Chapter 12
Chapter Twelve
YURI
It’s early July, and if it weren’t for the beautiful views and the fact that Cooper is here, I might be convinced that I’m in hell.
I’ve been outside for all of five minutes and my shirt is already drenched in sweat.
My sunglasses keep slipping down my nose too, and every time I push them back into place, I feel a little bit more annoyed.
And don’t even get me started on how I’m feeling about my sweaty ass crack.
I groan out loud, pulling my shirt away from my skin and awkwardly fanning it to try to get some air circulation.
When I was younger, I used to joke that I was lucky I got the “good at math and science” autism, and it’s true that it’s gotten me pretty far in life.
But there are still the hidden struggles other people don’t see.
It’s the stuff that makes people think you’re just an asshole if you don’t learn how to mask it and cope.
Like now, with the sensory overload of the heat and the feeling of sweat on my skin, making my clothes uncomfortable, there’s a ball of tension inside my chest getting tighter and tighter, and if I don’t find a way to regulate myself before I bump into someone, I’m going to end up being curt and maybe even snippy.
I learned young that nobody wants to be friends with the guy who cries when his clothes feel weird, and I learned not to let myself cry, but that doesn’t mean I don’t still want to.
I stop in the road and take a few deep breaths, tugging on my shirt again and thinking about my options.
I could go home and change, but those clothes will just get sweaty within a few minutes too.
I groan quietly again, feeling sorry for myself.
I’m going to have to suck it up and just try not to think about it.
I shake my hands at my sides, trying to dispel some of the tension, and take some more slow, deep breaths until I feel like I can hold it together and keep walking.
I round the corner and one of the beaches comes into view.
It’s only mid-morning, and usually the beaches are still pretty quiet at this time of day since most of the tourists party late and sleep in.
There are some guys sunbathing, scattered along the stretch of beach, but what draws my attention is Raven down near the water, apparently leading a group yoga session.
It looks like a mix of tourists and locals, and apparently it’s clothing optional.
People are definitely exercising the optional part, some of them fully nude, others wearing tank tops and shorts, and everyone else somewhere along that spectrum.
Raven is wearing black spandex shorts that leave little to the imagination, and he has his arms stretched over his head while everyone mimics his pose. He opens his eyes and spots me, waving me down to join them.
I shake my head.
“I’ve never…”
“It’s beginner friendly,” he calls back.
Ten and Bambi are positioned at the back of the group, Ten completely naked and Bambi in a pair of baby blue briefs. Bambi turns his head and grins at me.
“Come on. It feels amazing to get a good stretch in first thing in the morning. It weirdly makes the heat feel more bearable too.”
Nerves flutter through me—anxiety about not knowing what I’m doing and the certainty that I’ll make a fool out of myself. But, fuck it, half the people here are naked, they can’t possibly care if I don’t know how to do a proper downward dog.
I jog down from the road to join them and take a spot at the back, leaving plenty of space between myself and the nearest bare ass.
I use the excuse to strip off my shirt and shorts, dropping them into the sand.
Oh god, I am definitely going to have to go home and change after this.
No way can I work a full shift later in clothes that are sweaty and covered in sand.
I shudder at the thought, then copy the position Raven is demonstrating, with one leg up, his foot against his calf, and his hands still over his head.
I wobble and try not to laugh.
“Focus on your energy,” Raven says. “Focus on feeling your foot rooting into the ground like a tree to find your balance.”
I do as he says, and surprisingly, it works. I manage to stay upright, although I’m still a little wobbly, and I breathe in deeply, filling my lungs with the humid ocean air and taking a minute to actually appreciate the warmth of the sunshine on my skin instead of cursing it.
“Oh, hey, I thought yoga was only in the morning.”
I look over to find Cooper wandering down the beach towards us, completely naked. My breath catches. No one should be allowed to look that damn good with all those bronzed muscles and that cute, dopey smile.
“It’s, like, nine-thirty, man,” Ten says.
“Oh, kick-ass. I saw the sun was low and I thought I slept the whole day away.” He ties his long hair into a knot at the base of his neck, making his way over to take up the open space on my other side.
“If you didn’t know there was naked yoga, where are your clothes?” I whisper with a laugh.
