*Ray

Ray's heart beat a million miles a minute, but it was going to be fine. She was saved. Yeah, normally Lokela's scowl could damper a sunny afternoon on Waikiki beach itself, but not today. Not in that alley. He lit up the place like a lighthouse beacon showing her the way through the rocks.

These guys, the same ones who had been so nice in Geology 101 for about thirty seconds, narrowed their eyes at him, sizing him up after her threat.

He was all Hawaiian muscle. Topped with a permanently pissed-off chip on his shoulder and his disdain for other people's feelings, he made quite an impression. Any normal college guy would be nervous to go up against him.

Except Lokela wasn't rising to the challenge. He backed a step away. "

Was there a problem? Sure, two to one wasn't exactly a fair fight, but this was the roommate who ate an entire can of spam for breakfast. Nothing scared him.

"What were you saying about kicking our butts?" asked the ringleader. She was pretty sure his name was Scott, and without him, the other guy would already be running.

"Technically, I didn't say anything about and I suggest we keep this civilized. I'll take my assistant and myself inside and you get yourselve off the business premises. No harm, no foul," Lokela said.

Technically, he growled it a little. Ray's heart skipped a happy beat. He wouldn't let her down.

"No harm, no foul? Is that supposed to be cute?"

"No."

Scott advanced slowly on him. "You are telling me I can't have a conversation when I want to and that's no harm, no foul?"

"Yes?" Lokela seemed genuinely confused.

Ray rolled her eyes behind their backs. The guy was an idiot. "He's telling you to get your sparkling white derrières the heck out of here, or you might be sent home crying to your mamas."

Lokela's eyes snapped to hers in alarm. He jerked his head, a nanoshake of panicked no.

"Is that what you said?" Scott asked. His stance was getting hostile. His wingman pounded his fist in his palm, standing right behind Scott's shoulder.

Lokela held up his hands to pacify them.

Oops.

"Er," Ray stammered, "no, that's not what he's saying at all. In fact, he wasn't referring in the least to the maggoty color of your behinds, despite the fact that you were pretty offensive with that Aloha ass comment, which I did not appreciate in the least, but that's a totally different matter."

Lokela took two more steps back. He smiled. Was he getting nervous? "Why don't we discuss things just between us guys? Ray, could you check for phone calls or emails or something inside?" He stressed the word inside.

She could take a hint.

"Do you want me to tell Miller and your two other brothers that you are busy out here?" She stressed the words busy out here and lifted her eyebrows. Of course, none of Lokela's brothers or half a million cousins and extended family members were at work today. It was just her.

But scumbags Flotsam and Jetsam didn't know that.

"Yeah, that's would great. Have all his brothers come on out," Scott said.

The look Lokela shot her would have boiled lobsters in a pot—an absolutely atrocious act if ever there was one. A nervous flush rushed up her neck and face. So much for her bluff to save the day.

"That's what I thought." Scott motioned for his buddy to stand to the side. "It's just you and me, whatever your name is. Should I let you go first and make it easy for you?"

Ray's mouth dropped. This fecal coliform was actually challenging Lokela to a fight. In the parking lot. In the middle of the day. Because she didn't want to go back to his dorm room for a party with him. And Lokela intervened.

"Nah, I'm good. You can go first." Lokela had taken another step back, but his posture was transformed. Eyes focused, arms loose, a half grin on his face. "You don't mind if I talk to myself, do you? I get distracted when I'm bored."

"Piece of shit—" Scott muttered and lunged.

Ray gasped, fumbling for her phone to call the police and catch the back of Scott's shirt.

Lokela snaked sideways, dodging the fist. "Not too bad. But your form is sloppy."

Scott snarled and muttered jumbled up obscenities. He advanced, a seething tower of teen-testosterone and ticked-off attitude. He faked a punch then and swung again.

In a blur, Lokela flicked his arm, circling and knocking Scott's fist away. A fly would have done as much damage to him.

Ray hopped in place excitedly twice, and hurried forward to follow them. The pair was locked in a retreat towards the wide open parking lot along the side of the park, and she kept pace to watch.

"Yeah. Do it again," Lokela ordered. "But get a little closer this time."

Scott rushed, reaching to grab Lokela's head. The second he had his hands on him, though, Lokela turned and ducked. Scott went spiraling to the concrete, rolled and came to his feet, dazed.

"Listen, it's simple," Lokela said. "Solidify your base and take strength from your hips and core. Get on the balls of your feet, ready to move, arms up but loose, shoulders relaxed. Watch me and when you sense an opening—you strike."

Ray didn't know if Scott sensed an opening, but he barreled straight at her roommate head first in a football tackle. Lokela went down, dragging Scott with him. Scott should have been on top, but when Ray blinked, Lokela had the guy pinned face down with a knee to his back and arm twisted in a painful angle.

From the corner of her eye, Ray noticed a gaggle of girl tourists gathering in the parking lot. They appeared to be Japanese, and all of them had their obligatory phone up to film the fight.

"You aren't concentrating." Lokela pushed himself free and moved several feet backwards. "You haven't assessed me as an opponent, you are rushed and stupid. You need to draw power from your hips, not your shoulders and find a position of strength. Then—you strike."

Scott tore across the pavement, swinging wildly. Lokela stepped sideways, batting him away. He turned, breathing heavy and glared at Lokela. Ray shuddered. Pure hatred marred his face. He spat.

"Sooner or later this will end badly for you," Scott said.

"Sooner or later you will realize you already lost this fight, but if you really want to hit me, take a deep breath, find your center and plan your attack. Then—you strike."

Scott hiked his chin at his friend who was standing not too far from Ray. He started to move forward. Ray leapt in front of him and pointed at the Japanese women, all still filming.

