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“Don’t touch me, Eli,” she said, her tone sharp as she tugged her arm away.
“I’m sorry,” he said, raising his hands in front of him.
Again, he was saying the right words, but something flickered in his eyes. It made her uncomfortable.
“I didn’t mean to grab you. I would never hurt you, Roxie.” He reached out to caress her face.
She recoiled, swatting his hand away. “What the hell?”
“Is everything okay, Roxie?”
At Nina’s voice, Eli sprang back a couple of steps.
Her new favorite employee stood in the doorway, hands planted firmly on her narrow hips. It was good to know that she wasn’t the only one giving the man a death glare.
“Eli,” Roxie snapped. “You need to leave. Now.”
He murmured something incoherent and scurried out of sight.
Nina came inside the office and closed the door behind her. “What the hell wasthat?”
Roxie sat on the edge of her desk and shook her head. Chilly all of a sudden, she wrapped her arms around her middle. “No freaking clue. He wanted to talk about a party for his wife, but... I don’t know. He was acting strange.”
Nina grimaced. “The dude’s a creeper. I don’t know what the hell Poppy sees in him. I’d stay far away if I were you, boss lady.”
“That’s the thing. I’ve known him since high school, and he’s never acted like this before.”
“People change. Sometimes not for the better.” Her friend shrugged, and a shadow flickered in her eyes. But then she smiled, so maybe Roxie had imagined it. “Good thing we’re going to learn how to kick some ass tonight, right?”
Some of the tension eased from Roxie’s shoulders. “More like how not to getourasses kicked.”
“Whatever. I’d better go freshen up my makeup,” Nina said.
“Makeup? For a self-defense class?”
“Uh, hello? Have you seen what those guys look like?”
“Fair point,” she said, laughing. When the humor faded, she was left with her lingering unease. She caught Nina’s eye. “Hey, let’s not mention what happened with Eli to anyone, all right? Especially Sheila. She and Poppy are tight, and I don’t want to stir up anything. I mean, it’s probably nothing, but—”
“But the creeper vibe.”
“Yeah. The thing is, I like Poppy. If this is just us overreacting, I’d hate for it to get back to her.”
Nina winced. “I understand thinking it’s overreacting if one person gets the vibe, but two people picking up on it?”
She grimaced. “I know. But still, Poppy’s nice.”
“You’retoo nice, but okay.” Nina gave her a pointed glare. “Make sure you pay attention in class tonight.”
“Don’t worry, I will. I’ll pay attention for both of us. You know, since you’ll be ogling all the men.”
Nina’s eyes twinkled as she opened the office door. “You’ve got that right, boss lady.”
CHAPTERTWENTY-TWO
There was a buzz in the air. An electric current of anticipation. The men were on one side of the mat, the women on the other. The divide reminded her of middle school gym class. Granted, the guys were hotter than any awkward seventh-grade boy could ever dream of being.
Roxie returned her attention to what Joe was telling the group. She’d been having a hard time focusing. Her earlier encounter with Eli had shaken her. It had also made her mad. He’d so obviously crossed the line, and she didn’t know how to respond. In theory, she should tell him off. But that was in theory only. Reality was much more complicated.
