Playing for Real - Book 2

Chapter 6

Quinn

On Saturday morning, Nadia and I attended our usual advanced yoga class. It's the one place I can find peace with my thoughts, even if it's only for sixty minutes once a week. The truth is, my thoughts of Cash haven't diminished over time. I wait for my heart to feel settled or fulfilled with my new routines. But it's not happening. I'm in a constant state of longing for him.

I look up from the downward dog position to find the entire class twisted into a crane pose. As if hearing my sudden lack of focus, our instructor calls out to me, reminding me to keep up and find my inner peace. I force myself into this new and complicated pose as Nadia glances in my direction with a smirk, wearing the world's tightest sports bra and matching yoga pants. She's been trying to seduce a guy in our class by dressing half-naked, styling her hair, and contouring her makeup as she walked off of a runway at nine in the morning.

"Ooh, Hot Yoga Guy is looking over here," she whispers. "Thanks for making an ass of yourself. He just smiled at me."

"You're welcome." A bead of sweat drips off my brow.

"You okay today? You seem a bit distracted," she says as we switch into another pose.

"I'm fine. Just lost in my thoughts."

"This is yoga class. You shouldn't have any thoughts," she says, "That's the point."

"No. That's mediation," I correct her.

"Same thing," she replies and again glances over her shoulder at Hot Yoga Guy. "Ugh. I wish he would ask me out already."

"If you're so into him, why don't you ask him out?" I suggest. "You stare at him enough."

"No way. In the same way, you want a 'meet cute' relationship, I want a man who chases after me," Nadia says.

At this moment, I realize how different my world is from Nadia's. How much more complex? Instead of drooling over every guy with a six-pack, my brain's turned off all interest in the opposite sex. I tell myself it's because I'm focused on my education, but I know it's more than that. And what Nadia doesn't realize is I've already had my "meet cute" relationship with Cash, and it's entirely possible I may never fully recover.

"If you want a man-who-chases-after-you relationship, then you shouldn't gawk at said man with your boobs hanging out," I whisper as I toss my ponytail over my shoulder. "Why would he ask you out? He knows he can get you with one wink of an eye. He gets an ego boost and a free show without committing to you."

I turn away from her and twist into our next pose.

"Damn you, Quinn. I hate that that makes sense," she hisses at my backside.

I feel a flash of regret, thinking about how Cash chased me until I fell for his charm, only for him to deceive me. He may be charismatic, elusive, and attractive, but I never thought unfaithful would become number one on the list. But he did love me. I felt it even if he belonged to someone else.

"Alright, ladies and gentlemen, great class today," the yoga instructor says. "Time for a cool down. Please kneel on the floor with your knees together and your buttocks resting on your heels. Keep your back straight."

Switching to the next pose, I hear Nadia whisper on my right. "So what you're saying is that I shouldn't push out my buttock too far to entice him?"

"Do whatever you want. But I think if you want him, you should grow a pair and ask him out already," I whisper back.

The yoga instructor's voice echoes into the studio once again. "Exhale and bend forward so that your forehead touches the floor. Keep your buttocks on your heels."