Chapter 9
CHAPTER NINE
“Why are we doing this again?” Webby asks as we pull up in front of All Bodies Studio.
“I thought it would help with my agility, plus Doc said stretching would help with our game.”
“I think he meant pregame stretches, not… whatever this is.” His eyes bounce between me and the hot pink studio warily. “How did you even hear about this place?”
“Sutton works here,” I mumble.
“Sutton Brady? As in, our athletic trainer? The one you don’t have feelings for?”
“I don’t,” I grit out. “And if I wanted to be teased, I would have invited Kendall.”
“Z, man, you have to admit this is suspicious.”
“Can’t I just want to support my friend? Besides,” I give him a sly look, hoping this part piques his interest. “Think about all the ladies in there. If we’re the only two guys in the whole class we’ll have all eyes on us. We could take anyone home.”
Webby huffs out a sharp breath, chuckling to himself.
“That might have worked on Kendall, but I’m not interested in random hookups.
I already went through that phase of my life, and I don’t plan on going back.
Besides, it’s not like I can take someone home with Isla there.
” He physically cringes and I can’t help but laugh. “That would be weird.”
“Valid point, and I feel you on the random hookups. I don’t know how Kendall does it.” I glance at the clock, the minutes ticking closer to when class starts. “If you really don’t want to go in, I’ll take us back. This is probably a dumb idea anyway.”
Sutton would probably see me and think I was some kind of stalker or something. She didn’t invite me, and she didn’t even mention the name of the studio.
After a beat of intense silence with my teammate staring at me with an expression I can’t read, he finally sighs. “Let’s go in. Who knows, maybe this is the thing that will help our team win and we can make a habit of it.”
There’s no chance of hiding the excited smile on my face, but I tell myself to calm down when I get out of the car. I can’t be rushing into her class like an overexcited puppy.
I have to be cool.
Calm.
Collected.
We’re directed down a hallway painted to look like a sunset until we find the only open door. I don’t know why I’m so nervous. I’ve done yoga once or twice, but it’s not my preferred workout. This is a beginner’s class, anyway, so it should be easy enough.
Fuck. I hope I don’t embarrass myself.
Sutton is sitting on a dark green yoga mat trying to connect her phone to the speaker next to her.
She’s in an oversized gray sweatshirt, her blonde hair in her usual high-ponytail.
There are probably fifteen other people in the room, all on various colored yoga mats.
Webby and I each grab one from the pile and take spots in the very back of the room, sitting down like everyone else.
We’re the only men here, just as I suspected.
A few heads turn our way, some with interest, some in confusion. Whispers fill the quiet of the room, but Sutton finally connects her phone to the speaker and calming instrumental music quiets the noise.
She still hasn’t noticed us as she stands, shucking off her sweatshirt and my mouth goes dry.
The green sports bra and shorts she’s wearing match her yoga mat, and hug every dip and curve on her body.
I try my best not to stare at the way her hips flare wide, and the shorts strain against the thickness of her deliciously dimpled thighs.
I tell myself not to let my eyes linger on the pale silver and pink stretch marks across her belly, and up her sides, that remind me of a tiger’s stripes.
I fail.
I fail miserably.
Webby smacks my arm to get my attention. “Dude, pick your jaw up before you drool all over the floor.”
I try to discreetly wipe my mouth, worried there might actually be drool on it, and my teammate laughs when he catches me.
Dick.
There’s no drool, of course, but there could have been, because I have the sudden urge to bite the supple skin of Sutton’s belly, and mark the creamy expanse. The little hangover I can see underneath her skintight shorts has my mouth watering, and a burst of arousal shooting down my spine.
Fuck, I can not get a hard-on in her yoga class.
“Welcome, everyone,” Suttons says cheerfully as she glances around the room with a smile. A smile that falters slightly, sliding into confusion, when her gaze lands on me and Webby.
I wave at her enthusiastically like an idiot, and the man next to me mumbles something about me embarrassing myself.
“If you’re joining us for the first time, I’m Sutton.
This is a beginner’s class, so if you’re worried about looking silly—don’t.
This is supposed to be fun and relaxing, so I want you to push your worries out the door for the next hour.
” The way she carries herself here is a stark contrast to the quiet, collected way she does at work.
She seems so much more confident. “We’ll start in corpse pose.
Everyone lay on your backs, palms to the floor and close your eyes.
Focus on deep breathing. In for four, hold for four, out for four. Set an intention for this session.”
I will not embarrass myself in front of Sutton.
“For my intention today, on my inhale, I’ll think ‘I am strong’ and on the exhale, ‘I can let go.’ Yours can be whatever you need right now. Strength, peace, gratitude. The options are endless.”
Following her lead, we all lay on the floor and close our eyes. My mind races with more questions for her. What is she letting go? What does she need to be strong for? Wanting to take this seriously, and show her support, I take deep breaths.
I am strong. I am focused.
I am strong. I am focused.
My body starts to relax the more breaths I take, and a wash of calm flows over me as Sutton speaks gently to the room. Her voice is soothing, flowing over me like warm honey.
