Page 32 of Five Years
“‘Lie Down with Leah’ sounds pornographic,” Leah laughed.
“Hey, I won’t judge what you choose to do on your channel,” Ariana smirked.
“Shut up!” Leah playfully tapped Ariana’s knee. She uncrossed her legs and began stretching her calves, preparing for the poses she would soon contort into.
“Speaking of pornographic,” Ariana paused.
“Where are you going with this?” Leah eyed her suspiciously.
“I tried a sexual yoga class last year.”
“A what?” Leah paused her stretch to process the words.
“It’s like yoga, but the positions are more intimate. It’s a couples’ workshop type thing,” Ariana explained.
“Oh.” Leah felt instantly uncomfortable. She didn’t need to know about Ariana and Hannah’s sexual appetite.
“It was weird at first—kind of felt like one big orgy—but once you relax into it, you forget there’s an audience.”
“Do you like—” Leah couldn’t bring herself to say the words. “You know, do you...do stuff in front of people?”
“God, no. You don’t do anything sexual; you remain clothed,” Ariana laughed. “I think it’s more about exploring the connection with your partner and finding a deeper intimacy than just sex.”
“Oh, okay. So, like couples therapy, but yoga-based?”
“Sure, less talking, more bending,” Ariana smirked. “I could see you doing something like that.”
“You could see me teaching yoga orgies?” Leah laughed.
“You have the calming voice, as we just discovered, but you also have a relaxing presence. People feel comfortable around you, and with anything intimate, I think that’s the key,” Ariana explained.
“If running my dad’s company doesn’t work out, at least I have a backup plan,” Leah smiled. It was forced; just mentioning work ruined her aura. Douglas Green was sunning himself on a well-needed vacation, and Leah was trying to figure out how she would cope the day it became permanent.
“How’s that going?” Ariana asked.
“I don’t want to talk about work,” Leah’s eyes pleaded.
“Gotcha!”
Leah swivelled to her right, gesturing for Ariana to do the same. They sat facing each other, cross-legged, inhaling deeply,exhaling softly. They moved seamlessly through a series of yoga poses—from the seated twist to the boat pose and beyond.
When they reached tree pose, Leah reached for balance and, opting for the stability of Ariana’s presence, shifted to the partner tree pose alternative. She wrapped her hand around Ariana’s waist, securing their bodies in position. Her left arm rose above her head and met Ariana’s, palms flush. Neither said a word. Leah wondered if Hannah would disapprove. Doing yoga with a stranger at a class was one thing, but with your ex-girlfriend?
She tried to keep her focus on the present moment, but her mind drifted back, as it always did. A part of Leah recognised the need for emotional healing—there was still some work to do. Leah didn’t dare turn her head, fearing the closeness, but she felt Ariana’s head tilt slightly, a brief glance before snapping back to face forward. They held the position until Leah’s leg began to shake.
“You’re really good,” Leah complimented. “So, what poses did you do at the sexual yoga classes?” Her voice was muffled as she bent into downward-facing dog.
“Exactly that,” Ariana laughed.
“The downward dog? I thought it would’ve been less obvious.” Leah felt her hamstrings, calves, and shoulders stretch as she deepened the inverted V shape of her body.
“There’s only so many comfortable positions our bodies will bend into,” Ariana shrugged. “Here, you need to straighten your legs more.” She jumped up from her mat, placed her hands on either side of Leah’s pelvis, and pulled her body upward, guiding Leah into a more strenuous, but physically satisfying position.
“Can you feel it more here?” Ariana ran her finger down the back of Leah’s thigh, pressing at a point that made Leah jolt. She felt extremely compromised—bent over in what some would deem a rather sexual position, Ariana standing behind her,observing. Leah tried to control her breathing; it didn’t need to be weird. Two former lovers could do yoga together without mixed signals or rehashed feelings, right?
She desperately tried to convince herself of that fact as she felt Ariana’s pubic bone press against her buttocks.
Oh, fuck.
