I hesitate. “You do?”
She nods enthusiastically. “You have to come! It’s tradition!”
I glance at Theo, who just shrugs like he had nothing to do with this obvious setup. “She’s right. It’s tradition.”
I chew my lip. I could just go home. That was the plan. But I could also be half an hour late for work. I’ll just work a little longer in the evening. It’s not like I have anywhere to go.
Theo is watching me expectantly. And Lucy is looking at me with ridiculously big, hopeful eyes. And… well.
Maybe one smoothie wouldn’t hurt.
It’s just past five o’clock, and through my open window, I hear Theo’s voice from the street below.
“Alright, see you tomorrow,” he calls out to someone. There’s a muffled response—probably one of his staff—and then the unmistakable sound of keys turning in a lock.
He’s closing up.
Going home.
I haven’t seen him or Lucy since yoga on Monday. Five days.
I tell myself it’s because I’ve been busy with work, which is technically true—deadlines have been piling up, emails have been relentless, and I’ve had a shocking amount of meetings for someone who works from home.
But if I’m really honest with myself? I’ve been avoiding him.
Because I’m pretty sure there was flirting happening at yoga and when we had our smoothies.
And I cannot risk it.
I cannot fail in the first month of my dating ban. That would be tragic.
Theo is… nice. And funny. And dangerously easy to be around. Which is exactly why I need to keep my distance.
Which brings me to tonight’s plan:
Yoga.
Specifically, Yoga for Dummies, take two.
I roll out my mat in the middle of my living room, take a deep breath, and, after pressing play, make one very important adjustment from last time: I take the remote control and hide it under my sofa cushion. No skipping ahead. No fast-forwarding. No quitting halfway through. This time, I am doing the whole thing.
I straighten up, take a deep breath, and try to relax. The instructor’s serene voice fills the room.
“Welcome. We’ll begin with some gentle breathing exercises to centre ourselves.”
I exhale slowly, determined.
I am taking this seriously.
Inhale through my nose.
I am not getting distracted.
Exhale through my mouth.
I am definitely not thinking about Theo. This time, I am committed.
I sit cross-legged on my mat, hands resting on my knees, and take a deep breath.
