Page 28 of Chasing Smoke

“If you don’t fall flat on your face in there, you win, and if you do, I win.”

He nods. “I’ll take that bet. What are we playing for?” I open my mouth, but he continues. “If I win, you owe me a drink, and if you win, vice versa. We can swing by the Pines after.”

Ansel uses the nickname a lot of people in town have for the pub Fowler owns.

I had planned to go home after this, but what’s the harm in having a drink first? “All right, you’ve got yourself a deal.”

We walk into the room, and I think I just entered a tropical rainforest. It’s warm. Warmer than I remember. Since we were too busy razzing one another in the waiting room, Ansel and I take the last two mats on the far side of the studio. Rachel is all smiles at the front, watching all of us, but her smile drops when she clocks Ansel.

He blows out a breath and sits, crossing his legs on the mat like the women in the room. He doesn’t seem uncomfortable about being the only guy, just like he was the only guy at the art gallery. I appreciate his willingness to be here even more. Although I’m pretty sure Ansel likes having the attention of women around him.

“Welcome to beginner yoga, everyone. I’m excited to have you all here. I’m your instructor, Rachel. I’ll be walking through the room to give you guidance, and you may feel me apply some gentle pressure or reposition you to help get you in the correct pose. If you’d prefer I not touch you at all, please feel free to say so, and I’ll be happy to oblige.” She looks around the room, her gaze sweeping past Ansel. When no one raises their hand, she continues. “Perfect. Let’s get started, shall we?

“Sit tall on your mat, and I want you to focus on your breathing. Leave everything you came in here with outside that door. Inhale through the nose, exhale through the mouth.”

The room follows her instructions through the first few poses of cat-cow and child’s pose. I’m already sweating by the time Rachel tells us to move to downward dog and begins walking around the room.

The backs of my legs stretch and burn as I hold the pose. I’m so much more out of shape than I thought.

Rachel walks around as she talks about continuing to focus on our breath and planting our feet to the earth.

In my peripheral, I see her gently adjusting the woman’s pose next to me. “Great job,” she says in a soft, soothing voice as she passes me. She seems pleasant enough, until she stops by Ansel.

I turn my head slightly, intrigued to see how it plays out. Rachel moves his torso down with a firm push between his shoulder blades. Ansel grunts, and I press my lips together to stifle a laugh.

Rachel moves on to the front row, and I glance in his direction. He’s already looking in my direction with wide eyes and mouths, “What the fuck?”

A sharp burst of laughter escapes me, but I feign a cough to cover it up while Ansel grins.

We work through some more positions, and about halfway through the class, movement in my peripheral causes me to look at Ansel again. He’s stripping off his T-shirt. Like me, he’s sweating, his hair slicked and the muscles in his chest glistening.

An unfamiliar feeling tugs low in my belly, reminding me how long it’s been since I’ve had sex. I haven’t really missed it until right now, and I hate that it’s not Caleb I’m enjoying looking at but his best friend.

It’s not like I’ve never seen Ansel’s chest before. I mean, I’ve had my hands all over it during our massages. It’s probably less about him and more about seeing a specimen as perfect as him outside of a professional setting.

He tosses the T-shirt on the floor beside him and starts to turn my way. I snap my gaze back to the front, focusing on Rachel demonstrating the next pose.

Sweat drips down my back and between my cleavage as she continues the class and we shift from one pose to another.

Near the end of the class, we’re standing at the end of the mat, spines elongated and standing tall.

“Hands at heart center,” Rachel says.

Ansel’s hands go to the center of his chest, and he looks at me and mouths, “Heart center?”

I press my lips together and look back forward.

Do not engage.

“Inhale, sweep your arms overhead.”

I sweep.

Ansel sweeps.

“Exhale. Fold forward.”

I fold, and Ansel does the same.