Page 54 of XOXO, Valentina

“It’s called a practice because it isn’t perfect,” she said, walking to the front of the room. “Don’t try to be perfect. Just do what you can do.”

I smiled to myself. For some reason, this reminded me of Joey. He was always effortlessly perfect. The way he mastered the English language with ease. His wonderful cooking. The flawless way he ran at a fast pace, which would have most people panting. How he made everyone feel as if they were his closest friend.

“I’m going to call out poses,” Mallary said. “But they are all optional. Everything I say is optional. The only thing youhaveto do here in this space is breathe.”

Relief flooded through me. The pressures of the stressful week lightened. For one hour, all I had to do was breathe. I could handle it.

“Take a deep breath in and fill your body with light,” she said. “Now let it go. Share that light with everyone in the class. Take another deep breath and inhale a fresh start. It’s never too late to start again. As long as you’re breathing, you can start over.”

Upbeat music filled the room, and Mallary’s gentle voice led us through another round of breaths.

“I’m going to challenge you to stay grounded on your mat,” Mallary said. “Ignore the distractions of what might be going on around you. Everyone come up to all fours and take a look around the room. Go ahead, you know you want to.”

There were a few chuckles as everyone shifted.

“Check out your neighbor. Say hello. Get it out of your system because I’m going to ask you to forget them for the rest of class and focus inward.”

I smiled at the woman next to me and then turned to my right. A familiar pair of warm brown eyes met mine.

“How you doin’?” Joey nodded his chin at me and winked.

My muscles clenched, and I nearly fell over in my tabletop pose. Joey couldn’t be my neighbor! There was no way I would get through class beside him.

My gaze fell from his face to his naked torso, and I felt dizzy.

I’d spent the entire week avoiding Joey, and Lord take me now, I was inches away from his half-naked body.

“Now it’s time to focus inward,” Mallary said in her encouraging tone. “Keep your eyes on your own mat. Ignore the person beside you and their energy. Stay in your own lane.”

Fat chance.

My entire body sizzled from Joey’s nearness. My nipples could put an eye out, and my thoughts were deserted on Naughty Island.

“Close your eyes and concentrate on your inner drishti,” Mallary said, but it wasn’t helpful. Not even her soothing voice could take the edge off my fractured thoughts.

My inner drishti was preoccupied with Joey’s lean torso glistening with sweat.

“Keep your eyes closed,” Mallary said. “And on your next inhale, come into downward facing dog.”

I snuck a peek at Joey and regretted it instantly. His eyes weren’t closed. He was shamelessly checking me out, his eyes roaming over my body with undisguised appreciation.

My skin tingled, warming under his inspection. His gaze crashed into mine, and he winked.

“Follow your drishti,” I hissed.

His smile turned wicked, and I didn’t have to guess where his drishti led him.

“Turn to face the window wall,” Mallary instructed.

The students rotated to face the wall of second-story windows overlooking Main Street below, but I was a distracted by the view of Joey’s naked back.

His broad shoulders tapered to a narrow waist. Carolina Blue shorts hugged his hips and contrasted with his golden skin. The view of blooming cherry trees and glowing streetlights on Main Street couldn’t compete with Joey’s muscular back.

When we turned to the other wall, I had a moment’s relief. It was much easier to focus on my drishti when Joey wasn’t blocking my view.

I darted a glance at the clock on the wall by the door. Only fifty-five more minutes until the torture was over. I didn’t think I could make it.

Joey seemed to be handling it like a champ. He flowed from one pose to the next with impressive grace. He radiated strength and vitality, somehow making the hardest poses look easy. It was the way he did everything, never frazzled. He flowed through life with a calm focus, as if nothing could derail him.

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