Chapter 42
Frankie drank a big cup of coffee while she contemplated what to do with her day. She’d tweaked the logos some more, but she’d been hoping to get Harper’s input on them before she went any further. Probably she should focus on finding a neutral place to meet with Shar.
She refilled her cup, went back to the couch, and picked up her laptop. A quick search resulted in two possible meeting spots. One was the Andrew Jones Memorial Park on the other side of the causeway. It was on the river and had a boat launch as well as a small playground and a pavilion that was available for rent. From the pictures, there was also a picnic area with some trees. Nice spot with a great waterfront.
The other was a café in a small strip mall a little further inland. Maybe that was better. The park was nice, but it might be warm. And at the café, they could get drinks and food if the mood struck. Frankie checked the hours of the café, then sent off a response to Shar with the address of the restaurant and a question about what day would work.
Then she pulled up the logos she’d been working on, prepared to create a few more examples. But the coffee had made her antsy for some reason. Maybe she should eat something. Or take Archie for a walk. Or do some laundry. That was probably the best idea.
She’d get a load started, take Archie out for a quick walk, then get a shower and get to work on the logos when she got back.
She took another sip of her coffee and got out of her seat. Her phone rang. She grabbed it from next to her laptop. “Hello?”
“Frankie? It’s Prisha. I’m sorry to call but I didn’t know if you’d see the text. I tried your sister but she’s not answering. I wanted to invite you both to yoga this morning. It’s a core and balance class, very easy.”
An image of Lucas appeared in her head, him on the beach, out for a run. She didn’t like working out. But she liked Lucas. Getting in shape to keep up with him was as good a reason as any. “Harper’s tied up this morning, but I’ll go with you.”
“You will? Fantastic. I’ll be by in fifteen minutes to pick you up.”
“What should I wear? I’ve never done yoga before.”
“Leggings, a sports bra, whatever you’re comfortable in. It’s very low-key.”
“Okay. See you soon.” Frankie hung up and raced to her room to change and gather her laundry. That still needed doing.
She came back down, tossed the laundry in the machine and turned it on, then wondered if she should take Archie for a quick tinkle. She found him asleep in his bed with his teddy bear. He didn’t look remotely interested in going out.
How long could yoga be? An hour? He’d probably be fine.
She got her phone, a house key, and made a last-minute decision to take a bottle of water. She thought about taking a towel, too, but Prisha had said it was low-key. Would she even sweat? The towel might be overkill.
She went downstairs, locked up the house, and turned to see Prisha headed down the drive in a bright blue golf cart. She waved. “Hello, Frankie! How are you?”
“A little nervous,” Frankie admitted. “I’m not very athletic.”
“Neither am I,” Prisha said as Frankie climbed in. “We’ll get spots together in the back. This is one of those things you won’t necessarily enjoy until it’s over.”
Frankie laughed. “So pretty much like all exercise.”
Prisha giggled. “Yes, but at least it’s good for us.” She turned around in the driveway and pulled out. “I must confess, facing Suzanne alone again wasn’t something I was looking forward to. I assume Harper told you about what she said to me at Pilates?”
“She did. And I think she was contemplating going to Pilates to get some face time with Suzanne. Most people aren’t as brave when directly confronted.”
Prisha snorted. “Suzanne doesn’t have that problem. She doesn’t care what anyone thinks. Her husband’s position has made her feel untouchable.”
“Do you really think she’ll cause trouble for Harper?”
All the amusement disappeared from Prisha’s face as she drove. “Maybe. Suzanne lives by no one’s rules but her own.”
“So she would really do something like that to a neighbor?”
Prisha shrugged one shoulder as she pulled into the community center’s lot and parked in a row of other golf carts. “She doesn’t see your sister that way. She thinks Harper will sell as soon as she can, so why be loyal?”
Frankie rolled her eyes. “That’s a great way to live. Who made her judge and jury of who’s worthy of kindness and understanding?”
“Good question.”
They got out and went inside. It was a big building with two floors. There was a central lobby with double doors on either side along with an elevator. Slightly to the left and behind the reception desk was a wide set of steps.
Frankie followed Prisha up the steps. “What’s downstairs?”
“The main gym is to the right. The other side is meeting rooms. They do classes over there sometimes. We’ve had floral arranging, how to care for your luxury handbags, and at least once a year, there’s a weeklong wellness seminar that includes appointments for Botox and fillers.”
“This is the most bougie place I’ve ever been.”
Prisha smiled. “It’s sort of expected.”
“I suppose it is. I don’t think classes on cooking on a budget or couponing would go over so well.”
Prisha laughed. “Not with this crowd.”
