"Ok guys, there are two rules I'm going to teach you in this class that are the most important things about self defense. Number one: attackers are always going to be looking for vulnerable targets. You need to always be aware of your surroundings and take general precautions like having your keys ready in your hand as you approach your car and try to always walk in well lit areas." Emma paced in front of the class, sweeping her long blonde curls into a ponytail as she talked. She loved teaching at the community center, and the first day of class was always the best.

A tall, gangly boy who looked about seventeen shyly raised his hand. Emma rested her gaze on him, "Yes?"

"Um yeah, you said there were two rules...yet you only told us one…?"

"Ah yes, rule number two: don't be that vulnerable person an attacker is looking for." Emma grinned dangerously as she answered the question. "Luckily after you finish my class you won't be."

The boy lowered his hand and shrank back into the group of students, looking more frightened than he had before he asked. His teacher looked as if she was going to enjoy kicking the crap out of them in the name of "education."

"Ok everyone, let's split up into pairs and begin. . ." By the end of class Emma was covered in only a thin sheen of perspiration while the rest of the class was red faced and had to bend over to catch their breath. As per usual, she had chosen the biggest member of her class as her partner for the demonstrations. She loved proving that size didn't really matter if one was trained and prepared. This time it had been a large, burly man with a beard, probably in his late thirties. His answer had been smug when she asked why he was taking this class.

"Oh I'm just here for my wife, I don't really need this for myself,: he said with a smirk.

Big mistake.

His wife had giggled with a little too much glee when Emma had taken him down with one move.

"And that, ladies and gentlemen, is actually rule number three. It's always good to stay up on your training, and never, never underestimate your opponent." She winked at the man while he was still lying dazed on the floor. On their way out the wife had elbowed her husband until he grumbled an apology.

Emma packed up her classroom, rolled up the mats, turned off the light and headed towards the door. On her way out of the building she passed an open classroom with a class in progress. She glanced inside and the handsome guy at the front caught her eye. He had enchanting eyes the color of sea water, and they lit with animation as he talked, so much so that Emma didn't even hear a word he had said. She only pulled her attention away when her stomach roared at her. It had been growling, but intensified when she had ignored it.

She had just closed the door on her fourth floor walk-up when she hard a knock. She dropped her stuff unceremoniously in a pile beside her couch. She opened the door to a familiar face, the delivery man from the Chinese place around the corner.

Emma sighed heavily at him. "Seriously? This is what it's come to? I hadn't even called to place an order yet!" He shrugged his shoulders and handed the bag of food to her. She narrowed her eyes at him as she passes a bill over the food into his open hand and shut the door.

That's it, she thought, she really, really needed to change things in her life. She was getting so pathetic and predictable even the delivery guy was judging her. She groaned inwardly as she went through the other close by delivery options in her head and realized she had gone through something similar with all of them.

"Ok Emma, time to put on your big girl pants and finally learn how to cook," she chided herself. She ate her dinner slowly that night, savoring every bite since it would probably be the last edible thing she would eat in awhile.

The next day she scanned the bulletin board at the center for cooking classes. She finally found one, "Cooking for beginners: You'll never burn the toast again!" She wondered miserably if the instructor had ever met someone who had set the whole toaster on fire before. . . If not it was their lucky day! Despite her serious doubts, Emma marched into class, armed with her notebook and pen, determined to learn something. She used the delivery man's smirk and shrugs as motivation. She chose a seat in the middle of the classroom, she wanted to be close enough to heard the instructor well but she just couldn't bring herself to sit in front, guess that was just the loaner in her.

She heard the teacher walk in and up to the front but didn't look up until she heard his slightly familiar voice. It was the guy with the blue-green eyes she had seen last night, he must teach multiple classes. She caught herself trapped in those gorgeous eyes again. She shook her head and admonished herself, she had already missed the first few things he'd said. She set pen to paper, adamant in recording any and all he had to teach, anything to save herself from further judgemental delivery boy stares.

She spent the next hour furiously taking notes, not realizing the class was over until everyone around her started to get up and exit the room. She had also failed to realize the grin her instructor had tried to hide when he had noticed her overly diligent note taking and the way her face had scrunched up in determination. He walked over to her and knocked lightly on the desk to get her attention.

"Wow," he said and whistled a low steady sound. "I don't think I've ever seen such a painstakingly meticulous student before. Your cooking is that bad huh?" He smiled as he held out his hand. "Hi, my name is Julian."