Maybe yoga is something I need to work into my daily routine.
Okay, so yoga once a week.
Actually, scratch that. Once a month.
Goddamn this is hard.
Sutton said this was a beginner’s class, but I’m drenched in sweat and feel like I’ve just done a full conditioning workout.
My body is not meant to bend in certain directions.
Sutton had to come fix my form multiple times, and though I was embarrassed at first, it was never because she made me feel bad.
Her words of encouragement and gentle correction were just as sweet as she is, and I will admit it boosted my confidence.
Webby, apparently, is a natural at yoga. He didn’t need any corrections and was able to flow into each new pose with ease. He’s barely even breaking a sweat.
I’m glad I brought him instead of Kendall.
Kendall would have purposely had bad form so Sutton would touch him, and even the thought of that makes me want to punch him in the face.
I’m in complete awe at the way Sutton’s body can move. She’s effortlessly graceful and flexible, and I know it’s come from years of honing her craft, but she’s got a natural talent in her.
She’s also a natural teacher. She made sure to show how to modify poses to accommodate larger bodies or mobility issues, and helped the people who needed a bit more support with balancing or flow.
I can see why she has so many students: Sutton’s warmth and light are magnetic.
Teaching here, she looks more free and relaxed than I’ve seen her at work.
At the end of class, a woman in the front row asks Sutton to show them a more advanced pose, something they can work up to. Sutton smiles shyly, like she’s nervous to show off her skills.
“Eventually, if your body is capable, you’ll be able to do something like Standing Compass Pose. This took years of practice, and I only mastered it six months ago, but now it’s one of my favorites.”
The entire room holds their breath as she balances her weight on her left foot and lifts her right foot with her left hand.
She supports her right knee with her right hand as her right shin becomes parallel to the ground.
In a slow, agile move, she uses her left hand to straighten her right leg and extends her right arm to the side, essentially doing the splits while standing.
Holy fucking shit.
She holds the pose for about ten seconds before gently lowering her lifted leg to the ground. The people in the room sing her praises—as they should—and the flush on her face, from the exertion, deepens from the attention.
“Thank you all for coming today, I hope to see you again next week. If you’ll leave your mats on the floor, I’ll sanitize them before I put them away,” She instructs before turning to grab a drink from her water bottle.
Conversation picks up as the group files out of the room. Two women who kept sending me and Webby flirty looks throughout the class approach us, and the one with a dark brown bob held back by a thick pink headband speaks first.
“Hi, I’m Carrie, this is Jane,” she motions to her friend with long black hair pulled into two braids. “We were wondering… are you two athletes?”
“We are,” I confirm. “We play for the Knights.”
Their faces scrunch in confusion. “Is that a football team, or…”
“Rugby,” Webby mumbles, barely sparing them a second glance.
“Oh! I should have known from looking at your thighs. Rugby players have the thickest thighs,” Carrie gushes, eyes roaming down my body.
A queasy feeling amplifies in my gut the longer she stares at me. I don’t want to be rude and tell her I’m not interested, because she hasn’t made a move other than being flirty, but…
For probably the first time in my life, I don’t want to be flirted with. Not by her. Not by her friend.
Webby glances at me, his face starting to turn red before he clears his throat, “Sorry to cut this short, but we need to go. Long day of training tomorrow.”
Their faces fall. “Of course. Well, what if I give you my—”
“Hey guys, I need to sanitize the mats so I’m going to have to ask you to head out,” Sutton interrupts gently.
“Sorry, Sutton. We’ll see you next week. Hopefully, you two, as well?” Jane gives us a tense smile before dragging Carrie out by her wrist. Her friend is clearly upset if the scowl on her face is any indication.
“See you next week!” Sutton calls after them before turning to me with a wince. “I’m so sorry. Did I just cock block you guys?”
A laugh bursts out of me. “Oh God, no, not at all. You saved us from having to reject them.”
“Oh, well. That’s… good then. Hi, Silas. Good to see you.”
“Hey, Sutton, you too. It was a fun class. You’re a really good teacher.”
“Thank you,” she clears her throat. “I really do need to sanitize the mats so I can get home, though.”
“Do you want some help?” I offer.
“I need to get back, Z. Isla and I have a call with our parents.”
Without a second thought, I toss Webby my car keys. “I’ll come grab them when I get back.”
“How are you planning to get home if I have your car, genius?”
I glance at Sutton, realizing I should probably ask and not just assume she’d be okay with me riding back with her. “Hey, Sutton. Mind giving a guy a ride home?”
“Not at all, but you really don’t have to stay and help me,” she hedges.
I make sure to hold her hazel eyes when I say, “I want to.”
“Okay, yeah. I can give you a ride home.”
Webby glances between us, and I can already tell when I get my car keys back from him, he’ll be on me about my feelings for Sutton.
“I guess I’ll see you later, then. Bye, Sutton.”
“Bye, Silas.”
My heart does a weird little kick at the amused expression on Sutton’s face when she looks at me.
“Well?” I say. “Show me how to sanitize these mats.”