Page 5 of For the Win

My eyes pop open wide and I freeze.I nearly burst out laughing, which would be totally inappropriate.These guys are throwing me off my game!Again!

Flirty Dude chokes and starts laughing.Next thing I know, there’s a huge splash as he tumbles into the water, splattering my feet and legs.

Now everyone is distracted as he flails around, still chortling.

Everly, who I know a little, yells at him.“Harrison!You’re embarrassing me!”

Harrison.Okay, that’s his name.I’m about to tell him to get a grip and get back on his board, which he’s already trying to do, but as he attempts to climb on, he knocks his board into mine.

My arms flap as I try to regain my balance—and I have excellent balance—but the water’s choppy from his thrashing around and there’s no way I can do it.I fly into the air and land in the water.

I sink beneath the surface, cold water closing around me.I push up, spluttering and shaking water out of my eyes.I cannot believe this is happening!

3

ARYA

“Oh my God!”Everly cries.

I grab my board and rest my forearms on it, staring at Harrison.I’m befuddled.And cold.

“Are you okay?”he asks.“I am so sorry.”

The class is totally disrupted now.Everyone is murmuring and making shocked noises.I don’t even know what to say.This has never happened to me.“I’m fine,” I say through clenched teeth.“Wet, obviously.”

“I’m really sorry,” he says again, and he does look contrite.“You can blame him.”He jerks his head at the guy who made the anal joke.

That guy gives me a guilty grimace.“Sorry.”

I blow out a breath and turn my glare back on Harrison.I’d like to tear a strip off him, but that’s not what yoga is supposed to be about.Peace.Oneness.Harmony.I am capable of anything.Also, he does look really sorry.I take another breath and relax my body, including my face.“Are you able to continue with the class?”I ask him.

“Yeah, yeah,” he says quickly.“For sure.Uh, are you?”

I roll onto my paddleboard and strip off the thin zip-front hoodie I’m wearing.I drop it to the board behind me.“Yes.”I find my center and stand, now in my wet sports bra and yoga shorts.My hair’s in a ponytail, which is good, although it’s dripping water down my back.Shivering, I gaze around at the group.“Sometimes you need yoga.Sometimes you need a beer.”I pause.“Sometimes you need both.”

Laughter ripples through the morning air.

“Let’s resume.”I keep my voice calm, a half-smile on my face.“One more time...exhale, fold forward...inhale, reach up.”I hold that pose for a few seconds.I am capable of anything.“Exhale, fold forward, and bring your hands to the board as we squat down and bring the right foot back.”

This time there are no smart-ass comments from the peanut gallery.I survey the group to see how everyone’s doing, including Harrison.His face more serious, he seems focused on the pose.

“You want two ninety-degree angles with your legs,” I continue, moving my knee and foot into the correct position and watching the others.“Good.Coming up into Half Warrior...”I lift my arms and stretch them out in front of me.“Shoulders back...inhale...and lift the arms up.”

I sense Harrison’s gaze on me.Which is weird, because almost everyone in the class watches me to see how I do it, but Ifeelhis eyes on me.I say the next words, just waiting for his reaction.“Lift your heart to the sun.”

He stretches his arms up and lengthens his torso, not making any jokes.How about that.

Sweet smiling Jesus, he has an amazing body.Although a bit tight.If we were in the studio, I’d be setting a hand in the small of his back, making adjustments to his pose.

We go through the rest of the class without incident.“Let’s finish up with a nice Child’s Pose.”I stretch my arms out in front of me on the board.“Let your body melt into the board.”

I follow my own advice, shutting out the rest of the class, particularly that one guy with the naughty-boy smile and hot body, letting my muscles relax, tension seep out of me.I focus on the gentle movement of the water beneath me, my breathing, the warmth of the sun on my back.

Class is over and we all paddle back to shore.This basin is quiet and calm, perfect for my classes.I’m so lucky that Taj has his paddleboard business here and I get to piggyback onto that.

I have another class in my studio at noon, so I head toward the change room so I can put on dry clothes and dry my hair.As I approach the change room, Harrison steps in front of me.

“I want to apologize again,” he says earnestly.

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