Basil and I exchange looks. If doing this exercise means getting out of here without talking about our love life, I’ll play along. I plop down first. Extending my long legs, I close my eyes, feeling Basil’s presence as she sits.
“Backs touching, please,” Lady Shiba insists. “This is a partner breathing exercise. One that’s highly underrated, yet powerful. Seven minutes. No speaking, just breathing.”
Basil shuffles behind me. I do the same until our backs are pressed together. I sense her tense energy and breathe through my own.
“Breathe. That’s it?” I ask.
“That’s it. Focus on being present for seven minutes. Through practice, this exercise will allow you to discover your unique synchronized rhythm. A two-person rowing team. That rich connection will guide you through any transformation.” The beep of a timer sounds. “Begin.”
I exhale through the flashing red lights in my brain, warning signs to end all of this honeymoon stuff with Basil. Sharing silence and breathing patterns seems more intimate than strolling down the shore holding hands at sunset would.
Giving in, I allow my shoulders and back muscles to sink and no longer resist Basil’s essence. I could tell we are both focused on each other at the moment. The lull of her shallow breathing begins to settle my mind.
When time’s up, we open our eyes, and I feel an emptiness in my core when she pulls away.
“Good. Keep practicing.” Lady Shiba motions us to face each other. “And this exercise finishes with a seven-second kiss.”
Silence.
My eyes go wide. “Oh, you mean right now? ” I scramble to my feet. “PDA isn’t really my thing. One of my quirks. Right, honey?”
“One of many,” Basil responds, standing now. “We give you our word, we will complete this assignment later. With a high probability that it will exceed seven seconds. Because we are a happy couple on our honeymoon. Right, honey?” Her eyes meet mine.
I smile. “Right.”
Lady Shiba laughs. “That’s perfectly fine. Any further questions before we wrap up?”
I eye the door. “No return sessions?”
“A streak of stubborness in you, Caroline. Traits of a Shiba.” Lady Shiba chuckles. “All I ask is that you perform this exercise any time your partner asks. Politely, of course. This only works with consent.”
Ten minutes later, we’re out the door.
I’m stuck wondering how a single thing from our session would benefit an actual couple? Then again, I’m far from a relationship “expert,” only a firm believer in the wonders of naked cuddling.
Taking a stroll down the cement path toward the exit, I break the silence. “Are you sure that’s the same person that was interviewed by Oprah?”
“Honestly, I don’t know what to believe anymore.” She chuckles. “Now that ridiculous song is stuck in my head. And don’t get me started on that couples’ breathing exercise.”
“We’re never doing that again.” I shake my head. “What a waste of time.”
“I concur.”
I shake off the air between us, which now seems thicker since leaving Lady Shiba’s office. Basil wasn’t serious about the seven-second kiss…was she? My gaze drifts toward the ground as we continue walking. I catch myself reminiscing about her lips on mine and push the thought away. A run tomorrow is what I need to clear any residual sexual tension left from our hookup. I hope.
To break the silence, I sing the tune for no other reason than to get a rise out of Basil. “If you’re sapphic and you know it—”
“Caroline!” She jokingly shoves my arm.
The corner of my mouth curls. “Think we can use, ‘Doing very lesbian things’ as an excuse to skip the rest of the scheduled events? Whatever that phrase means.” She’ll never live that one down.
Basil halts, hands on her hips. “You knowexactlywhat I meant.” Her eyes hold mine captive, just like the first time we met. “But you’ll only see that sight again in your dreams.”
“I better start sleeping, then.” The words slip out of my mouth before I can catch them. “Sorry, I shouldn't have—”
“For the record, I’m not opposed to kissing you if the job description calls for it.”
It’s my turn to halt my footsteps. My brows shoot upward. “Thatcertainly isn’t on the itinerary.” I barely hold back my laughter, peering over at her taken-aback response.
