Page 54 of (Not So) Mad About You

Izzy cleared her throat. “Um, we are all sort of waiting for you. All except Charles, obviously.”

Bea nodded at her. “We’ll be right there. Please tell the rest of the class to get into child’s pose and start their breathing exercises.”

Izzy scuttled off.

“We’re not finished with this,” Bea said. “Don’t think that you’re going to escape this easily.”

“I can still tell your boss that you lost your temper with me,” said Alli.

“And I could tell him that you harassed me,” said Bea with a grin. “So I’d say we’re pretty even on that score.”

Alli regarded her for a moment and then grinned. “I’m starting to like you more.”

“Good,” said Bea. “Because I’ve got a feeling we’re going to be seeing a lot more of each other.”

Chapter Twenty Two

Alli watched Bea’s body move into another pose, saw the grace of her legs, the curve of her arms. It might be playing with fire. No, strike that, it definitely was playing with fire. But since when had that ever bothered her?

Okay, she shouldn’t have just pushed herself on Bea like that. But Bea had proven herself equally interested and now… Now there were more important things to explore. Like the fact that apparently, she could feel things.

She’d be lying if she said she wasn’t curious. She was, very much so. It was like suddenly discovering that she spoke a foreign language, or that she could play the piano or something. She wanted to know what this was, what she could do.

She leaned back against the wall and Bea showed the class another move and Alli could imagine what she’d be like in bed, all long muscles and firm grip. There was a hiccup of heat inside her.

“Alli,” Bea said. “Would you care to join us?”

“Alli never joins in,” Marcus said, hands pressed together solemnly under his chin. “She’s not a joiner.”

“Doesn’t play well with others,” teased Izzy.

“Oh, leave her alone,” Julia said. “She’ll come into herself, won’t you, dear?”

Was this what it was? Her coming into herself? Her suddenly realizing that the world wasn’t as harsh a place as she had first thought?

“Alli is just as much a member of the group as everyone else,” Bea said.

“Then why doesn’t she do yoga with the rest of us?” asked Marcus.

“It’s a fair point,” Izzy said. “I mean, we all want to graduate from the program. We can’t graduate if we don’t participate.”

Alli rolled her eyes. “You use the word graduate like it actually means something.”

“Dunno, you want to keep your job?” Marcus asked. “Because in group it sounded like you kind of did and if spending a few days doing yoga is what it takes, then I don’t think that’s a huge sacrifice.”

Alli treated him to another eye roll.

“It is fun, dear,” Julia said. “You could give it a try.”

“It’s calming,” added Izzy. Even silent Leslie nodded at that.

“And a requirement,” said Bea. “Why don’t we all get into our favorite positions and hold them for ten deep breaths, please.” She let the class move and then came over to the wall where Alli was standing.

“What now?” Alli asked.

“You don’t have a hold over me anymore, remember?” Bea said.

“Do I not?” Alli lifted one eyebrow and Bea gave a satisfactory blush.

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