Page 10 of Puck Sweat Love

In this practice.

In knowing I’m doing exactly what the universe put me here to do.

When I’m in the teaching flow, the doubts that haunt me in other parts of my life fade away, leaving me in a place of peaceful gratitude.

After I’ve brought the class into a final seated pose and we’ve closed our practice with three loud, proud chants of “om,” I remind everyone about the headstand workshop coming up next month and wish them an amazing rest of their Friday. As the other students roll up their mats and filter out with quiet thank-yous, Tank lingers, staring down at his borrowed mat like he isn’t sure what to do with it.

“You can just leave it on the floor, and I’ll clean it before I hang it back up,” I say, smiling as I cross the room. “How are you feeling?”

“Like I’ve been run over by a truck,” he says, but the corner of his mouth twitches upward. “But also calm and…cleaner. On the inside. If that makes sense.”

“It totally does, and that’s fabulous,” I say, unable to contain my enthusiasm. “And it only gets better, the more you practice, I promise. I was already seeing a huge change in your shoulder mobility between the beginning of class and the end.”

He nods, a frown wrinkling his forehead as he rolls his left arm in a circle. “Yeah, it feels better. Better than it has in a while, actually.” His frown deepens as he emits another of his signature grunts.

I cock my head. “And that makes you angry because…”

His lips twitch. “Because now I have no excuse to bail on more of the breathing and stretching. I guess you’d better sign me up for a class pack or whatever that sign on the door said.”

I pump a fist, beaming as I say, “Yes! Another yoga convert. A reluctant one, but I’ll take it.”

He laughs—just a faint huff of amusement, but I can already tell that’s a big deal from Tank—and shrugs. “Sure. I guess Iama convert. Sorry for coming in with my mind made up. My stubbornness is a strength, but it’s also a weakness.”

“No worries,” I say, softening toward him. “That’s true of most strengths, honestly. But yoga helps with that, too. The more you learn to be present in any given moment, the more you’re able to access exactly the amount of effort you need. No more, no less.”

His grunt is dubious this time.

I laugh and give his arm a friendly squeeze. “Got it. I’ll reign in the esoteric stuff for now. I just can’t help myself sometimes. I’m such a yoga nerd.”

“It’s okay,” he says, a gentleness in his gruff voice I haven’t heard before. “I like nerds. Of all kinds. Nerds are important.”

Softening toward him again, I bring my hands to meet at my chest in a gesture of gratitude. “Thank you.” Our gazes catch and hold, and for a second I have impure thoughts about this man with the soulful eyes.

Thoughts I banish as quickly as they arrive.

He is a student.

A student!And I am a professional.

Composing myself, I motion for him to follow me into the lobby. “Come on. Let’s get you set up with a class pack before my five thirty folks start to arrive.”

From his bed in the corner, Mr. Sniffles lets out a plaintive whine and oozes off his cushion onto the floor. Tank glances his way, that ghost of a smile appearing once more.

“Dog yoga?” he asks as Mr. Sniffles stretches into full sploot with a whimper.

I sigh. “No, just garden variety begging, I’m afraid. Hattie used to give him a treat after every class, but I had to ask her to stop. Mr. Sniffles is already a big boy.”

“Big boned, you mean,” Tank counters, crouching to extend a hand toward my pitiful pup. “Isn’t that right, buddy?”

Mr. Sniffles scoots eagerly across the floor on his belly, snuffling in excitement. When his head collides with Tank’s hand, he lets out a happy grunt and rolls over to offer his belly.

“He sounds like you,” I tease. “With the grunts.”

Tank shoots me another dark look, this time with an edge of playfulness—and heat—that makes my stomach flutter. “I resemble that remark.”

I bite my lip. Shit.

Looks like Mr. Tall, Cranky, and Grunty has a sense of humor, after all. Which means resisting the awareness simmering between us just got at least five times harder.

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