"I wouldn't get involved unless you want to be the guy known on internet who can only fight two to one."

He shot a nervous glance over his shoulder before tipping his head to hide his face. "Let's get out here."

"Thanks for stopping by," Ray said.

Lokela waved as the two sullenly slunk away. "Don't forget, if you balance your body and mind, before the conflict, there won't be a need next time for you to strike your opponent."

"Asshole!" Scott shouted, not even bothering to turn and look at him.

The pounding in her chest eased up, and Ray took a deep breath. Lokela was standing tall and proud, watching closely as they left.

He had saved her.

She ran and jumped on him for a hug. Her arms locked around his neck and she laughed, giddy with his victory.

"That was amazing! You are amazing! How did you do it? She bounced up and down, squeezing him tighter.

"Ray, I've got three older brothers. I've been dodging punches since I could walk." He patted her. On the shoulder—one, two, three pats.

There was definitely a weird moment of silence.

She cleared her throat and let go, pretending to straighten her shirt.

"Well, you attracted a small crowd. I bet half of Japan will have seen you put him in his place without even flexing your muscles."

Muscles. She had said muscles. Without meaning to, she glanced at his arms which filled his cotton tee-shirt sleeves marvelously. Now she was staring at his muscles. She shouldn't be thinking about him this way.

Say something, girl.

"That was truly some awesome Karate Kid moves, anyway. I owe you a smoothie."

Praise his prowess and deflect his attention to food. Dang, you're good.

"Actually, the moves were from watching the Matrix too many times when I was a kid, which is why I had hapkido and ju-jitsu training, but they've gotten me in trouble in the past. I have to careful about fighting."

"Really? You're so good. I'd hire you to come to my geology class to scare him off, if I could afford you. As it is, I guess I'll just drop the class. It wasn't shaping up to be as interesting as I'd hoped, anyway. The professor is obsessed with minerals. I wanted volcano and plate tectonics, but the guy just rambles on and on about quartz."

"Wait, that guy—"

"Scott. The one you fought is named Scott. I don't the other dude's name, but he was in the class, too. They were in front of me the other day. It's an auditorium, lots of people. My water bottle rolled into their feet and Scott gave it back. You know that instant creep alert? When your instincts go berserk and your skin feels twitchy because some guy is checking you out in a not-so-good-way?"

"No." He frowned at her.

"Ah," she said, "no, I guess you wouldn't. Anyway, I got that feeling. I have twenty-one credit hours this semester, it's too much anyway."

"Did he follow you, Ray?"

"I don't think so. I'll ignore him if I see him again. He'll get tired. Guys like that love new toys, but when he sees I'm no fun, he'll leave me alone."

He shook his head at her, the same worried expression her sister and mom always gave her when she talked about biking to campus on busy streets.

"Hey, it'll be all right." She put her hand on his arm, the skin smooth and cool from the trade winds and shade of the Banyan trees. "We are having a moment here, aren't we?"

She waved at the small space between them, and he chuckled. "Yeah, I guess you could call this a moment."

"Can I talk to you about something? Just between you and me?"

"Such as?" He led her slowly to the edge of the park with its lush grass and blooming hibiscus bushes to walk towards the store.

"I wanted to say something, or rather ask, but I need you to promise it will stay between us. I've been wanting to say to you for a while. Especially since, your friend, Zach, asked me to meet up with him. I really need to ask you something."

His eyes narrowed as he studied her. What was that look? Suspicion? Confusion?

He had a bit of grass in his hair and she reached up to clear it from the black waves. He followed her hand up to his head. She flicked the debris to the ground.

"Ray," he whispered, "you can trust me. With anything."

"Okay." She sighed, a big whoosh of air and tension flowing from her body. "I didn't know who else to talk to, and I thought you hated me for some reason. Which made me really upset."

"God, I don't hate you." He shook his head. "Quite the opposite."

"Really? Well, that makes it a lot easier for me to say this."

He stopped.

Her heart hammered for a different reason. She had to make him understand and hope he didn't laugh in her face. "About Zach and going surfing with him on Saturday. I know it shouldn't be a big deal, but I feel like I'm lying to him, about who I am and how I feel."

"Ray, you can tell me anything."

"It's just that.... I wouldn't say it's love, but..." She paused and couldn't meet his eyes staring into hers. He was so close, he partially blocked the breeze. They were alone under the trees with the lively sounds of laughter and music from the beach drifting to them.

"Yes?"

"It couldn't be love already. I mean, we hardly know each other. But..."

"Yes?" he asked very slowly. He touched her arm, a butterfly caress, barely there, but all her attention went to that spot.

Her stomach cartwheeled, she was sick or possibly dying. "That's why I wanted to talk to you."

"I'm listening."

She swallowed hard. She could trust him, he had proven himself today and besides, despite never talking she sensed his goodness. She had the courage to admit her weaknesses.

"It's just that I don't know how to surf and I really want to impress Zach. When I think of him, I just..." Words failed her. "Will you help me, Lokela? Miller said you used to give lessons, and I've been wanting to ask you."

"Surf? With Zach? What?" He stumbled over his words, confused.

"I mean, it's not like I love him, as I said, we don't know each other. But when I think about him, the things I feel. It's like when I'm snorkeling and surrounded by ocean water and light and life and currents. I belong. I feel like that. But he thinks I can surf, and I can't. I look like an idiot if I show up this weekend and can't stay for more than thirty seconds on a board. Will you teach me?"

"Um. Yeah, I can help you with that so you impress Zach. It's like your brother-in-law said before he left. So long as we are living in the house all together, we are family. We are cousins." He nodded curtly, lips pressed together. Then turned away.

There were two cars in front of the shop.

"Shit. We have customers," he said.

*** Was he hoping for her to say something else? Hmmmmm. ***