Page 42 of The Wedding Pact
Because for the first time in a while, she didn’t feel like an imposter, but she felt like a real actress today; she’d had a call she’d been waiting for.
A couple of months ago she’d auditioned for a role at the Roman Baths, playing a Roman woman in full costume, staying in character and chatting to visitors. And she’d finally had news to say she’d been accepted. It was only a couple of times a month, but it felt amazing to be a part of something like this.
It was the house, she couldfeel it. It was already bringing her good luck and fortune and the promise of academy awards.
Yes, yoga was very fitting to her new lifestyle. And there was a studio no more than a five-minute walk away that she was trying out for the first time today.
The studio was situated within a small spa, and August was ushered through by the whispering receptionist to a room with amber-coloured wooden walls, candlelight and a water feature trickling in the corner, complementing the music that hummed softly.
‘Find a space anywhere, lie down andrelax,’ the receptionist purred, barely audible. ‘Your teacher will be in shortly.’
August lay her mat down next to a woman who was flat on her back, under a blanket and an eye mask, snoring softly. Unsure quite what to do with herself, August tried lying down and closing her eyes, but kept peeping to check she wasn’t the only one who hadn’t shape-shifted into warrior pose.
This waslovely, she thought, settling in. What a find. August could see herself coming here every other morning to start the day, before heading to auditions and eventually a recurring role in a revered play. The reviews would say how the leading lady displayed such poise and clear skin and she would say in interviews that she owed it all to yoga.
There was a snort beside her, followed by a cry of, ‘Oh, hello!’
August turned her head to the side, where the woman beside her had lifted her eye mask and propped herself up on her elbow. Her heart sank. ‘Callie. Hi.’
‘I didn’t know you were a yogi too!’ Callie said, her voice seeming very loud against the serene quiet.
‘I’m not really,’ August confessed. ‘This is my first time; I’m just testing it out.’
‘You’re going to bloody love it,’ continued Callie, nudging the person on the other side of her until she too opened her eyes and looked up. ‘Pam, this is my new neighbour August, the one I told you about with the delicious husband.’
Pam waved and closed her eyes again, thankfully. August really didn’t want to bring her ‘husband’ into this place.
Was she going to have to find a new yoga studio now? she wondered. It wasn’t that she had anything against Callie, not at all, but this had felt like part of her new beginning, a sanctuary where she could be herself and centre herself, not a place outside her home to have to keep performing.
At that moment the teacher walked in, who said in the most soothing of voices, like cream blended with honey, ‘Good morning, friends. Time to let everything go and allow yourself to truly be you.’
August let herself do exactly that, and for the next hour, through slow stretches and mindful challenges, she found herself sinking into a feeling of contentment. It was the same feeling she had that first night in her new home.Hello, me, she said to herself.
As the hour drew to a close, the yoga teacher told them to pull their blankets over themselves for fifteen minutes of quiet rest. August allowed her mind to drift, her thoughts exploring the steps she could take and the doors she could open next. Perhaps it was time to find a local amateur dramatics group again. Perhaps it was time to put herself out there again for voice work and turn those ideas of converting the living room closet into a mini sound studio into reality. Perhaps it was time to—
Beside her she heard, so faintly, the sound of a wobbly intake of breath. August opened her eyes and turned her head towards Callie, whose eyelids were firmly closed, though a single tear was escaping down the side of her face towards her ear.
What should she do? Ignore her? Say something? Instead August reached her fingertips out and lay a hand over Callie’s, who jumped a little at the human contact before turning her palm upwards and squeezing August’s.
‘Sorry about the sniffles,’ Callie whispered to August as they rolled up their mats a few minutes later. ‘I’m getting better but there’s something about that time at the end when we’re all quiet, and all my thoughts and feelings come barging in.’
‘Don’t apologise,’ August replied. ‘I’m all for a dramatic scene. Are you okay?’
‘Yes, yes, I’m fine,’ Callie waved her away. ‘It’s a release in a way, and I’m glad to do it here rather than at home in front of Mum. I guess I’m just not quite over my divorce yet. But I’ll get there.’ She smiled, and they left the studio together.
August squinted at the bright light and observed Callie for a moment while she got herself tangled up in the straps of her yoga mat bag. It didn’t take a genius to see that Callie was lonely.
‘What did you think?’ Callie sorted herself, her voice hopeful.
‘Really lovely,’ August answered, truthfully, and the two women started to walk back up the hill. It would be a shame to find somewhere new …
Callie exhaled, sounding genuinely relieved. ‘I’m so chuffed you liked it. I don’t mean to sound all needy-new-friend, especially after you already had to deal with my waterworks today, but it’s really nice to have somebody to talk to besides Mum around, you know? Nothing against Mum, she’s great, but you and I, well, I don’t know, I’m just glad you moved in, that’s all.’ Callie blushed, and then laughed. ‘Sorry, you must think I’m intensely pathetic!’
‘Of course I don’t!’ August cried. Actually, it was rather nice to hear about people who had good relationships with their mums – she and her own mother always seemed wary of each other, always at arm’s length. ‘I’m glad we’ve moved in too. And the yoga was lovely, I’ll definitely go again.’
True to her word … at least, some of her words, August became a regular at the yoga studio near her new home, lying beside Callie and having pleasant chats to and from practice. August had to get a little creative whenever the conversation steered to her and Flynn’s relationship, which it often did, but at least during yoga she could switch off from any distractions and allow her mind to run free.
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