“Earn it.”
I heard myself say it before I could examine why. Dani’s arms buckled. We collapsed onto the mat. I landed on top of her. The audience erupted. Dani stared up at me. I was braced over her, one knee between her legs, both hands beside her shoulders. This was not a yoga pose. It was not Level One contact. It had no category because I had not anticipated falling on top of her in public. Dani’s breath moved against my face.
“Dinner first,” she said.
I knew she expected embarrassment. Retreat. A formal objection. Instead, I lowered my mouth near her ear.
“You’d have to earn dinner too.”
Dani went completely still. The effect was immediate and deeply satisfying. Her confidence disappeared. Color movedacross her cheeks. For the first time since meeting her, Daniela Reyes had no response. The discovery made me reckless. I lifted my head.
“Are you all right?”
Dani confirmed, then apparently forgot how supporting arms worked. She shifted. We rolled sideways off the mat. The audience laughed harder. I landed on my back. Dani lay beside me, covering her eyes with one forearm.
“You dropped me,” I said.
“You broke my brain.”
“That is not an injury recognized by Rose.”
From the audience, Rose called, “I’m willing to diagnose it.”
The instructor approached, trying not to laugh.
“Are you both okay?”
“Yes,” I said.
“No,” Dani said at the same time.
She lowered her arm.
“I’m fine.”
We sat. Lola held up her sign.
“YOU DROPPED HER!”
“I know,” Dani called.
“THE SIGN SAID DON’T!”
“I can read!”
Blake appeared at the edge of the mat.
“That was incredible.”
“We fell,” I said.
“Your engagement score just tripled.”
“That does not compensate for losing stability points.”
“You are currently first overall.”
I stared.
