Page 48 of The Retreat
Imogen sat down cross-legged. ‘BigGwyneth Paltrow on Temuenergy,’ she muttered.
Talia stopped herself from laughing. ‘Welcome to corporate wellness,’ she said.
‘Everyone find a spot,’ Loran chirped as she clapped her hands together.
‘This is fine,’ Talia whispered under her breath, willing her heart rate to calm. She was OK. She could do this. She coulddefinitelydo this without making it weird.
She sat down on her mat, alive to the tension between her and Imogen. They had both been trying not to touch all morning, but it kept happening. All through breakfast and yet again, when they’d bumped into each other walking in here, hip to hip. It was getting silly. And now this? Was the universe angry with her about something? Did it want her to suffer?
‘Now, let’s start with something simple,’ Lorna said.
How about a lobotomy?
Imogen glanced over at her, eyes narrowing slightly. Talia knew they both were mentally calculating the odds of making it through the next hour without enforced nestling.
Lorna clapped again. ‘Let’s begin with a simple stretch. A forward bend. One of you will support your partner’s back as they lean forward and then switch!’
Talia’s fingers twitched, and her mind reeled for an escape. Could she fake an embolism? A sudden, dramatic clutch of the chest, a fainting spell… Anything to get out of this?
But, instead, she glanced at Imogen, trying to convey the words, ‘I didn’t choose this’ with her eyes alone.
‘Is there something in your eye?’ Imogen asked.
Talia tutted. ‘No, I’m just… forget it.’
She turned her attention back to Lorna, who had found herself an enthusiastic volunteer in Jade and was demonstratinghow to support a partner’s back with an alarming amount of physical intimacy for such a professional environment.
‘Go ahead, partners! Let’s do this together! Trust each other!’ she cried, bent double with Jade’s pelvis basically welded to her arse.
Oh, good. Trust. That was exactly what Talia needed to be doing with Imogen right now.
Imogen cleared her throat and asked quietly, ‘You’re... OK with this?’ Her voice sounded strangely calm, considering the depth of their shared discomfort.
Talia met her gaze, narrowing her eyes. ‘Do I have a choice?’
Imogen shrugged. ‘You tell me.’
Talia looked over her shoulder. Celeste was already in the position being demonstrated, doubled over while Mitchell held her hips and tried not to make eye contact with anyone. Man, she waslimber. This was not her first rodeo. If Talia couldn’t match her skill, she had to have a go at reaching the enthusiasm.
‘Fine,’ Talia said, whispering sharply. ‘Fine. We’ll do it. But noextratouching.’
‘Agreed,’ Imogen replied with a dimple pop that caused Talia’s pulse to race. A wonderful start to things.
Imogen leaned forward first, bending at the waist, while Talia was very careful not to look at her perky bottom with anything but casual attention. Talia’s hands hovered just behind her lower back.
Just do it.
She rested them on Imogen’s spine, feeling the soft give beneath her fingertips. The contact was so fleeting, so simple. Yet it sent something hot and electric shooting up her arm.
Imogen exhaled deeply, and Talia bit her lip, fighting the urge to pull her hand away.
‘Switch!’ Lorna chirped.
Talia’s hand was already off Imogen’s back before she even registered it.
Imogen straightened and turned, offering Talia a stiff smile. ‘Your turn.’
Talia bent forward, just focusing on not falling over. She didn’t let herself wonder at all if her bum was in as good shape as she hoped. Nor did she fret that Imogen would find it displeasing in any fashion. Those things couldn’t have been further from her mind.
