Chapter 7
SEVEN
Leah cleared a space by the window in her bedroom.
She had a balcony with double doors and the most incredible view of the lake beyond.
It was the perfect morning yoga spot—a tranquil space where she could set the scene.
She laid two mats flat on the ground; the accommodation provided mats as well as sporting equipment in the converted garage gym.
The room filled with the scent of lavender and eucalyptus from the burning candle she’d purchased at the home décor shop a few days earlier.
She turned off the lights, opting to rely solely on the natural light filtering through the windows.
She hit play on her yoga playlist, and the room became filled with the gentle sound of a flute.
“You look surprised to see me,” Ariana said, rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand.
“Nope, not at all. I had every faith you’d join me,” Leah lied.
“Hmm, okay.”
They’d attended a yoga class together back when they were newly dating.
As Ariana attempted to contort her body into various poses, she struggled to find her balance.
A particularly challenging backbend had resulted in a sharp twinge and the need for ice.
She refused to participate again, which was why Leah was surprised to see her now.
“I told you last night I took up yoga a few years ago. Turns out I’m quite flexible,” Ariana wriggled her eyebrows.
“Oh, I thought you were joking.” Leah laughed quietly, conscious of not waking other members of the Harrison family.
“No, genuinely. I can now do the bow pose without breaking my back,” Ariana grinned.
“I’m impressed.”
Ariana tugged at the band around her waist; her fitted leggings were stretchy, perfect for yoga, and sculpted to her body shape.
She unzipped the matching jacket, revealing a black sports bra that hugged her breasts to the point of suffocation.
Her feet were bare, toes freshly painted a soft pastel blue.
She pulled a hair tie from her pocket and swept her thick curly hair from her face.
“Is this okay?” Ariana asked, noticing Leah’s stare.
“Uh-huh, you look comfortable.”
And your nipples are going to poke my eyes out—she didn’t need to say that part.
“Okay, where do you want me?” Ariana smiled.
Leah gulped.
When she’d asked Ariana to join her for morning yoga, she hadn’t thought it all the way through. The last time they’d been alone in a bedroom with exposed midriffs and sweaty bodies, they were doing a very different kind of exercise.
“You can take the mat on the right,” Leah instructed. “Are you okay if we start with a short meditation?”
Ariana nodded, adjusting her position on the mat so her legs were crossed, hands resting firmly on her knees, palms facing upward.
“You’ve done this before,” Leah observed.
“Living in New York requires a level of calm you don’t naturally get from the surroundings. I had to find a way to relax,” Ariana smiled.
“No pressure,” Leah muttered. She wasn’t used to having an audience. She often listened to the soothing voice of someone on YouTube, way more grounded in the present moment than she was. She could feel her heart pounding as she shuffled into a position that mirrored Ariana’s.
“Let’s take a moment to ground ourselves. Close your eyes and bring your awareness to your breath. Feel the air entering through your nose, and out through your mouth. Feel the rise and fall of your chest with each inhale and exhale.”
She opened her right eye to find Ariana staring at her. “I never noticed how soothing your voice is,” she complimented.
“Thanks.” Leah laughed and promptly returned to her breathing.
“Notice any thoughts or feelings. If your mind starts to wander, bring your attention back to your breath.”
She opened her right eye again, peeking to find Ariana still staring.
“You’re not concentrating!”
“Sorry.” Ariana turned her head back toward the window, eyes closed. Leah waited patiently before continuing.
Leah’s gentle guidance led them through the meditation, sinking deeper into a state of relaxation.
She rarely shared the meditative experience with someone else; it felt quite intimate.
But Ariana didn’t exactly fall into the ‘someone else’ box—at one point, she had been the most important person in Leah’s life.
With a final deep breath, Leah slowly opened her eyes.
“How was that?”
“You have the perfect audiobook voice. You should think about starting your own meditation YouTube channel.”
“I don’t think that’s my calling in life.”
“It could be. You could call your channel ‘Lie Down with Leah.’ It’s a lucrative business venture these days,” Ariana raised an eyebrow.
“‘Lie Down with Leah’ sounds pornographic,” Leah laughed.
“Hey, I won’t judge what you choose to do on your channel,” Ariana smirked.
“Shut up!” Leah playfully tapped Ariana’s knee. She uncrossed her legs and began stretching her calves, preparing for the poses she would soon contort into.
“Speaking of pornographic,” Ariana paused.
“Where are you going with this?” Leah eyed her suspiciously.