She led Frankie to a room down the hall. It had pale, gleaming hardwood floors and deep, marine blue walls for a very serene coastal vibe. They toed their shoes off by the door. There were no mirrors, something Frankie was grateful for. Mats were spaced out evenly in three long rows.
Only four of the mats were occupied so far and none of them by Suzanne, Sugarlynn, or Azumi.
At the front of the room, standing in front of a large, gold lotus flower painted on the wall, was a thirty-something young man with his hair in a top knot and stubble that was probably supposed to be a beard. He wore loose-fitting pants with a crotch that hung to his knees, a tank top, and a long strand of wooden beads with a tassel at the end. He was barefoot and standing on a mat.
He put his hands to his chest like he was praying and bowed toward them. “Welcome, Prisha. I see you’ve brought a friend. How wonderful. Welcome, friend. I’m Raiden and I’ll be your movement guide today.”
Frankie almost laughed, then she realized he was dead serious. She cleared her throat. Movement guide. That was a new one. “Nice to meet you, Raiden. I’m Frankie.”
Others filtered in. Three more women and two men. The women were all in matching exercise gear. The men were in shorts and T-shirts. Men had it so easy.
Suzanne arrived with Sugarlynn in tow. She immediately spotted Prisha. And Frankie. She claimed one of the front-row mats with her water bottle before leaving Sugarlynn to approach them. “Hello, there.”
She leaned in and air-kissed Prisha. She just smiled at Frankie. “Nice to see you again, Fanny.”
“It’s Frankie. Nice to see you and Sugarlynn again, too.” Frankie didn’t let the name thing bother her, but she wasn’t going to bow at the altar of Suzanne, either.
“Do you do a lot of yoga?” Suzanne asked.
“Never tried it before but Prisha was sweet enough to ask, so why not?” Frankie had dealt with students’ parents like this before. Full of themselves. Thought their money made them superior and, worse, right about everything.
Suzanne looked around. “Your sister didn’t make it, I see.”
“Busy with a very important client,” Frankie answered. “You know how it is. Wait. Maybe you don’t. Do you work?”
“No,” Suzanne said. “I don’t have to.”
Raiden tapped the gong near the door and the soft peal filled the room.
“For Harper, it’s really a calling. Anyway, nice seeing you. Looks like class is about to start.” Frankie gave Suzanne a tight-lipped smile and took her place on her mat.
Suzanne and Sugarlynn, who waved goodbye with a wiggle of her fingers, went to their mats. No Azumi, which was a shame. Frankie had really liked her.
Prisha leaned in. “Nicely done,” she whispered.
“Fire with fire,” Frankie whispered back.
Fifteen minutes into the class and Frankie knew she was going to be sore the next day. The people in the front row had no problem holding the various poses and positions. Frankie, however, struggled not to fall over. And failed. Twice. At least she’d caught herself before landing on the floor.
Yoga was hard. Way harder than she’d imagined.
By the end of the class, which was mercifully only forty-five minutes long, she was laying on her mat thankful to have survived. The last bit, the relaxation part, was amazing. She could have gone to sleep.
She didn’t think that was the intended outcome, however.
Once again, the gong sounded, this time to announce the end of the session. Raiden stood before the class, hands in prayer position, and bowed, his voice soft and peaceful. “Namaste to all of you and may the rest of your day be filled with light.”
“Namaste,” they all said back to him.
Frankie leaned up on her elbows and looked at Prisha. The tiny hairs at her temples were plastered to her skin. “Okay, that was not easy.”
Prisha shook her head. “No, it wasn’t. But I didn’t think you’d come otherwise.”
“You were probably right.” Frankie grinned. “I’m going to feel that tomorrow.”
Suzanne walked over to them, dabbing at her neck with the towel she’d brought. “You ladies have a lovely day. I’ll see you at book club next week, I imagine. We’re talking about spending a few weeks in St. Moritz, but Bryant’s so busy, who knows.”
“Have a good day,” Prisha said.
“You, too,” Sugarlynn called back as she trotted after Suzanne.
Frankie drank deeply from her water bottle, happy she’d brought it. “I don’t like her.”
“Sugarlynn? She’s harmless.”
“No, Suzanne. She gives me a bad feeling.”
Prisha got to her feet and gave Frankie a hand up. “She does that to everyone.”
“Then why did you invite her to your book club?”
“I didn’t. She was a guest of Sugarlynn’s, and she stayed. Now it’s more a case of keep your friends close and your enemies closer. That and I do not know how to get her to stop coming without causing a major incident.”
Frankie nodded, partially in sympathy. “I understand.” She just hoped that bad feeling wasn’t a premonition of things to come.