Page 24 of Fake Dating Adrian Hunter
Once we’ve finished getting ready for the day, the two of us walk with a five-foot gap between us as we navigate through the resort and find our way to the beach for yoga. The session is held on the same beach where I embarrassed myself last night. The water is so crystal clear and motionless I can’t believe I almost drowned in it.
We’re right on time for the yoga class. There must be at least fifty people here, which seems like an excessive amount since there are only half that number of mats laid out.
Adrian and I come to the same realization an instant later, our bodies stiffening as we say in unison, “Oh, hell no.”
“Welcome to couples’ yoga.” The yoga instructor pops up in front of us with a toothy grin. She’s an older lady wearing a turquoise shawl and looks like she’s spent too much time enjoying the hot Australian sun. “My name is Kathy. Find yourselves a mat to share. We’re about to begin the session.”
My mouth opens and shuts. “We thought… We didn’t know…”
“Hey, you two lovebirds,” Mom calls to us from a mat she’s sharing with my father. “You’ll love this. Your dad and I did couples yoga a few years back, and it really spiced things up for us.”
I’m about to barf at that unwelcome visual of my parents.
Tory and Phoebe are here too, along with Isabelle and her date, and Jake and Jannah. I receive another death stare from Isabelle, but it’s Jake and Jannah I’m hung up on. The two of them don’t even see me. They’re so loved up sitting in each other’s laps and eating each other’s face off. I want to barf at that too.
A few mats over, I notice Stacy and her husband. He’s giving her a massage as they wait for the class to begin. It’s such an intimate moment between them that their goals of falling pregnant could happen any moment.
Why is everyone so sexual and gross in this class? It’s couples’ yoga, not couples’ Kama Sutra. If they think for one second that I’m doing some weird sex pose with Adrian, they’ve got something else coming for them.
I yelp when Adrian places a hand on my back, his hot palm prickling against my bare skin.
“Settle down,” he whispers, sliding his hand around my waist. “I’m not thrilled about this either, but Isabelle is watching us. Try to be a little less disgusted by the thought of being with me.”
I oblige and take a seat on a mat, distancing myself at the farthest edge from Adrian. He catches on to my waist and draws me into his lap.
“Be nice,” Adrian laughs softly into my ear.
Luck takes a swift turn in my direction because a moment later, Kathy commences the class by telling everyone to sit cross-legged and face our partners. I’m the first one to leave my partner’s arms.
“Oh, Verena’s keen,” Aunt Gloria says.
Gross.
Kathy’s voice adopts a mellow, cathartic tone. “We’ll begin the yoga practice with a few minutes of mindfulness.”
She asks us to close our eyes and leads us through a breathing exercise that’s meant to slow our heart rate and deepen our breath. It has the opposite effect on me. My pulse is skyrocketing with visuals of Adrian on top of me again, which could very well happen in this class. Kathy is telling us to enjoy being out in nature, but I’m pissed off at how hot the morning sun is in Australia, that Adrian got sand on our mat, and how he’s breathing louder than the ocean.
It seems like forever until Kathy instructs everyone to open their eyes and take awareness of our partner. Adrian and I look at each other, and he must realize how hot and bothered I am, because the tiniest smile creeps over his lips.
“Slowly, from head to toe, trail your gaze along your partner’s body, taking notice of every little detail about them,” Kathy says.
First, I pay attention to Adrian’s hair. It’s a dark, ruffled mess but is styled that way as if he knows how amazing it looks on him. Next, I study his tanned face. He hasn’t had a chance to shave today, and I’m rather fond of the unkept look on him. My gaze lowers to his lips that I’ve fantasized a million times about kissing and how they would taste. Would he be a gentle kisser, or would he kiss with urgency? Would he kiss with his whole body, wrapping me in his arms and worshipping me like a goddess? That’s how he kissed in high school whenever I caught him with a girl. He never went through that awkward adolescent stage of learning how to be good with the opposite sex. Women have always come naturally to him.
My thoughts are interrupted when Adrian’s mouth parts and his tongue slides out to lick his lips. My eyes dart to his, only to find his gaze fixed on my collarbone region. A realization crosses me that I’m not the only one doing the observing here. Adrian is studying me too. And suddenly, I’m wondering what’s going through his mind. Does he like my shoulders? Are my collarbones up to par? I’ve never considered that collarbones can be attractive, but now I’m self-conscious about mine and hope I have the sexiest collarbones in existence.
Another thought crosses my mind as I move to observing the muscles in his chest: right now, Adrian has full permission to stare at my breasts. I’m slightly mortified yet have always known I’ve got an impressive rack. But still, this is Adrian we’re talking about, staring at my breasts.
Kathy speaks before Adrian gets the chance to gaze any lower than my shoulders. “Now that we’re connected with our partner’s body, we’ll draw our attention back to their face. Eyes are the windows to the soul. They’ll tell you more than words ever can. Gaze into your partner’s eyes. Hold eye contact with them. We’ll maintain this for the next two minutes.”
I’m hoping a meteorite flies through the ozone layer and strikes me dead this very second. How am I meant to survive two minutes of unbroken eye contact with Adrian?
Heat spreads all throughout my body as I meet his brown eyes. They’ve always been one of his best features, second to his smile. Hisgenuinesmile, not the cocky one. But all I see in his eyes right now is competition. He’s determined to be the one who holds eye contact the longest without showing weakness. As much as I hate to admit it, he’s winning. Even though Adrian is only focusing on my eyes, I’m certain he can see the bright red tomato I’m turning into. Knowledge of my redness only intensifies the color. I wouldn’t be surprised if someone mistook my blush for third-degree sunburns.
“Sometimes eye contact can be daunting,” Kathy says, and I’m positive she’s directing her words at me. “Remember to breathe. Slow and steady breaths.”
Two minutes seems to be turning into a million years. What makes everything worse is that Adrian isn’t even breaking a sweat. There’s something smug in his eyes. He’s enjoying watching me struggle.
“Let’s move into our first pose,” Kathy finally says. Faster than lightning, I swing my body around to face her. “Sit back-to-back with your partner.”
