Page 14 of The Birthday List (Maysen Jar 1)

I couldn’t help that Olivia had developed a bit of a crush on me this past year. Her and her seventeen-year-old friends. Not only was it fucking weird—I’d taught some of them since they were little kids—it was pissing Robert off because they’d all huddle in the back of the dojo and giggle.

“You could help me out here.” Robert stood from his chair.

“How? Stop coming here?” I couldn’t help the face I was born with and I damn sure wasn’t going to let my body go just because of some twitterpated teenagers. “I basically ignore them already. Do you want me to be a dick to them and scar them for life?”

“No,” he muttered. “At least bring Aly in every once in a while so these girls can see you’re taken.”

Not happening.

Now wasn’t the time to give Robert an update, but Aly wouldn’t be at the dojo anytime soon, at least not on my arm.

I stood and followed Robert back into the waiting area. He kept walking into the dojo, bowing in the doorway before he entered, but I stopped in front of Poppy. “We’re going to get started.”

She nodded and forced a nervous smile. “Sounds good.”

“You’ll be with me tonight.”

Her eyes got a bit wider. “Okay.”

Was she scared to be around me or just anxious about the class? Probably both, but I didn’t want to make her even more uncomfortable, so I jumped right into teacher mode. “We bow before we enter or leave the dojo.”

“Got it.” She nodded and pushed off the wall.

I took the lead, demonstrating the proper technique before stepping inside and onto the mats. Poppy followed, maintaining a three-foot distance between us as she took in the space.

“You’ll be over there to bow in.” I pointed to the back wall. “Just follow the instructions from Robert Sensei. After that, we’ll do a workout. Do as much as you can but don’t go overboard. Then you and I will work together the rest of the class. Sound okay?”

She nodded but didn’t meet my eyes.

“Poppy.” Her eyes rose to mine when I whispered her name. “It will be more fun if you just relax.”

“I’m not really here for fun, I’m here . . . I’m just out of my comfort zone.” As she spoke, she flailed her hands, her wrists spinning in circles.

Poppy Maysen talked with her hands.

And it was the most adorable thing I’d ever seen.

Unable to hide my grin, I stepped into her space, savoring the way her breath caught. She felt the electricity between us just as strongly as I did.

“If it gets to be too much, just give me a signal. Maybe that wrist spin thing you just did.” Her eyes narrowed and I smiled wider. “Easy, killer. I’m just teasing you.”

She cocked an eyebrow. “Do you tease all of your new students?”

“Maybe.” I smiled. “So, what have you—”

“Line up!” Robert called.

Poppy spun around and dashed to the line with the other students, and I joined the instructors up front as class got underway. The entire time, my eyes stayed locked on Poppy. She was doing her best to hide it, but she kept glancing at me too.

That was, until her attention became solely focused on trying to keep up with the workout.

Robert had gone back into the office and picked a younger instructor, Danny, to lead the exercise. The punk had taken it as free rein to torture everyone. I wasn’t having a hard time keeping up—hell, I’d barely broken a sweat—but Poppy and everyone else on that side of the room looked miserable.

There was no denying Poppy was fit. In those tight leggings and second-skin tank top, her body left little to the imagination, but a karate workout was a different animal. And Danny was pushing too hard, even for some of the senior students.

“That’s enough,” I told Danny when he called for another set of fifty push-ups. We’d already done a hundred.

“Having trouble keeping up, Cole Sensei?” The little shit puffed out his chest.