Olivia rolled her eyes. “We had a phone call last night, and honestly, there were a few comments that were eye rollers. I decided not to waste my time. This swipe left, swipe right dating is going to be the death of me. I ought to let one of you do the selecting for me. I’m picking nothing but duds.”
Dreama clapped her hands to signal the beginning of class. Then she lowered the lights and started walking them through calming breaths.
“In the Sukhasana pose, close your eyes and breathe in through your nose, out through your mouth. Good. Pictureyourself as a snow globe. When you breathe in, take it slowly. Imagine all your thoughts and worries swirling in your head. On the exhale, picture them leaving your body like soft snowflakes, falling to the ground.”
Whitney tried not to laugh as she pictured an avalanche of thought-snow piling up around her all the way up to her neck. She giggled.
Olivia smacked her arm.
Whitney shrugged and tried to cleanse her mind, but work kept creeping in, checklists forming in her mind. She’d give anything to reach her phone and type in a reminder or two, but all of her things were in the locker on the back wall. Yoga center rules prohibited cell phones on the exercise floor.
She stretched into child’s pose, and Whitney quickly got the hang of the movements again and finally the giggles dissipated. She focused on tightening and lengthening her muscles and letting her mind release her thoughts with each breath.
If only finding one’s life balance was this easy.
Whitney moved comfortably through the yoga poses. They’d moved into their first sun salutations when the door opened and someone raced into the room with keys jangling and flip-flops slapping against the floor.
“Sorry!” the woman stage-whispered in apology, taking a spot against the back wall.
Whitney tried to ignore the interruption by focusing on her core.
Carina caught Whitney’s eye and mouthed something.
“What?” Whitney couldn’t make it out. “Canned corn?”
“No!” Eyes wide, Carina leaned closer and whispered, “Kally Shore.” She pretended to hold a pen and write like in a game of charades. “The author. Your client.”
Whitney tried to catch a glimpse inconspicuously, but the woman had turned her face away. She couldn’t quite tell, but she did resemble her. Same hair and height.
“Are you sure it’s her?” Whitney whispered to Carina.
“I think so.”
“It’s definitely her,” Olivia whispered.
If it was Kally Shore, she’d been under the radar for quite a while after her very public divorce.
Whitney had represented her. Kally’s scoundrel of a husband, who ended up being her second ex, wanted a slice of her royalties and future earnings, claiming he supported her writing career. It was total baloney. Whitney had put the kibosh on his web of lies.
After class, the noise level immediately changed as old friends caught up and others headed for the locker room. Carina was bolder than Whitney, asking Dreama without hesitation, “I noticed Kally Shore is still taking this class. It’s fun to see some of the same people from before.” Carina played it off. “I love Kally’s books.”
“Don’t we all?” Dreama said. “She used to always be the first one in class. I called her my welcome committee because she always took the spot right next to the door. Lately, she’s been hit or miss. I’ve heard it’s because she’s in love.”
“It could be she’s just on deadline.” Whitney hoped that was the case, because she’d urged Kally to draft a prenup to be prepared for her next relationship. So far, Kally hadn’t done that. Once the sting wore off, she’d probably ignore the need for one at all.
Dreama nodded. “I bet you’re right. Shame on me for feeding the rumor mill.”
“Feels good to be back,” Whitney said. “I forgot how much I used to enjoy your class.”
“It’s been a long time. It’s great to see you in class again. This isn’t going to be a one and done thing, is it?”
“Nope. We’re back. Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday, like the good old days,” Carina piped up.
“The six a.m. class during the week like before? It’s a full class now. Get here early, or you could do the hot yoga class at five. It’s only a forty-minute class. Folks are really liking it.”
“Five a.m.? Oh no, that’s too early for me now that I’m a mom. We’ll get here early for the six o’clock and skip the hot part,” Carina promised. “We’ll see you Monday.”
As Carina, Olivia, and Whitney walked back to get their things from the lockers, Kally caught Whitney by the arm.