He looks down at himself and then back at me, seeming genuinely surprised and confused to find he’s naked.
“Huh. At home, I guess.”
“We’re moving into cat and cow to wake up our spines,” Raven announces, and everyone gets into position on their hands and knees.
I swallow a moan and pray that no one looks my way and notices the thickening bulge in my briefs. I’m only human though; how am I supposed to watch Cooper get on his hands and knees completely naked and not react?
I thought yoga was supposed to be relaxing.
Maybe letting people do it naked is a bad idea.
In fact, as soon as I turn my head forward again and get an eyeful of the dude in front of me with his balls swinging and his cheeks parting every time he arches or rounds his back, I’m positive that naked yoga is a very bad idea.
LYRIC
My muscles are nice and loose by the time Raven finishes the practice. Sure, I’m covered in sand and I can feel the beginnings of a sunburn on my ass, but there’s still no better start to the morning than naked beach yoga. Well, maybe a joint and really good sex, but yoga is a close second place.
Yuri starts shaking the sand out of his clothes and putting them back on, glancing over at me and blushing. Fuck, that’s cute.
“Hey, you want to go grab some breakfast or coffee or something?” I ask.
He snorts a laugh and his eyes move downward, his blush deepening.
“I know the dress code is pretty loose around here, but I doubt Raven or Storm are going to let you into their restaurants completely bare assed.”
“Oh, right.” I laugh. “What about coffee at my place? I think I’ve got some eggs too if you’re hungry.”
Yuri bites his lip and I can see that he’s wrestling with himself. Does he not want to hang out?
“I want to,” he says after a second. “But I need to change my clothes. I’m all sweaty and sandy.” I see a subtle shiver run through him and he grimaces.
“Oh, no worries, you can borrow something of mine or just swing by after you change.”
“I guess we’re about the same size. You don’t mind?”
“If you forget to bring them back, I won’t even notice,” I joke.
He chuckles. “I believe it. Okay, yeah, let’s go have coffee at your place and I’ll borrow your clothes,” he agrees and we start off down the beach towards my house.
“You were pretty good. Was that your first time doing yoga?” I ask while we walk.
Yuri laughs again. “Oh, please, I nearly broke my neck doing one-legged dog. Meanwhile, I look over and you’ve got your leg all the way over your head.”
“It takes a lot of practice. I like yoga, it’s relaxing. It’s like exercise but without all the pressure, you know?”
“Yeah, I can see that. Maybe I’ll try to make it a regular thing. Does he lead practices during the off-season too or is that just for the tourists?”
I shrug. “I’m not sure. The timing is really random.”
“Something tells me it’s just your participation that’s random.” He bumps his shoulder against mine.
I laugh along with him. “Yeah, that could be. You’ll have to ask Raven.” Yuri nods, and I think back on what he just said. “You think you’ll still be around for the next off-season?”
He shrugs this time. “I’m not sure yet. Ugh, you know I hate not having a plan, I just…
I’m having a hard time deciding. I feel kind of untethered without my work, but I was also burned out, so if I go back, won’t I just fall right back into that same cycle?
Bartending is a new experience, and it’s fun, but I don’t think I want to do that forever either.
I don’t know. It’s a lot to think about.
” He looks over at me, sinking his teeth into his bottom lip and eyeing me like he’s expecting me to say something.
“It’s a lot,” I agree, and his shoulders sag a little.
It’s the answer I expected. Palm Island is just a long vacation for him. That’s okay, I think that’s all we were ever meant to be to each other. Temporary.
“Hey, have you heard about this rainbow carousel thing?” he asks. I can’t follow his train of thought, but that’s fine, I’m sure people can rarely follow mine either.
“Yeah, of course. It’s a hike, but it’s gorgeous up there. Why, you wanna go?” I look down at myself again. “I should probably get dressed and find some shoes.”
“Not right this second; I have work in a couple of hours. But maybe you could take me in a couple of days when I have a day off?”
“Totally,” I agree readily. I’m always up for a good hike.
Even though we’re keeping things casual and all of this is temporary, I reach over and thread my fingers between his while we walk anyway.
The magnetic pull I’ve always felt towards him hasn’t changed at all, and I doubt it ever will.
I’m just going to have to relearn how to forget about him when he’s gone again. But that’s a problem for later.