That Summer Feeling: SUMMER 4EVER [H.S.]

27. Hips Don't Lie

My eyes set on Harry in a pointed glare. My mouth turns dry as I wait for him to say something. Anything to stop my confusion in its tracks. For my heart to stop thundering inside me. But he doesn't. He looks lost for words, gripping the powder blue yoga mat in one arm and using the other to scratch the back of his neck.

"I didn't know this was a couples yoga class, I swear," he finally broke the silence between us, keeping the attention away from us by whispering.

"You're the one that signed us up." He sharply exhales at the volume of my voice, glancing behind me and around the sun-lit studio filled with other real couples.

"Lacey, I really—"

"Look, it's fine, Harry," I gently interrupt, realizing I'm coming off more irritated than I really am. Truthfully, I'm so taken aback, I don't know how to react. "You could have asked me first."

"I didn't know—" He sighs and briefly looks around the room again, sucking his teeth. "Wait here."

I watch him walk across the wooden panels and towards the yoga instructor. I knew the minute we stepped foot in this studio something felt off. There was an even number of people in here, exactly six— all in pairs and sharing a yoga mat. I didn't think much of it at first, assuming my brain is still swimming in sleep or it was purely coincidental that every couple in this lodge was here right now. It wasn't until the yoga instructor briefly welcomed everyone in and stated that partner yoga would commence soon that I understood.

Harry and the instructor exchange a few words, his back to me and the woman's relaxed smile peering up at him. Two minutes later, he's back in front of me, his lips rolled nervously into his mouth.

"The class I signed us up for was a regular yoga class," he quietly explained while we stayed near the corner of the room, "but because you have to give them your room number when you reserve a spot, they automatically placed us in this class since it's included in the honeymoon package. Well, it's supposed to be private but our original instructor was double-booked."

The second he finished explaining, I look over the glass walls of the studio and spot a familiar person walking past. Sarah glances in the room, finds my eyes within seconds and politely smiles, waving at me before walking off.

"Oh," I quietly utter, a wash of guilt flooding me but I'm also reminded that in the eyes of the employees that know us here as two people we weren't, this is exactly where we're supposed to be.

It's not that I was angry with him about this more than I'm hungry, still sleepy, and fighting off a headache I woke up with early this morning due to all the sugar and wine I consumed last night. Now I have to worry about being all sweaty and out of breath next to Harry from whatever a couples yoga class entails. And we have to keep pretending we're a couple, which is messing with my head more than I realize, especially after last night.

"I'm sorry. We can leave."

I shake my head and manage a small smile at him when I heard the genuine guilt knitted in his words. "We're already here."

"Are you sure? I know this isn't exactly...ideal." His eyes peer over behind me for a few seconds then he shrugs. "But it could be fun. As long as you don't mind sharing a mat with me."

I nod, quickly running through my options. I've never taken a yoga class, and especially not a partner yoga class, but I imagine it's very similar to a regular one. I doubt they'd make us get into, ahem, difficult and compromising positions together since this is a novice level class.

I also didn't have it in me to turn Harry down. He seemed so excited and oddly energetic on the way down to this studio after he convinced me to join him, despite the rocky morning he had waking up after all those drinks last night. It took five snoozes to his alarms, two bottles of orange juice, and a quick shower for him to finally be able to produce more than three words to me.