she said, "I came prepared." I smiled and grabbed the bag, offered her my arm and into the lobby we went. I summoned the elevator, we got in and I pressed 7. We held hands and when the elevator door closed, we kissed until the elevator stopped. We walked down the hall reaching room 725 in record time.

As soon as the door closed on my room I dropped the gear bag and we embraced again, tongue wrestling to see which of us could inspect the other's tonsils first. She is trying to remove my polo while I am trying to unzip her sundress. We had to break the kiss in order to continue to disrobe. I broke the awkward silence asking, "Can I undress you?"

She nodded and said, "Only if I get to return the favor." She turned around exposing her back to me and as I slowly unzipped her dress, I planted a million kisses on newly exposed skin. She was not wearing a bra, but had a pair of lace French cut panties, covering here crotch in the front and accentuating her fine ass in the back. I kept her dress from falling to the floor so that I could continue my assault on her body kissing down her back and that fine ass. Daaaaammmn what a fine ass. I could not resist, I had to give it a little nibble causing her to almost fall tripping over her dress. "Ouch mister, watch those teeth!" she yelped.