Page 16 of For the Win

I thought doing these poses would be easier on dry land than on the water.I was wrong.I really need to focus, as I’m balanced on one hand and one knee.On dry land, Arya has the benefit of being able to move around as we follow her direction and hold various poses, and she’s apparently very picky, adjusting a foot, a hand, the arch of a back.But the way she describes how to perfect the poses is actually bang on—like, when she says to press firmly into one foot, it really does help with balance.

As I’m in what she just called Puppy Pose, she approaches me and, still talking in her serene voice, she places a hand on my back.“Keep your hips directly over top of your knees,” she says in that mellow tone.“Your chest melting down to the mat...you should be feeling an opening in your armpits.Maybe your pecs.”

Awareness jumps along my nerve endings.Her touch is gentle yet firm, and my skin tingles everywhere.If I keep screwing up, will she keep putting her hands all over me?

I can see her toes...I don’t have a foot fetish, but they’re really pretty, with shiny purple polish on her nails.

She moves away.“Keep pressing your fingers into the mat.”

She stops by Bergie and murmurs, “Good work.You’re really flexible.”

Huh.She’s praisinghim?Shit.I need to do better.I sink my hips lower.

The class lasts about forty-five minutes.

“Let’s find Savasana,” Arya says.“Final resting pose.”She lies on her back again.“Stretching out our arms and legs, palms to the ceiling, eyes closed.”Her tone has become softer, and the music is another gentle but still lively song.

Lying still is usually hard for me to do.I have a ton of energy, and doing nothing makes me antsy.But I let the music fill my head, focusing on what she says.

“Take note of how your body feels now, compared to when we started,” Arya says.“Focus on your breathing.Take your time.When you’re ready to get up, please do so slowly.Namaste.”Then she lets things go silent, and this is hard too.I can sense the guys wanting to jump up and talk.

If anyone disrespects her, they’ll have to deal with me.But it doesn’t happen.Gradually some of the guys slowly sit up, then stand.

I stand and roll up my mat to take it to the corner of the room.I drop it off quickly, then hustle over to Arya as she picks up a backpack.“That was a great class,” I tell her.

She fixes her gaze on me and says nothing.My instinct is to fill the silence, but that hasn’t gone so well in the past as I spout off stupid bullshit, so I make myself wait for her to respond.

Finally, she says, “Thank you.”

“I have really tight hip flexors,” I say.“I was surprised at how that one pose...the...”

“The Bow Pose?”

“Yeah.It felt great.Do you have other ones that would work on hip flexors?”

“I do.I’ll be sure to include them in our next class.”

“Oh.I was hoping you could show me...”

She shakes her head slowly, her lips pursing in a near-smile.“I’m pretty sure you have a practice to get to right now.But like I said, I’ll include that in our next class.”

She slings her bag over her shoulder and makes her way out of the weight room.

The other guys are shooting me looks as we head to the locker room to change into our gear.I lift my chin.“Listen up.That’s the woman I’m going to marry,” I announce.“Everyone else stay away from her.”

A bunch of guys laugh.

“Riiiiight,” says Scotty.

“I’m serious.”I pull open my locker door and yank my shirt off over my head.

“Not sure how to tell you this,” Bellsy says.“But I don’t think she’s into you.”

“Not yet.”I shove down my shorts.“She will be.”

“Pretty sure of yourself, Harry,” Jabber says.

“What’s not to love?”I grin, stretching my arms wide, standing naked.

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