Cole (6 page)

“I should get going.”

“Is your car nearby?  I can give you a lift.”

“Thanks, but it’s OK.”

“Are you sure?  It’s no trouble.”

“I appreciate it, but I’d like to take in the fresh air.”

“OK, but if any bad guys, or should I say Russian spies, sneak up on you I won’t be there to protect you.”

“That sounds pretty dangerous, but I think I’ll take my chances.”

We both smirked.

“Good night, Carissa.”

“Good night, Cole.”

I turned and didn’t look back.  I could hear her car pull away safely so I continued walking towards the direction of the house.  I had a lot of steps in front of me.  Steps that would help me reassess everything that had happened this evening.  Not that I really needed to.  Everything had been perfect.

Chapter 9

I was sleeping like a log when I heard my phone at exactly 9am.

“Hello.”

“Good morning, Cole.  This is Rachel.  Sorry for taking a bit longer than expected to get back with you but I have news regarding the rental.”

“OK.”

“Congratulations.  You got it!”

My head was still spinning from waking up in the middle of REM sleep so I stopped and pinched myself to make sure I was awake.  Affirmative.

“Great news.  What’s the next step?”

“We can meet today to sign the papers and collect the first months, last months, and security deposit.  And of course give you the keys.”
 

“OK.”

“What time’s good for you?”

“How about 10:30?”

“Perfect.  There’s a great spot downtown we can meet and grab a coffee.”

“Shoot.”

“Fiesty Fido’s.  Do you know it?”

I laughed to myself.  I guess a little louder than I thought.

“Yeah, I’ve heard of it.”

“Great.  See you there at 10:30.”

“See you there.”

I rolled over and sat on the bed.  Jax had left a note on the counter last night that he’d be out running errands all morning.  I looked over at the corner of the room.  Yep, my boots were still there.  They were about to take me back from where I had just come.

After a quick shower I reached into my backpack and pulled out the necessary cash.  I put it in my front pocket and was out the door and on my way.

I arrived early, but went inside anyways.

Takumi greeted me with an “Oh!” and a bow.  I returned the bow.

“You really like here?”

“I do.”

“Please.  Choose any seat.”

“Thank you.”

I tried a different part of the teahouse.  Partly out of curiosity and partly to avoid the weirdness of Takumi seeing me with a different girl barely 12 hours later in the same spot.  I’m not that guy and I definitely don’t need to cultivate that type of reputation.

He could see from my body language I was waiting on someone and left me to myself.  About 10 minutes later Rachel arrived.  She spotted me immediately.

“Congratulations, Cole.”

“Thanks, Rachel.”

“Have you ordered?”

“Not yet.”

“Ok, great.  It works a little differently here.”

“So I’ve heard.”

Takumi came by and gave a big bow to Rachel, which she returned.  They both smiled and began speaking in Japanese.  I could tell from the pacing and intonation of their conversation they were very familiar with each other.  After a minute Rachel turned to me.

“Coffee?”

“Perfect.”

She said a few more things to Takumi and he quickly left to begin preparations.

“You speak Japanese?”

“English teacher in Tokyo for three years.  Loved it.”

“And also the culture?”

“Everything.  Culture, food, formality and informality, style…I love it all.”

“And it seems like you’ve been here before.”

“Definitely.  I met Takumi in Tokyo.  He told me his dream was to come to small town American and open a place like this.  I asked him why not L.A. or New York or somewhere like that.  He said coming from Tokyo the last thing he wanted to do was live in another huge city.  He was also very fascinated with Americana.  Diners, drive-ins, little league games…those kinds of things.  We kept in touch over the years and when I became a real estate broker he asked if I could keep an eye out for him.  I knew he was serious.  I kept an eye open for over a year and then I saw this place.  I knew it could convert to something that would work for him so I sent him some pictures and details.  Three days later he was on a plane.”

“Wow.  Now that’s a story about friendship.”

“Definitely.  He’s the most loyal and kind friend anyone could ever have.”

“And he was able to get set up over here?”

“Yes, he got the green card for this place.  Obviously you need a Japanese guy to make this place work.  They determined he wasn’t going to take a job from an American so they awarded it to him.  He’s been here ever since.”

“Those are the kind of foreigners I really like.  Positive about America.  Interested in the history and culture and then when they come here they make positive contributions and really become a part of a community.”

“Couldn’t have said it better myself.”

And then, right on cue, Takumi approached our table with two cups of coffee.  We thanked him and he scurried off.

“Are you ready for this?”

“What do you mean?”

“This is going to be unlike any coffee you’ve ever had.”

“You’re really building this up.”

“You know how there were musicians, bands, and so forth and then Jimmy Hendrix came along with The Jimmy Hendrix Experience.”

“Of course.”

“Well this is an experience.”

“Well let’s get experienced.”  And with that I brought the coffee to my mouth.  The smell was incredible.  I felt like I was on a Colombian hillside lying in a bag of fresh coffee beans.  It smelled deep and warm.  It reminded me of my grandmother’s chocolate milk on a cold winter’s day, but different.  More adult.  More masculine.  I took a sip.  It was like an explosion in my mouth.  I sloshed it around and it felt like the inside of my mouth was fighting for possession of this liquid perfection.  I swallowed and it warmed my throat.  I could feel a tingle all the way down.

“Heavenly?”

“I don’t even have words.  Experience was right.”

Rachel smiled.

“So.  Ready to sign the contract?”

“Sure.  Let’s take a look.”

Rachel handed me the contract.  It was a very simple one pager.  Very straight forward and just a few don’ts.

“I like the way this guy operates.”

“How so?”

