Chapter 5 #2
“Oh… uh… I wasn’t planning…”
Austin’s eyes grow bigger, as though the thought of me missing his brother’s party is unimaginable. But Casey chuckles. “I don’t think parties are Sage’s thing,” he says. “She gets a little grumpy at them.”
Remembering his insults that night, I pierce a piece of roast with my fork and smile. “You know nothing about me.”
Austin, sensing the tension between us, passes Casey the wine. “Sage is actually a lot of fun.”
“Mmm. Is she?”
“Yeah. Even her yoga classes are fun, and I hate yoga.”
“You do yoga?” Casey asks Austin and doesn’t hide the mocking tone in his voice. “Have they closed down the gym?”
“No. Not at all,” says Austin. “I just like to get a good stretch every once in a while.”
“Yoga can be a very vigorous workout,” I say, bringing another forkful of roast beef to my mouth and then biting it off slowly.
Casey stares at my mouth and I narrow my eyes. “You should give it a try sometime. If you think you can handle it.”
“Oh. I can handle it.”
“Perfect. Ten o’clock tomorrow morning at the community center.” I smile and then lick my lips.
Casey takes a sip of his wine and holds my gaze.
“Is that what happens in Vegas?” asks Anthony, looking between us. “Yoga?”
Austin covers a laugh with his hand, and Jane shakes her head. “I said eat your peas, Anthony.”
*
After lighting the soy candles by the community center windows, I open an app on my phone and soft music plays through the overhead speakers. I inhale deeply and exhale slowly as I prepare for my gentle hatha yoga class.
I’m not sure about the new playlist. I’m worried the soft trickle of the river may induce the urge to pee. But when Mrs. Green walks in, I forget about the music and smile. “Good morning, Mrs. Green. How are you today?”
“Great, dear.”
“Is that a new headband you’re wearing? I like how it matches your purple sweatshirt and tights.”
She pats the satin accessory and grins. “Oh, yes. I got it at Mrs. Elleroy’s shop. A new shipment came in last week and I just couldn’t help myself.”
“Well, it looks fabulous on you.”
She primps her hair, and I grab one of the foam blocks and place it in front of her. “Just in case you need it for some of the poses today.”
“You’re so sweet. Always thinking of me.”
Just then, Mrs. Gibbons walks in. She covers her mouth and looks behind her before blurting out. “Oh my goodness, did you know he was coming?”
I blink, looking behind her, but the hallway is empty. “Who's coming?”
She looks back again. “You know… him.”
When neither Mrs. Green nor I respond and we both have blank looks on our faces, she throws her hands up and shouts, “Casey Tucker!”
“Oh,” I say, annoyed.
“Oh, my!” Mrs. Green says, covering her mouth now. “Are you sure? I’m not dressed for it. I was hoping to wear my new blouse the first time I saw him, not this old sweatshirt.”
“You look lovely, Mrs. Green,” I say, and then to Mrs. Gibbons, I ask, “Are you sure it was Casey?”
She nods. “I just saw him and Austin in the parking lot, and he said he’ll see me at yoga class.
” She unzips her velour jacket and fans her armpits.
“Sweet Jesus, I’m already sweating, and I haven’t moved a muscle yet.
Sage, darling, go easy on us today. I cannot perspire in front of that man.
” She whispers the last part, and I look at Mrs. Green to help me knock some sense into her, but she is applying lipstick with a compact mirror.
“Lyle said the mayor’s going to give him a key to the city,” continues Mrs. Gibbons. “Or they may increase taxes to build a statue in his honor.”
“He hasn’t saved any lives as far as I know,” I say under my breath, but Mrs. Gibbons hears.
“He is the most famous resident to ever come out of Cedar Brook Falls, and I dare say ever will.”
“I understand, but it’s not like he rescued someone from a burning shed. Mr. Robinson did that and he didn’t even get a medal.”
“He rescued his wife and then she left him for the farrier,” says Mrs. Gibbons.
“Should have left her in the barn.”
“Mrs. Green!” I say, but she just shrugs and presses her lips together.
The deep shade of red lipstick is a little jarring for yoga class, but I keep the comment to myself as two more women walk into the classroom, followed by a third and fourth shortly behind them.
Soon the small yoga space is nearly full and any anxiety about Casey joining us is gone, at least for me.
“Great, let’s get started,” I say when everyone is seated crossed legged on their mats.
“Please close your eyes and take a deep breath in. Inhaling deeply, feel the air fill your chest and then let it all out through your mouth.” The room is silent, except for the soft breaths around me.
I don’t see them walk in, but I sense the energy in the room shift. Opening one eye a sliver, I watch Casey and Austin set up their yoga mats. Austin’s wearing shorts with tights underneath, obviously having done yoga before, while Casey has baggy gray sweat shorts and a white T-shirt.
He's laying down a pink mat that I recognize to be Jane’s mat. “Let’s do two more breaths as we listen to our heart rate and try to tune out the noise around us.”
My eyes are fully open now and Casey looks up at me suspiciously. I often say this and mean the world outside but today I am confident that his noise is more distracting than the occasional car horn.
I give them a moment to settle in before moving onto the first exercise. “Slowly, and when you’re ready, we’re going to move into table pose.”
I move onto my hands and knees and look up at the mirror. Watching that everyone is with me, I lift my chin up into the air. “Good. Everyone take a deep breath here and prepare for the workout ahead.”
My gaze catches Casey’s chuckle and I narrow my eyes at him. He quickly fixes his face.
“Now let’s move our back into cat and cow pose and remember to breathe in when your back dips in cow and out when it arches in cat.”
Casey presses his lips together, smothering a laugh and I want to go over there and kick him. Instead, I ignore him and dip my back into cow pose, push my hips back, and exhale the tension in my shoulders. Casey’s eyes flicker to my body arched on all fours and the laugh dies on his lips.