Page 43 of Emergence and Ascendance

She wiped sweat from her forehead. "Jury's still out. Keep your phone handy in case I need you to hit 911."

I grinned and refocused on my own transition. We moved into side splits and I appreciated how Pilates always seemed to clear my mind. The concentration required didn't leave much room for distractions. Whenever an image of Christian crept in, I was able to refocus on alignment or my breathing because thinking about that fine ass man was dangerous.

"Moving to standing work. I want my advanced ladies to add the challenge of balance but don't push too hard."

I positioned myself at the back of the reformer with one foot on the platform and the other on the carriage.

"Shit, you look like you could teach this," Niama grunted while adjusting her own stance.

"Fifteen years of dance. Balance is a requirement for not falling on your ass but this is still a challenge."

"I hear that. Nothing feels better than trying not to fall on my face while doing these."

We both laughed, which didn't help either of us with keeping our balance.

The rest of class was a variation of lunges and planks. I welcomed the burn in my core and thighs but still groaned through the sequences.

"Final exercise. Elephant into down stretch with a three-count hold at full extension."

The entire class mumbled their disapproval but Nori planted her hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes.

"No pain, no gain, ladies. I'm here to keep your bodies tight and limber."

"If my man wasn't blessing me on the regular for how limber I am, I would curse you out," someone called from the corner of the room, making all of us laugh. We all survived and the end of class was devoted to stretching on the reformer.

"And that's our practice for today. Take a moment to acknowledge your body's work before you leave. Good job, ladies."

I released a harsh breath then sat up feeling exhausted but satisfied. "So what's the verdict on this class compared to your studio?"

"Definitely upped my game but in a good way. This is exactly what I needed today."

"She teaches Tuesdays and Thursdays at this time. I'm usually here both days if you want a regular Pilates buddy." Niama and I both lifted and stretched before heading to get our things.

"I might take you up on that but I'm not sure what my schedule is going to look like. Can I let you know?"

"Girl, yeah. Let me give you my number." She dug her phone out of her bag and I did the same with mine, unlocking the screen. After she called out her number, I keyed it in then texted her so she had mine. She pecked and swiped on her phone then held it up.

"Got you saved."

"Me too."

As we headed toward the exit, my phone vibrated with a message. I glanced at the screen and found a text from Christian confirming our dinner tonight and rolled my eyes. My momentary peace from the Pilates session was already short lived.

"Everything okay?" Niama asked, noticing my mood change.

"Just work." I dropped my phone back into my bag and forced a smile.

"Okay, girl. Don't forget to hit me up if you need a Pilates fix or we can just grab lunch or something. How long are you here for?"

"A month for now but maybe more."

My mind went right to Christian and I groaned internally as we paused near the elevator that would take us to the lower level lobby.

"Then we're definitely having lunch."

I agreed and after we stepped off on ground level and parted ways, I smiled, feeling somewhat grateful about the potential of having someone to talk to who wasn't connected to my business dealings here. I decided to walk back to the hotel instead of calling for a ride. My muscles were pleasantly worked and the sun on my face felt good. As soon as I made it back to my room, I would shower, order something halfway healthy to eat, and relax until I had to face the firing squad later.

"So Miles, what exactly is Christian planning for tonight?" I asked, adjusting my position in the back seat of the Bentley that showed up to get me.

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