Chapter 15
"Don't Stop," Fleetwood Mac
Victoria
The dusk light through the windows cast long shadows over the abandoned mannequins and clothing racks as I unlocked the door again, letting Mallory lead the way. Kate meandered, running fingertips along dusty walls. Connor quietly explored the changing rooms and storage area.
I lingered in the reception area, expecting Mallory to flick on the lights, but she surprised me.
She removed her shoes, padding to the center of the proposed studio space. Planting her feet, her lids dropped closed. On a deep breath, her arms rose overhead, then her palms lowered in front of her chest on an exhale.
She stood almost motionless, aside from the rhythmic rise of her chest and the wiggle of her toes.
Her face softened, lips parted and jaw relaxed.
After a minute of slow breathing, her arms rose.
She bent to press her palms to the floor, moving through a sun salutation.
Her movements were graceful and smooth, unbothered by her small audience.
That’s when I realized: I’d underestimated Mallory Clarke.
She’d been seventeen at my law school graduation.
I’d been living with Alexander for two years, and Nick had stayed with us during summer break, so I’d heard endless complaints about their immature, boy-crazy teenage sister.
She’d shown up with a pink glitter sign at commencement pointing out his second-place rank, intended to piss him off.
But that was a decade ago.
This woman was confident and steady. She’d outgrown those teen behaviors, her sparkly fingernails the only hint of that past. She’d been in business for four years, meaning she started it when she was 23—more successful than I’d been at that age, starting over with nothing but a shattered heart and fierce determination.
She stood before me as a self-assured yoga teacher, ready to spread her wings, even if she didn’t see how far she’d come—or how high she could fly.
When she finished her sequence and her eyelids fluttered open, I straightened from my perch against the wall. “Do you know what I thought when I walked into your studio last December?”
Mallory broke out of her reverie. “Why the fuck is Alex in a yoga studio?”
I couldn’t hide my grin. Her smile widened with the pride of getting me to crack. “Yeah, that was out of character. Plus I’d flown for eight hours to come pick his ass up because he wouldn’t answer his phone.”
“Asshole,” she muttered. Connor laughed, returning from the back storage room.
“Even though I was so angry I could barely see straight, worried his mistakes would cost us both our promotions … I couldn’t ignore the studio’s obvious potential.”
There was a lot I couldn’t ignore, like the charismatic self-defense instructor demonstrating a bear hug escape. The lick of arousal across my skin as his biceps flexed, his body in complete control.
“The class was full on Sunday afternoon, a notoriously hard time to fill. I was surprised you weren’t there, but that was a point in your favor, too,” I explained.
“Plenty of small businesses are reliant on the owner—without them, the whole operation falls apart. The class running without you is an indicator of smart hiring decisions and brand loyalty.”
“Really?” she said, her eyes brightening.
“I made your brother drive my rental car down to the City that night so I could research your studio,” I shared, intentionally omitting that I’d given him the silent treatment while scanning the website for the missing name and photo of the self-defense teacher.
“Do you know what the reviews said?” I asked, and she bit her lip nervously. “Almost all five stars, with two recurring complaints. One: You have to arrive early because classes sell out. Two: On-street parking is a nightmare.”
She winced, shoulders drawing up. My hand flinched, wanting to comfort her, but instead I ran my fingertips along the hem of my skirt.
“Before I decided to buy this building—before I even saw the third-floor offices—I imagined your studio here. I could picture the polished hardwoods, the soft lighting, the warm reception desk, the airy studios …”
“A sanctuary,” she murmured. Her word choice made my breath catch in my throat, fumbling for a reply and coming up empty.
Kate broke the silence. “You remember the current studio’s Grand Opening?”
Mallory smirked. “I taught four straight classes, each with 108 sun salutations.”
“You could barely lift your arms,” Kate laughed, her socks making almost no noise crossing the wood floor.
“You manned the front desk all day,” Mallory said.
Kate shrugged. “Better than waiting tables.”
“Didn’t pay as well,” Mallory said, leaning into her friend’s shoulder.
“We drank so much champagne—”
“I was so dehydrated, I accidentally got wasted,” Mallory grinned.
