Page 11 of Christmas Candy

“If you need to modify the plank to a cobra, feel free.” The corner of her lips quirk up, and I know she’s speaking directly to me.

I remain still, my back straight, as the students around me sink to the mat one-by-one, giving up and resting their hips on the floor. The music fades out, the track over, and the room fills with the sounds of struggling breaths of people trying to maintain the plank and failing. Another minute passes and only Olive and I are left. The muscles in my ass and shoulders begin to burn, but I don’t drop. I won’t. Not until she does.

After another few minutes, she says, “If you’ve completed your plank or cobra, rest peacefully in child’s pose.”

I don’t miss the shake in her voice or the tremble in her arms. She’s going to break soon. I grin up at her, and she responds by pressing her lips into a thin line.All day, baby. All day.

Time ticks by, and some of the students begin rolling their mats and getting to their feet.

“This is hot. Like watching a game of sexy chicken.” Candace takes a loud swig from her water bottle.

Olive’s eyes narrow as the shake in her arms intensifies. I have her. With a hard exhale, she drops her knees to the mat.Yes!I relax downward and stifle a groan as my knees hit the mat.

Olive rises onto her knees, folds her hands together and says “Namaste,” although half the class has already left. She wipes her face with a hand towel and gives me a glare that could melt a glacier.

Anger is better than nothing, I figure. I scoot off my mat and roll it up as Mrs. Reed walks over.

“First yoga class?” She eyes me as I stand and mop the sheen of sweat off my chest.

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Does a body good.” She gawks at my bare torso, and it leaves me feeling a bit more naked than I’d intended.

“Thanks.”

“Will I see you at the shop in a few minutes?”

“No, my nephew Trey is minding the store for me at the moment. I need to finish up my class payment information with Olive.”

She pouts, the wrinkles around her lips deepening. “Too bad. Maybe next time. The grands are going to love all your sweets.”

I look over her head at Olive, who stands with her hands on her hips as she angrily whispers to Candace. “I hope so, and thanks for shopping with me.”

“Verywelcome. See you around.”

“Have a great Christmas.” I sidestep her and walk up to the platform where Olive falls silent, her heart-shaped face drawn down in disapproval.

Candace smiles brightly. “How’d you like your first class?”

“It was … more intense than I thought it would be.”

“You can say that again.” Candace scans the empty room. “Well, I better be going. Still have to do the shopping for next week.”

“You don’t do the shopping until Saturday.” Olive crosses her arms over her chest, pushing up her breasts even further. Sports bras usually do nothing for a nice pair of tits, but Olive’s defy even the laws of spandex.

“Well, I um, I’m changing up the routine.” Candace hops down and grabs her bag. “See you in the morning.”

Candace is growing on me by the second. I appreciate any woman who avoids cockblockery.

“Fine.” Olive huffs and turns her back to start fiddling with the music deck.

“Good luck,” Candace whispers and leaves the two of us alone in the studio.

Olive

He took his shirtoff. Off. All the way off. Broad chest, a dark trail of hair down the center, smooth stomach except for the hint of abs, and the V. I thought I was going to collapse onto the mat when he gave me a cocky grin and went down to plank.

And now he’s standing right behind me, the air thick with the tension he created.

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