The Bodyguard ✔

Chapter Nine

I am filling my day doing this and that. My dad gave me vacation, as well as my private teachers. So I decide to do something energetic. We don't only have a conveyor belt, but kind of a whole room to do sport. We can afford all this because of my dad's job. I've always liked doing sports. Besides running, I like dancing ballet. We installed a couple of tall mirrors in the gym shortly after my aunt Jenny died. It served as a great distraction.

I change into a dark maillot and knee-length yoga pants. It is cold after all. I go back downstairs and head for the gym when I hear an unfamiliar sound. Someone is in the gym.

Frank probably. I shouldn't be surprised, he had my dad's permission to use it and he does look like a guy who loves sport.

I slowly approach the gym until I can see Frank. He's punching the Everlast boxing bag in a steady tempo.

My dad bought that thing with the expectation he would start exercising more. He didn't really and I don't like to get my hands hurt: I use them for playing music after all. That and the punching bag is way too heavy for me to use.

I stop at the open door and take a better look inside. I've never seen someone box in real life before. It looks aggressive, but very impressive at the same time. At least, it looks like that when Frank does it. I can see the muscles on his arm tense and I hear him breath louder.

Why did I keep staring? I ask myself when he turns around and looks me right into the eyes. I can feel my cheeks becoming heated and probably red. I open my mouth and close it again. "I was... ehm," Dammit why is this happening. "I was just leaving." And I quickly turn around.

I want to leave, but his voice compels me to freeze. "Come back here." I close my eyes and moan quietly. I try to act normally when I enter the gym. Frank has put on a hoodie and stands firmly with his arms folded before his chest. I try to keep myself from saying something stupid by staying silent.

"So?" He says.

I swallow. "So what?" I say defensively.

"Show me what you've got."

I look at him incomprehensibly. "What do you mean?"

His motionless way of standing makes me nervous.

"You must've learned something from all that staring."

I can feel the blushes coming up again. I really don't want to be here. "I still don't know what you mean."

He suddenly lets his arms hang alongside his body and walks right towards me with big steps. I almost didn't hear him say it. "Fight me." He doesn't slow his pace so I jump inside the gym, away from him.

"What are you doing?"

He turns around. "Come on, try to hit me. I'm teaching you self defense." Again he starts heading my direction.

I run away like an afraid animal in the wild. "Are you crazy? I don't hit people!" And so I run in circles like a mad person.

I don't know how, but suddenly Frank stands right in front of me, cutting me off. Before I can react, he pushes me back gently. I get mad and push him, not so gently. "Stop it!"

He smiles provocatively. "Make me, daddy's princess." Okay, that's it. I'll let it have it his way. I swing my arm in his direction, but he blocks it easily. I try to hit him with my other arm, again with no success. The daring smirk on his face gets me mad. I step back a bit and push him with my foot against his chest. He probably didn't expect me being so flexible and he almost lost his balance. He underestimated me just a bit. "Not so bad for a daddy's princess, huh?"

I saw him smile for just a second. It distracted me from his next move. I don't know what happened exactly, but when I swung my arm again, he somehow got hold of it. He pulled me towards him with great ease and he lets me trip intentionally. I fall down on the floor with my back, but I pull Frank with me. He accidentally ends up laying on me, more or less supporting himself with his arms.

I can feel the pressure of his chest against mine, while we're both out of breath. I feel butterflies in my stomach. I've never been this close to him.

I can see him look at my lips, who are slightly parted by the need of air. For once, he finds it difficult to control himself completely. He slowly comes closer. His warm breath touches my mouth. Maybe I was wrong about him, so wrong...

Suddenly an alarm goes off.