Page 26 of Fake Coral and Keys

Fuck, Blake. Calm down.

I lock my elbows and focus. See? I can do yoga in a class full of women and not be a pervert. Thankfully, Heather walks away to help a woman at the front of the class, and I sigh.

We’ve already been here for an hour, and my arms are sore, my back feels strained, and this is not relaxing or calming. When Daisy said we were to meet her family at the resort rec center for a yoga class, I had figured we’d be doing some stretching and breathing. Maybe a few meditations while lying on purple mats on the floor because we are, after all, on vacation. Who wants to exercise while on vacation?

Insanely rich people, apparently.

I pull myself up from the mat and glance at Daisy to see what she’s doing so I can copy her. She’s standing on one leg, with the other bent to create a triangle. Her arms stretch above her head, and she’s looking straight ahead. Okay, this seems easy enough.

After we had gathered in the large warm room, I’d sat back and watched Daisy pose in her little yoga outfit designed by her sister. That Erin is camera happy and must have takena dozen pictures of Daisy in slightly different poses, showcasing her perfect little ass. Then they took pictures of Heather and posted the images on social sites, talking about hashtags and great exposure. I wasn’t really paying attention too much but caught that Heather would assist some well-known yoga instructor in this morning’s class.

The muscle in my thigh tightens slightly. I wish I’d have taken that dull Kane and dramatic Forest up on paddle-boarding instead. At least the insane heat would be from the sun and not the near hellish temperature of the room, and the sweat pouring off me would wash away in the cool water and not pool in my ass crack as I try to keep my balance in what I think is a tree pose.

“And release,” Heather tells us, and I nearly collapse to the mat, lying flat on my back.

Daisy laughs. “All those muscles must be heavy.”

I spread my arms out and roll my head to the side. She’s all smiles and hasn’t even broken a sweat. I huff out a laugh, too tired for a comeback.

“Are you ready for the sauna and massage?”

“Sauna?” I ask. “You mean we’re going to lock ourselves in a steamy wooden box so we can sweat somemore?”

Erin laughs somewhere to my left. “You mean you don’t want to sit in a steamy room with five half-naked women?”

“As appealing as that sounds, I’d rather not sweat anymore today.”

Daisy sits up and pats my arm. “You don’t have to go, but it’ll help.”

I look at the front of the classroom and see Heather talking with the instructor as they walk out the door. I guess the class is over and I missed it.

Pulling myself off the floor, I roll my shoulders and then grab Daisy. She grins as I tug her close, squishing her to my damp shirt. “I’d rather get back to the room and be fully naked with just you.”

Amber pulls Daisy away. “You guys really are gross.”

***

Never in my life have I seen one person take so many pictures. Erin had even brought the damn phone into the sauna and had everyone posing, yammering on about hashtag sauna-time having less than a million posts. Apparently, that means Erin will target some group of people that use saunas while on vacation. Ithink? Justine had sat out for most of the pictures today, preferring to explain the intricacies of marketing and target audiences from the sidelines.

Note to self: Find out if any of this stuff is actually important to Daisy.

“It’s the best way to find your audience,” Justine is saying now.

I nod absently, unable to tear my eyes off Daisy. After we left the sauna, we all showered, then sat in chairs while women in white shorts and button-down shirts rubbed our feet, talking about the party being held by the resort tomorrow night. Feeling like a wobbling noodle, Daisy and I returned to our room and promptly fell asleep. I woke her up a while later with little kisses that I trailed along her smooth body until I was sure she was awake, then slipped lower between her legs.

Now we sit with the family at the bar for after-dinner drinks and a dip in the pool. The fire of tiki torches placed every few feet around the parameter lights up the space enough that Erin has Lily, Amber, Justine, and Daisy modeling more bathing suits. Out of all the women, Daisy seems to glow brightest. The light gleams over her skin, making her irresistible. I noticed right away when I saw her again that she’d changed in the last few months, but I still can’t place exactly what it isabout her that’s different. She’s changed her hair slightly, which I already knew since I’d seen her selfie the day she posted it on her Instagram. Daisy seems more self-assured in her movements. In her entire body. I wonder if quitting her job and pursuing her dreams has given her the confidence she needs.

Everyone has noticed the transformation in her. Lily has latched on to her, and Daisy radiates happiness from being showered with her sister’s attention. I just hope when Lily’s attention fades, Daisy can keep her shine.

“Erin has taken the suggestions I’ve given her and grown her brand rapidly,” Justine says. “Lily could use the same techniques and benefit from them.”

“This hashtag niche?” I ask, proud that I’ve remembered at least some of what she’s said. I peel my eyes away from Daisy to look at Justine. “This is what you do, right? Marketing?”

Justine grins. “Yes. I handle the marketing for Wister Publishing.”

“The book publisher?” I ask.

She gives me a small smile like I’m an idiot. “Yes, the book publisher.”

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