Page 89 of Love Unavoidable
Chapter 24
Ethan
Brad and I meet after my shift, and before the group activity, to work out. We don’t talk much which is fine by me. I’d just end up talking about Sadie and I’m not in the mood. I want to talk to her, not about her. I have a forty-eight-hour shift beginning tonight, but after that, she’s going to talk to me whether she wants to or not. We click, that’s rare. Not that she knows that from being with Aaron for so long.
I open my mouth, ready to reaffirm my decision aloud, when the chief whistles for attention and calls for A-shift to line up in the garage. I grab a towel to wipe the sweat from the bench and then myself.
“What do you think he’s got planned?” Brad asks.
“I have no idea.”
“I was hoping you’d been clued in since you were here last night.”
“I wish, man.”
We stand on the edge of the group, there are eleven of us in A-shift.
“Okay,” Chief starts. “Got a short jog to a place down the street. Doing something different today so I expect you all to keep an open mind, a shut mouth, and a willingness to take part. Got me?”
“Yes, sir,” echoes around the group.
“Let’s go.” Chief jogs out of the station and turns left at the street, the rest of us follow. A few blocks later he slows to a walk and turns on the walkway to a small building, with a large sign that reads,A Step Above. Brad and I look at each other, but neither knows where we are.
Inside is a small reception area, a large room off to the left with two smaller rooms off to the right. Mirrors line the walls and what I think are ballet bars.
A cheerful girl with a long blond ponytail greets the chief and tells us to follow her. She leads us into the big room on the left. “Go ahead and start some basic stretches, your instructor will be in soon.”
I have an odd feeling about this. About three seconds later, I realize why.
“Hey y’all! My name is Sadie and I’m your instructor today.”
Oh shit.
My stomach bottoms out, I look at Brad who looks back at me, eyebrows raised. I widen my eyes, trying to wordlessly ask what to do. He shrugs in response.
“Okay,” she says. “It looks there’s . . .” She counts, “One, two, three . . .” I know the minute she gets to me because she stops. “Oh! Wow. Okay. Um.” Her face reddens. I love that fucking blush. Better when I’m causing it and it’s just the two of us rather than her in front of my station-mates. She claps her hands together once. “Okay, let’s line up.”
We arrange ourselves in a single file line.
“Oh, no.” She moves her right hand left to right and back again in front of her body. “I meant this way. In two rows.” We re-arrange ourselves into two rows, one of five and one of six.
“Good job. Okay, so today we are going to work on some stretching through yoga and some poses that mimic dance moves from a style called contemporary. Which is a fluid and flowy dance style and it helps get your body used to moving in ways that can seem unnatural at first. But, I promise, it’s great for balance, core strength, and muscle lengthening. I know you guys ran over here, so you are mostly warmed up, but let’s start with some stretching anyway.” She leads us through some simple stretches, most of which I can do. But I know that I am about as limber as a toothpick. I’m strong, I can carry a grown man out of a burning building, but I have a hard time touching my toes.
She takes us through about ten minutes of sun salutations, including downward dog, cat pose, and a few others I am familiar with. My muscles try to stretch, but also protest mightily at the request.
“I’m going to need a volunteer for these next few exercises,” she says. Brad takes my arm and raises it high in the air. No one else raises theirs.
“Uh, okay, you in the back row.” She doesn’t use my name. I’m not sure why. Unless she doesn’t want to call attention to the fact that we already know one another. Which is dumb since many of my station-mates know of her anyway between the concussion, getting stuck in the bar bathroom window, and my whining. I walk to the front of the room. Chief nods his approval.
“I want you to find a partner. Someone who is a little heavier than you if possible.” She moves on to show what she wants us to do. We move to the floor and she has us practice a child’s pose first to loosen our lower back, then she shows us the partner part of the exercise. Because I am partnering with her, there are now an equal number of people left in the class to pair up. One person lies flat on their back, legs bent and in the air, feet flat, and arms up stretched. The second person is to lay with their stomach on the feet of the first person, and grasp hands. Then the first person will lift the second by their feet. At which point, person two is to let go and balance upon person one’s distended legs, their own arms and legs extended as though flying like Superman through the air.
Sounds painful. I assume the position on the floor, figuring I will lift Sadie. “Uh, no, Ethan, you will be the one flying, I’ll be holding you up.”
“No way can you hold me up, Sadie. Don’t be silly.”
“I can, and I will.” She looks at me, face set and gaze hard.
“Okay.” I raise my hands in a surrender pose and get up, then wait for her to get in position on the floor. I’m not looking forward to crushing her with my weight, but she asked for it. She lies down and puts her legs and arms in the positions earlier dictated. Those assuming the position of person one mimic her pose. Then, still walking us through step by step, she guides the second person to position. At which point, I balance my torso on Sadie’s bare feet bottoms, and grasp her hands in mine.
