“No.”
Marabeth laughed. “No? Just no? What do you mean no? Of course I can learn karate. All I have to do is hire a tutor.”
“Why would you want to learn karate? You have two body guards who are trained in martial arts and just about any weapon someone could put in front of you.”
“Don’t be condescending, Sam. I want to learn to defend you and myself. I don’t like being a target with no skills other than ensuring that my shoes match my dress.” “No. You don’t need to learn any self defense.”
“Why not?”
“Because you’re a girl.”
“Nice of you to notice, but now you’re simply being sexist. I’ll make some calls tomorrow and I’ll find someone to teach me. Manny will have the clearance paperwork on his desk in the morning.” She stopped for a moment and thought about that. “Actually, I’ll just have Rick or Mark teach me,” she said, referring to her two body guards. “You just said they were very skilled.”
“No,” he said and ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. “Marabeth, if you want to learn, then I’ll teach you.”
The car pulled up beside an Italian restaurant that Marabeth had been to before and enjoyed very much. She liked Sam’s choice, but didn’t tell him that. The man was too arrogant for his own good. And hers.
She waited until they were seated and the wine ordered before continuing. “I don’t think I want you for a teacher.”
“Why not?” he asked, sitting back in his seat and enjoying the sparkle in her eyes.
“Because I don’t think you’ll take my instruction very seriously. I want to learn and once I put my mind to something, there’s no way I do anything halfway.”
”I know that,” he said and leaned forward. “Marabeth, I’m not letting you get beaten up by someone else, nor am I going to allow another man to touch you. If you want instruction in martial arts, you’re going to have to take my offer.”
She considered his comment for a long moment. She didn’t mind letting him teach her. In fact, he was one of the best she’d ever seen so if she wanted to learn something, she really should learn from the best.
“Fine, but if I think for one moment that you’re holding back, I’m hiring a tutor on my own.”
Sam relented slightly by saying, “We’ll see. What are you having for dinner?” he asked changing the subject.
Marabeth looked at the menu and chose a pasta dish quickly. There were several thoughts going through her mind, all of which she really wanted to talk to him about.
“I also want to learn hang gliding. There are several other things as well. So you need to get rid of these silly security issues so I can get on with things.”
Sam almost dropped the menu at her comment. “Hang gliding?”
“Yes. What’s wrong with that?”
“It’s dangerous. That’s what!” he said angrily.
“Have you ever done it?”
“Yes, but that’s not the point.”
“Is the point something about the fact that I’m not of the male gender? If so, you really should keep that point to yourself because I’ll only have to kick you,” she said, but her tone was very calm. “And I have very sharp shoes on. Nice point at the toe.”
“Marabeth, you are not being reasonable.”
“No, Sam. I disagree. I am a free-thinking, completely grown adult with needs and desires of my own. But I’m twenty six years old and being told to marry a man that; one I barely know, two I don’t understand and three, I don’t really like. So you tell me exactly how I’m being unreasonable.. I’m forced into a situation that no other person in the world has to deal with and yet I’m trying to make the best of it because I have an obligation to my country and a great deal of respect, not to mention fear, of my father.”
Sam considered her words for a long time. He’d never heard her phrase things quite so eloquently before and he had to admit that she had a very convincing argument. “One hour for each lesson,” he said.
Marabeth was confused. “One hour of what?”
“I get one hour for each hour I teach you. But I have to teach you whatever you’re going to learn.”
“What do you mean, you get one hour?”
He leaned forward and crossed his arms over the table in front of him. “I get one hour with you where you don’t argue with me or try to avoid me.”
She considered that. It seemed reasonable. “The wedding is delayed for six months and I get out of it if I find out you’re totally unreasonable.”
“No way.”
“Why not?” He smiled cheekily. “Because I know I can be unreasonable. I’m not giving you an out that easy.”
Marabeth couldn’t help it. He was too charming for her own good. Her laughter bubbled up despite her vow to make her point. “Fine, but we delay the wedding for at least six months and don’t announce it for three.”
“We keep the date set for two months and don’t announce it for four weeks. And you continue to get ready for the wedding with all the enthusiasm you would if you would just admit you’re in love with me.”
Marabeth wasn’t sure if she should gasp in horror or laugh at his comment. Both seemed applicable. “I get karate, hang gliding and I want to go to an amusement park,” she said. And as if it were an afterthought, “And I get to go out once in a while,” she finished. “These security restrictions are going to really get to me soon.”
“You stay within the confines of the palace unless you’re with me, I’ll teach you both but no amusement park. Too many security issues.”
“When would the security issues be resolved?”
“Do you agree?” he asked.
“Is there an alternative?”
“Sure, you can not learn karate or hang gliding, you can continue to fight me and avoid me and we don’t get to know each other, but we still get married in two months and I get to take you to bed like I want to do right now.”
Marabeth couldn’t help it. She burst out laughing, enjoying the arrogance and irritating confidence he had. Her mother was right about that part. Those two qualities really were two things that attracted her to him.
“Is that a yes?” he asked.