A wave of heat flushes my cheeks as I snap my head down.
“Aw, you’re really lovely when you blush. I like it. I’ll have to make sure to flirt with you more often.”
I bite down on my lips and turn forward. His magnetic energy pulls me to look over at him when he sits on his mat, only a foot or so away, but I fight it. He’s so close, though, enough to touch without problem. I take a couple of slow breaths, trying to calm the fluttering sensation in my stomach from his sheer proximity.
I feel a heaviness enter my personal space when Nick leans close enough to whisper in my ear. The hair at the back of my neck stands on end as his lips brush the shell. I gasp and hold my breath.
“Why haven’t you come back to class? Are you afraid of me?”
Afraid. Of him. Not even close. I whip my head to the side so fast we’re nose-to-nose. His eyes widen, and then he grins like he planned on poking me to get a reaction.
“You don’t scare me.”
“Then what is it?” he taunts.
I narrow my eyes and focus on his. They’re a blue, no, a grayish tone with hints of dark navy around the edges. Probably the prettiest eyes I’ve had the pleasure of looking into. “Maybe your class was too hard.”
He chuckles but inches closer, our mouths only a couple inches apart and our noses even closer. “You were a natural once you got past your anxiety.”
A natural. I’ve never been a natural at anything. The compliment throws me off guard.
“Really?” I’m scrambling for any nugget of positive reinforcement.
He nods. “Yep. You just need more practice. Come on Friday, and then I’ll take you out to dinner after.”
My mouth goes completely dry as the reality of what he just suggested resonates. “Did you just ask me out to dinner?”
“Smart and beautiful. I like that in a woman.” His eyes blaze with desire as he smirks.
That smirk sears into my heart, making it beat fast, this time carrying with it anticipation and a note of excitement.
“Hello, class, and welcome to Vinyasa Flow. I’m Gracie Salerno, and I’ll be your teacher today.” A young woman’s voice breaks through the staredown Nick and I are having. I glance to the front podium and see a startlingly attractive young woman who can’t be more than a few years my junior.
Salerno. That’s Nick’s last name. I take in her more petite form, long black hair tied in a braid down her back, and gray-blue eyes. She smiles widely and tells us she’d like us to start in child’s pose. I have no idea what that is and glance around, trying to figure it out.
“Sit back on your heels and then spread your knees apart, leaving room for your chest and belly to lie in between them. Then place your forehead on the ground and your arms either stretched out in front of you or behind you at your sides. Whatever’s most comfortable,” Nick instructs.
I watch Nick as he repeats what he’s told me and gets into position. I do the same and lift my face just enough to make sure my body looks like his. When I do, he’s looking at me too. I smile, unable to help the natural response he brings out of me.
“That’s all I wanted. I hadn’t seen you smile. Fucking beautiful.” He winks. “Now pay attention or my baby sister is going to be mad at me for hitting on her clients,” he whispers before placing his forehead back on the mat.
Not wanting to make his sister mad either, I place my forehead on the mat.
“We’re going to breathe here for ten long breaths. During that time, think about what you want to get from today’s practice. Focus on giving this time to yourself. It’s for you. It’s about you. Breathe it all in,” Grace urges. I can hear her feet padding around each client doing something, but I’m not sure what until I feel her over me.
“Good.” She places her hand on my sacrum, firmly pushing my hips deeper into the stretch. Then she runs her hand up my spine, which has the sensation of her taking the negative energy right out of my body and flinging it away. “Breathe in deeply, and exhaaaaaalllleeee.” She drags out the word while pressing up my spine toward my neck. With each motion, I am lighter, more focused. She rubs at my neck, and I swear to God, I could fall asleep. It’s the most relaxed I’ve been in a long time. Before I get too comfortable, she moves on to the next person.
“Now I’m going to have you press up into table and go into your cat and cow transitions, pairing them with your breathing.”
Surprisingly, she doesn’t do the pose in front of the class, but everyone seems to know what to do. Everyone but me. How’s that possible?
As if I said the question out loud, Nick speaks up. “Most people who take Vinyasa Flow have already taken the beginners’ classes or other restorative type classes. You, on the other hand, just seem to jump right in.”
I frown and watch as his body shifts up into a position that looks like a scared black cat on Halloween. Then he drops his belly down and arcs his spine, lifting his head up.
“Follow my movements, and I’ll instruct you while you learn. Okay?”
I do as he says and pair my movements to his. He makes it look really easy, as though he’s a born teacher or leader. As I get into sync with him, I realize I’m actually doing the class, and it’s not easy, but it’s not so hard I wouldn’t come back. My muscles are straining while I hold a crazy position they call one-legged dog. Apparently, you start in a downward facing dog, which is essentially a triangle shape with your
