Page 54 of The Love Position

Jessica didn’t stop.

Turning towards the dining area, Sophia walked quickly, trying to bring the blood flowing back to her stiff legs. She was desperate for sleep. Could she take a nap between dinner and Satsang?

Up ahead was the main door to the kitchen. Her heart skipped a beat as Isaac exited, holding a lemon. With a broad smile on his face, he was saying goodbye to someone inside.

Sophia dithered. He hadn’t noticed her yet. What should she do?

Going to the water station opposite the door, she turned her back and started filling Jessica’s bottle.

Isaac laughed, and her tummy sparkled.

When both her and Jessica’s bottles had been refilled, she took a fortifying breath and turned around.

Isaac had gone.

Sophia’s throat squeezed painfully. There was no way he hadn’t noticed she was there, but he’d chosen to ignore her.

Like Marcus, maybe Isaac just wasn’t the person she thought he was.

Two hours later, Sophia laid out the yoga mat Estelle had bought for her at the back of the asana hall as Mohan did a complicated sun salutation. Her head, along with the first eight pages of her notebook, were filled with information from the lecture they’d just had, and now she was facing a long yoga class before dinner.

She wasn’t sure if Mohan was warming up or showing off. His gaze was focused on the far wall, but Sophia was sure he was aware of the admiring glances flying his way from the majority of people in the room.

Lying back on her mat, her fingers rubbing the surface for reassurance, Sophia closed her eyes and listened to the murmur of voices and the birds in the trees. The sounds morphed in and out of each other as they retreated, getting quieter and quieter.

‘Hey! Wake up!’ Jessica hissed.

Sophia’s eyes snapped open.

‘Mohan’s been dismissed. He’s not teaching the class anymore.’

Huh? Rolling sleepily to her side, Sophia pushed up to sit, her head turning to the front of the class… where Isaac was now sitting.

‘Close your mouth, you look like a guppy!’

‘What happened?’ she whispered to Jessica.

‘He showed up a couple of minutes ago and spoke to Mohan, who then grabbed his mat and left.’

‘Oh.’

‘So it’s our lucky day. We get the hottest dude in the ashram. Khloe-Narcisse and Paisley have already pushed their way to the front, and check out what they’ve done with their uniforms!’

Sophia glanced at the two women. They’d pulled the bottom of their t-shirts up, twisting the fabric, then knotting it under their breasts, leaving the entirety of their midriffs bare. They’d also tugged their trousers so low, their hip bones were showing.

Xander and Blake were busy rolling the sleeves of their t-shirts to their shoulders to better show off their upper arms.

‘Seriously?’

Jessica sniggered. ‘This is too funny. Should we tell them it’s never going to work?’

‘No, don’t say anything. I don’t know if he wants anyone else to know about his celibacy.’

‘Fair enough. And anyway, watching them peacock is hilarious.’

‘Okay, everyone,’ Isaac said, ‘let’s get started. My name is Hanuman, and I’m going to be your main asana teacher for this TTC.’

Anisha and Mohan entered the back of the hall carrying bags filled with foam blocks.

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