I was so exhausted, crossing the floor after Terra's punishing workout, that I almost didn't remember to pause before I left. I leaned on the low wall that separated the sea of blue workout mats from the tiled entrance area to the dojo. My palm was clammy, and my fingers pressed into the wood as my body swayed drunkenly for a moment.
I swallowed around my parched mouth, pulled in a breath, and then straightened. "Ma'am?" I said respectfully. It was the dark-haired woman's preferred title, and I made sure to use it. Doing things the way she preferred, I had learned, was a way to take a slight edge off the intensity in my daily ration of hardcore cardio.
My martial arts instructor was by one wall, putting away the X-ray papers and padded equipment she'd used to help train my fledgling skills. After she'd punished me for missing a day without notice, the woman had returned to teaching me basic punching, kicking and combinations. All Terra wore above the waist was a black and red sports bra, so I could see the muscles of her back tense for a moment before she turned. Maybe she heard something in my voice, but she crossed her forearms under her perky, rounded breasts and raised her sculpted eyebrows.
As always, I forced myself not to check her out. The fact that she was in incredible shape didn't help, nor did her lovely, exotic features, but I'd found that the more time we spent together the easier it was to view her as my teacher and not as a potential sexual conquest. Maybe it was just the fact that it was hard to be into someone when I felt this worn out.
I straightened, despite my tiredness. "I'm not going to be here tomorrow," I said. "I wanted to make sure I told you, so that you wouldn't think I meant to be disrespectful."
Respect was big for Terra, and I thought I could see her thaw a little. She nodded, slowly. "Of course," she said. "You will be celebrating Thanksgiving." Her tone indicated that the holiday was something odd or alien to her, like the thought of it had only just now crossed her mind, but that she accepted it as a matter of course.
That's not too strange, though,
I reminded myself.
A lot of cultures and parts of the world don't celebrate that, right?
And Terra was
definitely
from a different part of the world.
I nodded. "Right. So I'm hoping..." I trailed off, hoping she caught my drift.
Terra rolled her eyes and her long, dark lashes fluttered. "You are hoping that I will not take out the missed day on you like a blood tax."
I hesitated.
Not how I would have put it, but...
"Yeah," I agreed. "That's basically it."
The woman seemed to think for a moment. "You've done well," she said, and it seemed almost grudging. I felt a flare of pride in my chest at her compliment, enough that I ignored the muttered, "For what you are," that she added afterwards, mostly to herself.
"Thank you," I told her.
She jerked her chin in a curt nod. "You may have this extra day," she agreed brusquely. "But I will expect you back in the studio on Friday, at the usual time."
"Of course." I smiled, feeling much more lighthearted than before. "I'll have to work off all those mashed potatoes somehow."
The woman snorted in amusement as she passed me, walking to the doorway of the small office that occupied a corner of the space.
I decided to take her reaction as a good sign from the normally stoic and aloof woman. It brought a thought to my mind, which made me pause with my hand on the door. I cleared my throat, and she glanced over. "Are we..." I hesitated, feeling suddenly uncertain, then pushed ahead. "Are we friends?"
Terra's almond eyes narrowed slightly. There was a moment of silence. Then, "No."
I pressed my lips together tightly, surprised at the hurt feeling that welled up.
So much for being on a roll,
DC chuckled gleefully.
But the woman wasn't finished. Her hands settled on her hips, like she was giving a lecture. "We are not friends. I am your master, and you are my student. You are a lump of iron I am forging into a sword. Is a smith the friend of iron?"
Again, talking like you're from a medieval play or a samurai movie...
I thought, but I shrugged outwardly. "I don't know..."
Terra lifted her chin, like I'd given the wrong response. "I expect an answer on Friday. I will see you at the usual time." She walked into her office, then, and I lowered my head and pushed out the door with my tired shoulder.
The exhaustion was hitting me hard as I drove back to Starside.
Carmen and I had left my apartment the evening before, after the conversation when we'd both said, "I love you." We told the others that we wanted one last night of video gaming before the long weekend of 'family time,' and the women had seemed to find nothing unusual in the idea. Daisy had commented, teasingly, that we should remember to hang out with them sometimes, which had made me laugh while Carmen shrugged and went to go grab her coat.
The valet on duty nodded respectfully to me and took my keys without a word. He was a bit older than James, maybe mid-thirties with a rangy build and Hispanic features. This man seemed much less bothered by my sweaty workout clothes and beat-up car than my usual nemesis would have, and I stopped as I was walking towards the lobby.
"What's your name?" I asked, turning back around.
The man raised his eyebrows, driver door half open. "Diego." He had a bit of an accent, but just only enough so it hinted that a long time ago he had probably learned English as a second language.
"Thank you, Diego," I said. "I'm Chance."
Diego nodded, a small smile twitching to life. "I know who you are," he grinned. "James complains."
I chuckled, then raised my hand. "See you around."
I heard the car door shut behind me as I went inside.
***
Carmen was waiting for me when I came in.
I had texted that I was on the way, and the sultry young redhead had taken full advantage of the time. The twins had lent me their spare key, and I let the door swing shut behind me as I stepped into the wide open entry.
Oh wow...
The teenager was lounging in the living room, but she made lounging look like the hottest activity of all time. The modern furniture was smooth and darkly monochromatic, so her pale skin and crimson hair stood out where she reclined on the sofa, raised up on one elbow. I was frozen in place as she rose gracefully to her feet, slinking toward me with swaying hips and daintily-placed bare feet.
All she wore was a pair of lacy pink panties and a bra that did more to enhance her bouncy young tits than restrain them. If I had learned one thing from spending time with four knockout pornstar babes, it was that when she wears it well a woman can be even more alluring in lingerie than she is completely naked.
"Hello, lover," she purred, green eyes flashing. Despite her age, Carmen was experienced. She knew how to take the mood and twist it in her small hand, ratcheting up my desire until my cock was rock-hard in my shorts and I was unable to hold back any longer. Her voice was just the first tool in her arsenal, but she used it like a weapon — smoky and beckoning and even a little bit coy, all rolled into one.
I took the step forward, my arm wrapping around her slender waist and my lips covering hers.
She kissed me back enthusiastically, moaning and pressing her body even closer against mine. Her arms were around my neck, and she ground gently against the bulge between my legs. She pulled back, eyes shining, and then leaned in to whisper, "I am so
