Chapter 7 #2
“Of course! Come on. We’ll start with an easy one.” Veronica stood up tall. “This is called Mountain Pose. Stand like this with your big toes touching but not your heels.”
Adelaide turned her legs completely inward so she was pigeon-toed. “Like this?”
“Not quite so much space between your heels.” Veronica bent down and adjusted Adelaide’s feet.
“There. Now stand nice and tall, feel the ground with all your toes, the balls of your feet, and your heels. Stretch your legs and pull your belly button in toward your spine.” She placed a hand on Adelaide’s stomach and tailbone. “Good, that’s really good.”
Adelaide beamed. “What should I do with my arms?”
“Like this.” Veronica stood opposite Adelaide, as if she was a mirror.
“Palms forward toward me, and spread your fingers out. Good! Now you’re going to lengthen your neck.
Roll those shoulders back—we want a nice broad chest for deep breaths.
Imagine you’re wearing long, dangling earrings and you want to show them off. ”
Adelaide’s neck did suddenly look longer.
“Perfect! You’re so good at this. Now imagine one straight line from the top of your head all the way down your spine.”
“I’m picturing a skeleton,” said Adelaide.
Veronica laughed. “That’s a good way to do it. I once had a dance teacher who had a plastic skeleton in the studio so she could show us what she wanted our bones to look like.”
“Am I doing it right?” Adelaide asked.
“Yes. Doesn’t it feel nice to stand so straight and tall?”
It did feel nice—I realized I’d unconsciously followed the last few instructions about rolling my shoulders back, broadening my chest, and lengthening my neck. Even my palms were facing the screen door.
“What are you doing, Dad?”
Caught off guard again, I turned around to find Owen standing there in his pajamas, hair matted on one side, expression curious.
“Nothing. Just watching your sister learn some yoga poses.” I went to the fridge and took out the almond milk, pouring a little in my second cup of coffee. “Are you hungry? I could make you a—”
But Owen was already racing out the back door.
“Good morning, Owen,” I heard her say cheerfully.
“Can I learn yoga too?” he asked.
“Of course. We’re just about to do cat-cow. First, you get down on the ground like this.”
Watching out the kitchen window, I groaned inwardly as Veronica got down on all fours. Her ass looked spectacular in those shorts.
“Okay, so for the cat, you want to make a rainbow with your back. Like this. Think about your belly button being sucked up toward the sky—the very top of the rainbow.” Her gorgeous spine went convex, and I could practically feel my hand gliding over each vertebra as I lined my hips up behind hers.
“Like this?” The kids imitated her pose, and I felt like a total pervert for fantasizing about having sex with her while she was giving my children a yoga lesson.
“You are a terrible person,” I muttered to myself. But I kept watching.
“Yes, but don’t forget about your head,” Veronica said patiently. “Let it be the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Drop it down.”
They followed her directions, and she nodded. “Perfect. Now the cow.”
This time I caught myself moaning out loud.
But I couldn’t help it—now she was arching her back, which drew attention to her sumptuous apple-cheeked butt and curvy hips.
I thought about kissing her in the dark last night, my hands in her hair, her fingers clawing my shirt like they’d claw at my sheets if I—
Don’t think about it.
She picked up her head. “Now think about your belly button lowering back down to the ground. Your back is making a sort of bowl shape. Good cows, you guys!”
“Moooooo,” said Owen.
“Daddy, come out here!” Adelaide called. “Come look at our cows!”
Shit. I wasn’t prepared to face her yet. I tried to think of a reason why I couldn’t go out there and couldn’t come up with anything except the fact that I felt an erection coming on. “Just a second!”
I took a couple deep breaths, forcing myself to think about mundane, unsexy things. When I was sure I could be seen without embarrassing myself, I ran a hand over my hair and went outside.
Veronica scrambled to her feet. “Morning.”
“Morning.” I was careful to keep my eyes where they belonged. “What’s going on out here?”
She glanced at the kids, who were still on their hands and knees. “I was just teaching them a few yoga poses.”
“This one is the cow,” said Owen.
“And this is the cat.” Adelaide rounded her back the way Veronica had shown her. “Try it, Daddy. It feels good.”
“Maybe another time. Are you guys ready for breakfast?”
“Can we go out for breakfast?” Owen asked.
“I guess we could. Where do you want to go?”
“Moe’s!” the twins shouted. That was their first choice for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, because they loved to play songs on the jukebox.
I’d probably given them a hundred bucks’ worth of quarters for that thing over the years.
But the food was good, the prices were reasonable, and Moe and his wife Judy were good people.
After my mom died, Judy had stocked our freezer with enough casseroles to feed an army.
Their daughter Ari was Mabel’s best friend.
“Okay,” I said. “Go get dressed.”
“Can you come too, Veronica?” Adelaide asked as she got to her feet.
Veronica smiled at my daughter. “Thanks, but I can’t.”
“Would you like to come to breakfast?” I asked her, knowing that she was probably hungry but had very little money. “Our treat.”
“Are you sure?” Her eyebrows rose.
“Consider it payment for the yoga lesson.”
She smiled, and the memory of kissing her hit me all over again. “Okay. I’ll come.”
“Yay!” Adelaide clapped her hands and jumped up and down. Even Owen looked excited as they raced each other into the house.
“Make your beds!” I yelled after them, which caused Veronica to giggle.
“What’s funny?” I asked.
“Yesterday, when you and Mabel were upstairs, and I was alone with the kids, they were giving me tips on how to get the nanny job, and one of them was to tell you I always make my bed.”
I shook my head. “And do you?”
“Pretty much never.”
“What else did they tell you?”
She shifted her weight to one hip and ticked things off on her fingers.
“Let’s see. Don’t ever leave lights on, because you don’t own the electric company.
Your favorite food is barbecue. And it would be good if I had some chore charts to show you, because you’re big on responsibility and organization. ”
“Jesus,” I grumbled. “They didn’t make me sound like much fun, did they?”
A smile teased her lips. “Actually, you gave me that impression all on your own.”
I took another sip of coffee, glaring at her over the edge of the cup.
“But you redeemed yourself later,” she added.
Our eyes locked, and my body warmed instantly.
“And who knows?” Her pretty shoulders rose. “Maybe if I’d had a chart or two, I’d have gotten the job.”
“Veronica, I—”
“It’s okay,” she said, laughing again as she put a hand on my arm. “I’m just messing with you. You were right, Austin. I’m unqualified. I’m not saying I wouldn’t have done a good job, but I understand. I’m not what you’re looking for.”
Actually, right now I was afraid she was exactly what I was looking for.
“Could I have fifteen minutes to get ready for breakfast?” she asked. “I just want to rinse off really quick and change clothes.”
“Of course.” Don’t think about her in the shower. Don’t think about her in the shower. “Just knock on the back door when you’re ready.”
“Thanks.” She gave me one last smile before turning toward the garage.
I watched her walk away from me, imagining what my life would be like if I asked her to stay.