“No legal gibberish.  One page.  Straight to the point.  It feels about a close as you can get to a handshake on paper.”

Rachel smiled.

“Yeah, he’s no nonsense.”

“Perfect.”  I took Rachel’s pen and signed the contract.  Then I reached into my pocket and removed the cash.
 

“Let me prepare you a receipt.”  Rachel opened her purse and pulled out a receipt book.  Less than 30 seconds later she was tearing out the sheet and handing it my way.

“Here are your keys.  You’re all set.”

“Thanks.  That was easy.”

“How I like it.”

“Me too.”

“Cole, I’m sorry but I must run.  A day full of appointments.”

“No problem.”

Rachel reached into her purse and pulled out some small bills?

“What are you doing?”

“Paying for the drinks.”

“What is up with women in this town?”

“Um, excuse me?”

“Always trying to pay.”

“Oh.”  Rachel smiled.  Just a habit of my business I guess.

“Well, please.  Allow me.”

“Thank you.  You’re a real gentleman”

“And you’re a real lady.  You deserve to be treated like one.”

Rachel blushed.

“Wow.  No one’s said anything like that to me in a long time.  Simple, yet beautiful.”

“Well more people should.”

Rachel held my eye contact.  “Thank you, Cole.  I wish there were more real men like you in this world.”

“Don’t thank me.  There are no rewards necessary for doing what you’re supposed to do.”

“You’re a throw back.  Old school.  I like that.  I have a feeling you’re going to be very well liked in this town.  And very successful.”

“Thank you.”

“My pleasure.  OK, I really must be going.  Thank you for the coffee and good luck with the gym.  I’ll be sure to keep an eye on its progress and swing by once it’s up and running.”

“That would be great.”

“See you.”

“See you.”

And Rachel was off.  I noticed she took her coffee with her.  Takumi prepared it in a to go cup and Rachel was quickly out the door.  Smart girl.  It would be a crime to waste that cup o’ Joe.

I enjoyed the last of my coffee, paid, and took off.  I wanted to go straight to the gym and see what I was in for.

Chapter 10

I unlocked the gym and stepped inside.  Yeah, this place was going to need some work.  I didn’t have a tape measure, but I was a pro at calculating distances.  Long distances from all the years of firing a rifle and short distances from close combat maneuvers.

The good thing was all we need to get started were some light bulbs and some mats.  The rest could grow as we did.  I locked the place back up and walked home.

“You’re back.”

“I am and I’m on a roll.”

“How so?”

“I got the gym.”

“That’s great man.  We should celebrate.”

“No time.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.  I already paid first months, last months, and the deposit.  Now I just need to order some mats and pick up some light bulbs.”

“And don’t forget find some students.”

“That part might already be moving forward also.  My meeting with Carissa went really well last night.  She’s open to me coming to the school and speaking to the kids.  Could be my first sign ups.”

“Not so fast.”

“Why the pessimism?”

“Not pessimism.  Something totally opposite that.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah.  I’ve got your first sign up.”

“What, you’re going to sign up for class.  I’m going to teach a SEAL discipline and how to get in shape?  I appreciate the token gesture, but I need to do this on my own.”

“And that’s exactly why it’s not going to be me.”

“Really?  Who did you have in mind?”

“Jasmine.”

“Jasmine.  Really?  She’d be perfect.  I’d be honored.”

“And I think she could really use some time with you.”

“I’d be happy to work with her of course, but she definitely seems like a little girl who’s pretty well squared away already.”

“She is, but there’s something else going on.  We don’t have a middle school here so next year she’ll be going to our version of a middle school and high school combination.  Ages 13 – 18.  She’ll just barely be 13 and there are going to be plenty of older boys after her.  She developed early for her age and I’m already noticing a lot of looks and out of control hormones when I pick her up from school.  I want to make sure she’s ready for anything.”

“I hear that.  I’m going to make sure she’s prepared.”

“Then it’s settled.  First name in the client book is Jasmine Justice.”

“Done.”

We shook and embraced.  I was now officially in business.

“OK, next step.  Do you think they have those big wrestling mats here in town?”

“You won’t be able to get them here, but we can get them about an hour from here.”

“Is there a bus that goes there?”

“Come on man.  I’m free the rest of the afternoon.  Let’s go now.”

“Deal.”

I grabbed some cash from my backpack and we headed out in the Jeep and found a sporting goods store that had the mats.  Just like Jax said.  I bought enough to cover 400 square feet.  Delivery was only $40 extra and they’d have them out to the gym in the morning.

When we got home I texted Carissa.

Really enjoyed last night
. 
Still possible to come by the school and motivate some kids?

Less than two minutes later.

Definitely.
 
How about tomorrow afternoon?
 
2pm.
 
Last class of the day.
 
Getting, and keeping, their attention will be tough.
 
Up for the challenge?

Challenge accepted.
 
See you then.

I was on a hot streak and wanted to keep the momentum going.  I had some free time from now until the delivery in the morning.

“Jax, want to work on some moves?”

“You think you can take me?”

“Only one way to find out.”

Jax smiled.  “You’ve still got the fighting spirit.  Let me put on some shorts and I’ll see you in the living room in five.”

“I’ll be there in four.”

We spent the rest of the afternoon working on takedowns, escapes, and defense.  I hadn’t trained that hard in weeks.  We continued into the evening and called it a stalemate.

Jasmine had been invited to a birthday party after school and Jax had to pick her up at 8 o’clock.  He showered up and was out the door.

I showered and went up to lie in bed.  Not surprisingly I passed out.  My body clock still in shambles.  Luckily I had remembered to set my alarm.