Page 36 of Pushing Daisy
“I am Briar, and I will be your instructor for today’s class,” he says with a mesmerizing soft lilt. “I am thrilled to see some familiar faces again. I also see many new faces, and I say welcome to you. I hope you leave this session feeling a renewed sense of self and peace. Let us begin by standing, if you are able, and grounding ourselves into the world. Splay your toes and feel the energy beneath us enter your body.”
Sloan relaxes into the movements, allowing Briar’s melodic voice to carry her into a renewed energy. He guides them through various movements like mountain, tree, and warrior before folding them into downward dog. As Sloan pushes back into the pose, her hands on the mat and her feet grounding her to the earth, she feels a bubble of air inside her shifting and fighting for a way out.
Not here. Please.
But her pleas are not answered. Instead, following Briar’s guidance, she pushes back into her heels, and is horrified to feel the air bubble escape.
FFFWWWPpppp.
It wasn’t quiet. In fact, her ass’s expression was so loud the next town over likely heard it. Heat rises to her face, both from a mix of being in this blasted position and a sense of shame that means she will never be able to show her face here again.
She looks up, hoping no one around her heard it, but she knows everyone did. She catches a few side glances before the owners return to focusing on their positions.
Mortified but determined to try and refocus, she flows down onto the floor to head into cobra pose. As she pushes up, her ass betrays her again, letting out a second high-pitched, ear-piercing squeak.
Daisy’s shoulders shake in front of her. Then she laughs out loud—at Sloan’s expense, mind you—and fucking Hecate if it isn’t the best sound on earth. Daisy collapses, rolling onto her side in a fit of giggles. She’s laughing so hard that she begins wheezing, and Sloan, not wanting to seem like a total witch, starts laughing with her. It starts small, a little giggle to play along, but it quickly grows, taking over her whole body. Soon enough, the two of them are curled up on the floor with their arms clenching their now-pained stomachs as tears roll down their cheeks.
Everyone in the room is now sitting on their mats, their focus shattered. Many sets of eyes glare at them. Briar approaches them with a quiet purpose. “Ladies, you are disrupting our class. I am going to have to ask you to leave.”
“We’re… We’re…” Daisy wheezes. Hades, her smile could light up the sun. As she curls further into herself, shoulders shaking, an audible pppfffttt escapes Daisy’s glorious rear end. This sends her even further into a fit of laughter, and as embarrassed as Sloan is—her face most certainly a glowing tomato at this point—she continues to laugh along with her.
“We’re going,” Sloan eventually manages to say as she stands carefully, hoping not to let loose another ass cannon. She offers a hand to Daisy. Daisy takes it without hesitation, the contact igniting Sloan’s soul as she pulls Daisy to a standing position. Their chests are a breath away from touching, and it takes everything in Sloan not to crush her against the wall behind them.
“Sorry,” Daisy manages to breathe out before they exit the studio.
As they stand outside the door, Sloan realizes that as embarrassing as that was, she is not the least bit sorry. Not if it has allowed Daisy to break open and let Sloan see this sliver of her. No, she’s not sorry at all.
CHAPTER 20
Daisy
“Oh my goddess, my sides are killing me,” Daisy says, massaging the side of her ribs, trying to work out the laughing-induced discomfort.
“Did you really need to laugh that hard?”
“Yes,” Daisy responds, fighting the urge to start giggling again. She hasn’t laughed this much in Hecate knows how long. It was good.
“I didn’t realize farts were so funny,” Sloan says. Sloan may be trying to sound annoyed, but she was laughing right along with Daisy, so this disgruntled attitude is all a farce.
Daisy steps around her, walking back toward their her room. “I mean, they normally aren’t, but it sounded like a gargoyle waking from a deep slumber was about to come out of your ass.”
Sloan slaps a hand to her chest, her face aghast. “It did not!” She exclaims.
“Totally did. People beside you were ready to run in fear.”
Sloan smacks Daisy’s arm playfully—the contact, though brief, isn’t horrible, and this little play between them is oddly satisfying. Entering the room, Daisy spots a tray of treats on the desk. Forgetting everything they were discussing, she drops her water bottle and key and makes a beeline to the baked goods.
In an elaborate display basket are cupcakes, various chocolates, and tarts. The scent is heavenly, and the sight is drool-worthy. Sloan appears beside her, leaning over to examine the display. As sweet as the display smells, Daisy can’t ignore the scent of freshly baked cookies coming from Sloan. How this woman always smells like a bakery, she’ll never know, but holy fucking Hecate if it doesn’t make Daisy want to devour every bit of her. Sloan’s head turns, catching Daisy ogling her. Daisy abruptly looks away, concentrating hard on a particularly interesting speck of dust on the floor.
“I figured you would like some goodies after the workout that was supposed to be yoga…” Sloan hedges.
“You did this?” Daisy replies, surprised and… flattered?
“Yeah. I know you like baked goods. Thought this would be a nice little treat. Is… Is that okay?”
“Yeah, it’s great! Thank you,” Daisy says, picking up a cupcake and peeling the wrapper down before taking a giant bite. A pleased groan rumbles in her throat. If this cupcake weren’t so good, she’d be embarrassed.
“You have some frosting on your…” Sloan says, pointing to her own nose.
