Chapter 5: All Smiles

Brooke Casson felt Rodrigo Shirvinton's grubby, wandering hands all over her chest. No man but her husband had ever touched her like that. "Ah!" The shock jolted her awake. Fury surged through her, setting her trembling. Blazing with anger, she drove her knee up hard. With the hand she'd just freed, she balled a fist and slammed it into his mouth and nose. Rodrigo, drunk on excitement, never imagined she'd fight back again. Thud! Thump! Agony exploded in his groin. Warm blood ran from his nose, and sparks burst across his vision. "Ow!" He yelped and instinctively rolled off her, one hand clutching his crotch, the other pinching his bleeding nose, curled up on the floor in a ball. Freed, Brooke hauled herself up, panting. She didn't look back. She bolted out of the gym and ran downstairs, then jumped into a taxi. When she got home by cab, her husband, Adam Wokey, had already made dinner. Thinking about what happened with Coach Rodrigo at Shanton Fitness Club, she felt she'd let her husband down. She had no appetite at dinner. After picking at a few bites, she left the table, went into the bedroom, grabbed a nightgown, and headed for the bathroom. After her shower, she turned in early. When she opened her eyes again, daylight was already streaming into the room. Brooke jolted from a dream and checked the time. It was half past seven. If she dawdled, she'd be late for work at the kindergarten. She saw Adam sleeping on his side with his back to her and gave his shoulder a push. "Up you get. Get up-it's late!" "Quit it, let me sleep a bit more," Adam murmured and rolled onto his back. "You not going to work today?" Brooke asked. "What time is it?" Adam mumbled, eyes half closed. "Almost seven thirty." "What, seven thirty already?" He shot upright like someone flipped a switch, dragged on his clothes, and jumped out of bed. After they finished breakfast together, Adam drove their Alto. He dropped Brooke at Hillcrest Kindergarten, then headed for Dreamz Group's headquarters building. He parked in the underground garage, took the elevator up, and walked into his office on the twenty-first floor. The rest of the team was already in. Just then, Rodrigo walked in. Adam saw his swollen lip and couldn't help asking, "Hey, what happened to your face?" "N-nothing," Rodrigo said quickly, brushing it off. "I took a spill yesterday." Adam bought it and joked, "Watch yourself next time. Wouldn't want you to bust the family jewels." Rodrigo gave a goofy grin. "You free at noon?" "Sure. Why?" Adam asked, puzzled. "If you're not busy, I'll buy you a drink at lunch," Rodrigo said. "If you're treating me, there's bound to be a catch," Adam said with a half laugh. It was nearly time to clock in, so he kept it brief. "Where to?" "Tenos Restaurant. How about it?" "Sounds good," Adam said, pleased. At noon, they walked to Tenos Restaurant just outside their office building and took a table by the window. Rodrigo ordered a few dishes and a bottle of baijiu, the strong Chinese liquor. When everything arrived, they drank with gusto. Riding the warm buzz, Adam asked, "Rodrigo, you're not exactly a kid anymore. How come you're not seeing anyone?" "Eh." Rodrigo sighed. "Haven't met the right one." "We've got plenty of pretty girls at the company," Adam said with a smile. "None of them do it for you? Your standards are sky high." Rodrigo curled his lip, dismissive. "Honestly, they're all pretty plain. Not my thing." "Women with a bit of maturity have their own appeal," Adam said, still smiling. "Looks like we've got the same taste," Rodrigo said, his eyes dancing with mischief. "I like them mature too, but they gotta be pretty. Honestly, they're all too ugly for me." "True," Adam said, faces of several female colleagues flashing through his mind. Only Caroline Lapwood has any looks. Rodrigo's eyes turned sly. "But lately I found a young married woman. Stunning. Sexy." "Oh?" Adam leaned in. "Who is she? How did I miss that?" "Of course you don't know. She's not from our company," Rodrigo said, pretending to be casual. "I spotted her at my fitness class. We were classmates back in high school." "Did you get anywhere with her?" Adam knew Rodrigo moonlighted as a coach at a fitness club. The guy did seem to trip over luck with women. "Not yet," Rodrigo said. "She's not easy. She's driving me crazy." "It's not your heart itching, it's your pants," Adam laughed. "What can I do?" Rodrigo glanced at Adam and, seeing no suspicion on his face, said, "She's got a husband." "You gotta strategize," Adam said, unaware the woman was his own wife. He took it seriously and offered, "Create one-on-one time. Private sessions, for example." "I did," Rodrigo said, nodding, grinning ear to ear. "She's an absolute knockout. Yesterday after class, I kept her back for a private session. "Her workout outfit was like a swimsuit-tight, tiny, deep neckline. I had her stretch, and I stood behind her. Every time she bent forward, her boobs bounced. "I lost control and grabbed her hand. She realized what I was doing and tried to get away. I pinned her down, but she kept struggling. When I let my guard down, she drove her knee into my groin. The cut on my lip came from her fist." Adam raised an eyebrow, mildly intrigued. "And then?" "She kneed me and ran while I was doubled over in pain," Rodrigo said, regret heavy in his voice. "Serves you right," Adam said with a helpless laugh. "You tried to force it-any woman would run, let alone a decent married woman." A scene flashed in Adam's mind: a beautiful woman in workout gear, all curves, pinned under Rodrigo, straining to break free. His gut twisted hard.