Kim turned Tommy every which way but loose before they finally went to sleep, but that didn't stop the young man from getting up early the next morning. He really didn't have any choice. He had a morning class at the dojo and couldn't be late, not if he was going to make the dojo pay. He got out of bed, showered, dressed and went out to the kitchen. He'd just finished a bowl of cereal when Aunt Karen appeared wearing her bathrobe, her face glowing.
The young man smiled at his aunt. "Good morning, Aunt Karen," he said. "Have a good time last night?"
Karen turned bright red and headed for the counter to pour herself a cup of coffee. Coffee in her hand, she walked to the table, sat down, and a dreamy smile formed on her face. "I had a wonderful time. Bud is a terrific guy," she said. "I...I didn't think there were any men like him my age."
"I'm glad," Tommy said. "I'm glad the two of you hit it off."
"I was surprised when I heard you down here," his aunt said. "You don't usually get up this early."
"I have an early class at the dojo," he explained. "I talked with Kim a little last night and told her about Master Kwan and my inheritance and all." "And we did a hell of a lot more than talk, too!" he thought. The memory of his cousin's lustful handling of him caused a stirring in his groin. "I asked her not to tell people about the money," he went on. "Maybe it would be good if you reminded her about that."
His aunt sipped her coffee and nodded. "I'll remind her when she shows up for breakfast," she said, "but it is a pretty fantastic secret. Have you heard from your parents?"
Tommy shook his head. "They may not have gotten my letter yet," he told her. "There's something else you ought to know," he went on. "I met with the lawyer yesterday and set up a trust fund for Kim's education. The money will come to you, and anything you don't need for college is yours."
"Tommy, you didn't have to do that," his aunt protested. "With what Dave gives me for support, I have plenty, and Kim's tuition is paid through the end of next year. I plan to ask him to finish paying for her college as a part of the divorce settlement."
"I know," Tommy said, "I want to do it. It's done, so you might as well just take it and not complain. I did something else, too."
"What now?" she asked.
"The house is going to be paid off," he said.
His aunt gave him an exasperated look. "Tommy!" she said, "What am I going to do about you?"
He smiled at her and said, "Nothing you can do. You'll get the checks from the trust fund whether you want them or not and you'll have the deed to the house, too."
His aunt leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. "You are a very special young man, do you know that?" she said softly.
Tommy felt his face get hot. That, plus the fact that his aunt's touch added to the things that were going on inside him, made him decide it was time to leave. Making love with her now would be like cheating on Bud, and he didn't want to do that. He pushed his chair back and got up. "I have to get going, Aunt Karen," he said. He put his dishes in the sink, gave his aunt a chaste kiss on the cheek, then left.
The morning class consisted of a group of housewives who were taking karate lessons to learn to defend themselves against possible attackers. Most of the women weren't as serious about karate as they should be, and several of them were in bad shape. Tommy had to keep things he was teaching them at the basic level. Some of them didn't seem to be able to remember what they'd learned from one class to the next. A few of the women were serious, though, and it surprised him how readily they accepted him as sensei.
"If Sandra ever gets attacked," he thought as he watched a particularly inept member of the class attempt a very simple move, "and tries to use karate, the only reason her attacker will be disabled will be from laughing."
It seemed to take forever, but the class finally ended and the women started heading for the showers.
One member of the class, a blonde lady named Clara Lerch, came up to Tommy while the other women headed for the showers. "Sensei?" she asked.
"What, Mrs. Lerch?" Tommy asked.
"I-I was wondering if you had time for some extra instruction this morning," the woman said. She had an open, friendly face, but wasn't particularly attractive. Tommy thought he remembered Master Kwan saying she was some kind of artist and that her wealthy older husband subsidized her interests in art and karate.
"I don't have any more classes right now," Tommy said. "At least not until late this afternoon. I suppose I could give you a few additional lessons right now, if that's OK."
"That's fine," his student said, smiling, "I could use some help on a few of the things you showed us this morning, if that's all right with you."
"Sure," Tommy said. "I don't see why not." Mrs. Lerch's request for extra help surprised him. He didn't think she was that interested in karate. He always had the feeling she was there because her friends were. "What moves did you have trouble with?"
"Well," she said, "there's the one where you showed us how to handle someone who grabs you from behind."
"OK," Tommy said, "let's try it and see how you do. I'll try to grab you and you react." He moved behind her and grabbed her around the waist. She reacted exactly the way he'd taught her and sent him spinning to the mat. He could have easily resisted and countered her move, but he felt she needed the confidence throwing him would give her. He jumped to his feet. "You did that just right, Mrs. Lerch," he said.
His student reddened a little. "You're just saying that," she murmured. "I-I couldn't do it when I was working with Clarise a few minutes ago."
"I bet I know what the problem is," Tommy said, "Your partner was resisting. I wasn't. In the real world, an attacker won't expect you to know what you're doing, so you'll have the element of surprise. In class, students usually try countermoves."
"Countermoves?" Mrs. Lerch said. She looked puzzled.
"I'll show you what I mean," Tommy said. He stepped behind her again. "I'm going to grab you again," he said. "Only this time, when you do your move, I'm going to counter it. You'll see what I mean."
He grabbed her exactly the same way he had before, and she did exactly the same thing. This time, however, Tommy shifted his weight as she tugged on his arm, used her strength against her and threw her to the mat.
