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She walked over to where he stood, stopping about a foot away. “Chauvinist?”
“Do you even know what that means?”
“Then it must be me,” she said. “What did I ever do to you for you to hate me so much?”
“You hurt my brother.”
She rocked back. “What? Who told you that?”
Stepping closer, he stopped a few inches away. “About a year ago, my brother returned from Jamaica devastated that the one he loved broke his heart.”
“And you think that was me?”
“Who else could it be?” Neo asked. “You’re the one he keeps talking about. Antonique took me to this place, Antonique taught me to fish and catch crawfish. All these adventures he experienced were with you. He never mentioned another woman.”
“You’re mistaken, your brother and I were just friends … nothing more,” she informed him. “Nino was in love with someone else.”
“Who?”
“It’s not my place to tell you about your brother’s sex life,” Neeky replied. “Are you going to let your misguided hatred of me prevent you from becoming your best? Now pick up your sword!”
“You’re not the boss of me.”
She chuckled and took her stance with her elbow at forty-five degrees, front foot facing forward and sword pointing out. Neo was shocked she knew how to fence. This woman was full of surprises. Not only was she a martial artist as he’d seen the previous night, she seemed to be good at everything. No wonder Uncle Robert referred to her as his lethal weapon.
Picking up his sword he lunged. With a fierce counterattack, the tip of her sword swiped his chin. They went back and forth for a while, both gaining touch points every few strikes.
“This is getting boring,” Neely declared. “How about a no rules game … like a street sword fight.”
“You mean to employ any tactic that will make me win?”
“Sure.”
As Neo lunged at her, she sidestepped, twirled and landed a kick on his ass. He feigned poking at her gut and when she shimmied away, he met her with a slap of his sword on her upper arm.
“Good one!” she exclaimed.
They sparred for about thirty minutes, their weapons making clanking sounds as wood slapped wood. Neo started to sweat, while Neeky looked as though she was just getting warmed up. He was reminded of how unfit he was and regretted not working out more. He was preoccupied with the idea of not embarrassing himself in front of her when he felt a slap on his wrist, causing him to lose his sword.
Neeky tossed her weapon as well. “Let’s finish this without the weapons.”
She threw the first punch which he blocked and countered with a punch to her midsection. She blocked it and gave him a ridge hand to his neck. It stung, causing him to stagger back. In twenty minutes, he had a bruise on the chin, a swollen cheek, with sore arms and legs. As though feeling sorry for him, Neeky called a time out.
“I’ll see you tomorrow morning at six thirty,” she told him. “Uncle’s orders.”
“Sure.”
Looking at him with narrowed eyes she chortled. “Wow, no snide remark or objections. I’m gobsmacked!”
“So, you can whip my ass now,” he answered, for want of something to say. “But it wont be for long. I’m just a little rusty.”
She came close, enough that he could smell the feint scent of raspberries on her. “Yeah, yeah… keep dreaming Little Neo.”
He grabbed her arm. “Little Neo? I guarantee you that I’m bigger than you imagine.”
Rolling her eyes, she shrugged him off. “You must be referring to your ego, Little Neo.”
Neo had had enough of her condescending attitude. Without thinking, he grabbed her hand and placed it on his crotch. For some unfathomable reason the sparring match made him hard as nails, his blood coursing through his veins and his heart rate elevated.