“Shitfaced,” Kate confirmed. “You made me promise that we’d figure it out together because you couldn’t go back to another shitty job with a sleazy boss who hit on you.”
Mallory burst into laughter. “True. I’m completely unemployable.”
“You didn’t have Grace then, babe. Neither of us knew what we were doing, yet you convinced me to open the gallery. We both made a million mistakes and worked way more hours than we should have.”
“Better than waiting tables,” Mallory repeated.
“And didn’t pay as well,” Kate replied, before reaching for Mallory’s hand.
“We were terrified but we figured it out, because we’re scrappy bitches.
It got easier when you hired Grace, but it was still your studio.
Even without Grace, you still have me. And now?
” Kate surprised me by pointing a finger at me.
“Now, you’ve got her. The scrappiest bitch of them all. ”
Mallory’s hopeful face cautiously turned to me.
I hadn’t wanted to get this involved with her business. I’d intended to placate Alexander’s need to be close to his family. I’d wanted a tenant who would pay her rent on time so that when I walked away, this building wouldn’t become a financial liability.
But in the past hour, something inside me had shifted. I could blame it on the tequila, but that wasn’t it, not entirely. Mallory had rallied to my side instead of backing up her brother. I’d never expected that.
Then again, my only relevant experience was Beverly always validating Spencer’s behavior, no matter how foul.
Mallory’s lighthearted approach to life sometimes came off as flaky, but she was kind, fierce, and loyal.
I recognized her latent ambition, just like I’d seen in her brother ten years ago.
Maybe his had gone dormant, but seeing his sister’s success—or her exceeding his low expectations, growing beyond his reach—might wake him up.
Resolved, I held out my hand. “This isn’t a favor, Mallory, it’s a business transaction. I wouldn’t offer you space in my building if I didn’t believe you deserved it.”
She cursed under her breath and looked to Kate for a reassuring nod. Her small hand slid into mine and pumped firmly, triggering an electric current up my arm. “Ok, where do I sign?”
“I’ll have the paperwork ready tomorrow,” Connor said, walking up beside me and nudging my shoulder with the foil of the unopened champagne bottle. Because he’s the best goddamn assistant I could ask for, and worth every penny of his increased salary and relocation stipend.
“Now somebody’s definitely going to have to drive me home,” Mallory laughed as I smoothly popped the cork and Connor caught the overflow in a cheap champagne flute.
“To new beginnings,” I said, holding up the glass in a toast.
Mallory downed hers and held it out for a refill. “Never would have expected when you barged into the studio right before Christmas that it would turn into this. God, I was so pissed later when Kate told me I missed you.”
I hid my surprise that she remembered me at all—let alone that she was disappointed to not see me.
“You were there?” I asked Kate. I’d only come to collect Alexander, I hadn’t paid attention to the two dozen students. “You recognized me?”
“From that graduation photo in the Clarkes’ house,” Kate said with a playful smirk, taking the flute from Connor. "Also when we were seventeen Mallory was obsessed with you."
“Not obsessed. Impressed she could shut Alex up with a glare. Wish I could have seen it in December …”
“I wish I’d seen you, too,” I said, surprising myself by realizing that it was true. “You could have grabbed his other ear to set him straight.”
She released a melodious laugh. “I got the next best thing, though. Kate reenacted it for me.” Mallory said, nudging her friend. “Come on, Kate, show her.”
Kate nervously spun her engagement ring. “Nah, she doesn’t want to see—”
“Show her, show her!” Mallory said, plunking herself cross-legged in the center of the floor, dust bunnies fluttering beside her.
I covered my face, not wanting to see a dramatic reenactment of my frustration. “That’s ok, you don’t need—”
“Come on, please?” Connor sat with legs outstretched beside Mallory, tugging on my hand to join him. “I missed all of this, catch me up.”
Kate muttered a curse, holding out her hands in apology. “Let me state for the record that she’s making me do this. You know she won’t quit nagging, so it’s better to shut her up.”
“So noted,” I said, kneeling beside Connor on the cold wood floor, dreading the dust mites clinging to my skirt.
The dusk light shone a makeshift spotlight on Kate. She nervously looked down at her feet, exhaled a long breath, rolled her shoulders, then lifted her head. All the nerves were gone, her expression calm and focused.