“I tried a sexual yoga class last year.”
“A what?” Leah paused her stretch to process the words.
“It’s like yoga, but the positions are more intimate. It’s a couples’ workshop type thing,” Ariana explained.
“Oh.” Leah felt instantly uncomfortable. She didn’t need to know about Ariana and Hannah’s sexual appetite.
“It was weird at first—kind of felt like one big orgy—but once you relax into it, you forget there’s an audience.”
“Do you like—” Leah couldn’t bring herself to say the words. “You know, do you . . .do stuff in front of people?”
“God, no. You don’t do anything sexual; you remain clothed,” Ariana laughed. “I think it’s more about exploring the connection with your partner and finding a deeper intimacy than just sex.”
“Oh, okay. So, like couples therapy, but yoga-based?”
“Sure, less talking, more bending,” Ariana smirked. “I could see you doing something like that.”
“You could see me teaching yoga orgies?” Leah laughed.
“You have the calming voice, as we just discovered, but you also have a relaxing presence. People feel comfortable around you, and with anything intimate, I think that’s the key,” Ariana explained.
“If running my dad’s company doesn’t work out, at least I have a backup plan,” Leah smiled. It was forced; just mentioning work ruined her aura. Douglas Green was sunning himself on a well-needed vacation, and Leah was trying to figure out how she would cope the day it became permanent.
“How’s that going?” Ariana asked.
“I don’t want to talk about work,” Leah’s eyes pleaded.
“Gotcha!”
Leah swivelled to her right, gesturing for Ariana to do the same. They sat facing each other, cross-legged, inhaling deeply, exhaling softly. They moved seamlessly through a series of yoga poses—from the seated twist to the boat pose and beyond.
When they reached tree pose, Leah reached for balance and, opting for the stability of Ariana’s presence, shifted to the partner tree pose alternative.
She wrapped her hand around Ariana’s waist, securing their bodies in position.
Her left arm rose above her head and met Ariana’s, palms flush.
Neither said a word. Leah wondered if Hannah would disapprove.
Doing yoga with a stranger at a class was one thing, but with your ex-girlfriend?
She tried to keep her focus on the present moment, but her mind drifted back, as it always did.
A part of Leah recognised the need for emotional healing—there was still some work to do.
Leah didn’t dare turn her head, fearing the closeness, but she felt Ariana’s head tilt slightly, a brief glance before snapping back to face forward.
They held the position until Leah’s leg began to shake.
“You’re really good,” Leah complimented. “So, what poses did you do at the sexual yoga classes?” Her voice was muffled as she bent into downward-facing dog.
“Exactly that,” Ariana laughed.
“The downward dog? I thought it would’ve been less obvious.” Leah felt her hamstrings, calves, and shoulders stretch as she deepened the inverted V shape of her body.
“There’s only so many comfortable positions our bodies will bend into,” Ariana shrugged.
“Here, you need to straighten your legs more.” She jumped up from her mat, placed her hands on either side of Leah’s pelvis, and pulled her body upward, guiding Leah into a more strenuous, but physically satisfying position.
“Can you feel it more here?” Ariana ran her finger down the back of Leah’s thigh, pressing at a point that made Leah jolt.
She felt extremely compromised—bent over in what some would deem a rather sexual position, Ariana standing behind her, observing.
Leah tried to control her breathing; it didn’t need to be weird.
Two former lovers could do yoga together without mixed signals or rehashed feelings, right?
She desperately tried to convince herself of that fact as she felt Ariana’s pubic bone press against her buttocks.
Oh, fuck.
“Just press your arms harder into the mat, and you should feel it in your shoulders here,” Ariana said, reaching over Leah’s back with enough pressure to make Leah’s insides swirl, but not enough to strain her position.
“Like this?” Leah asked.
“Yeah, perfect,” Ariana replied, her voice zen and slightly husky. Leah felt the warmth of her body recede.
“Sorry, this looks really inappropriate,” Ariana took a step back.
Leah stood upright, flustered but composed enough to make light of the situation. “Maybe you should be the yoga instructor. You seem to know more than I do.”
Leah wasn’t an expert but hadn’t expected Ariana to focus on every element of the pose.
“What do you suggest next?” Leah asked.
“How about the Happy Baby pose? It’s fairly easy.”
“Ouch.”
“I didn’t mean it like that,” Ariana shook her head.
“I’m only teasing you,” Leah smiled. “Right, how do you want me?” She cringed.