“No, you don’t.”
“Guess I do since I knew his name and you didn’t.”
Alright, he had a point, but again, I knew better than to tell him that. “Ugh, fine. They’re probably almost done anyway because you never know what time anything around here is.”
“I like a quiet life,” said one of the loudest men I had ever known.
I rolled my legs dramatically before hopping to my feet. “Fine. I can see I’m not wanted. I suppose you’ll come and find me when you want a cuddle buddy because you’re like everyone else around here; using me for my body.”
Cade smirked but didn’t say anything, and I sighed, leaving him to whatever it was he was reading. Once upon a time, he hadn’t been much of a reader, but somewhere over the past few years, he had discovered that a good book was something he enjoyed. I hadn’t figured out quite what types of books, but I was pretty sure I’d spotted the cover of a romance novel.
I’d thought about bringing it up, but held back. Cade could be unpredictably sensitive, even if you knew him well. It was funny, though, because he was a wall of muscle with an unnerving, grumpy resting face. Yet all you had to do was talk to him to find out he was a goofball in a grizzly bear’s body.
I knew where the yoga sessions were held; it wasn’t my first time going to one of them. Most people assumed I was there to check out the guys, and I did nothing to change their minds about that, or any other assumption they made about me. When it came right down to it, what other people thought about me wasn’t my responsibility to change. So if they wanted to assume it was purely for horny reasons, I had no problem; they didn’tneedto know I actually enjoyed the physical exertion, relaxation, and peace.
I peered through the glass to see how far along everything was, glancing up at the clock to confirm. There was another thirty minutes left, and that was enough to get some decent time in, so I slipped inside. I was already dressed for it since I tended not to wear loose clothing. People saw the tight clothing and assumed it was because I was trying to show off like a slutty billboard. Again, that was a helpful side effect, but really, when I was working out or stretching in yoga, sometimes I just liked everything...contained.
I gave a wave to the instructor, who cracked his eyes open when he saw me and gave a little head shake, but smiled. Niles had been my Guide the second time I’d come to the resort, and he always seemed torn when I showed up to his yoga classes. He was probably the only person at the resort other than Cade who suspected I wasn’talwaysmotivated by my dick. Still, he knew me well enough to know there was always a chance that that’s precisely why I was doing anything.
I wondered when they would assign me another Guide. They hadn’t yet, not for this season, anyway. Maybe they’d given upon me and were just happy with the money I brought in. Or the Guide system wasn’t working for me, and they were giving me more freedom and less of a guided experience. Then again, Cade was in the Recovery program too, and they hadn’t given him a Guide yet either. Whatever the reason, we were in the same boat.
Not that I was arguing. Having someone follow you around was annoying. It was like having a parent who liked coming into your room when all you wanted was to rub one out.
Grinning, I grabbed a mat and walked over to a free spot at the back. I even made sure to mind my business and not look at everyone else. By the time I got the mat spread out, they had moved onto something else. I quickly got into the pose and realized I probably should have stretched, as I felt my limbs protest.
That was fine, though, and I focused on the feeling inside my body and tried to make sure it didn’t take over for me. It was a trick I’d learned as a teenager doing long-distance running. Trying to shut out the pain had never worked for me, but actively being in the sensations was just as bad. The key was to acknowledge that parts of my body were unhappy, but no more than that, not giving the sensation power, while simultaneously listening to my body to make sure I wasn’t going too hard on it.
It took the better part of ten minutes before I found myself in the mental state I needed to keep up with the rest of the session without being so focused inwardly. My limbs were still annoyed because it had been a while since my last session, but I set the sensations to the back of my mind as I looked around curiously. There were plenty of familiar faces, including Logan, who, much to my amusement, was trying to focus on what he was doing and not look my way, but failing miserably at both.
I spotted the new guy, Isaac. At first, I was exactly what everyone loved to accuse me of, and watched him with a smirk as he stretched, and I could see that, despite the long shorts, he hadsome of the best legs I had seen in a while. It was impossible to tell if the ass was as good, considering the loose clothing, but in my experience, if a guy had great legs, his ass was probably great too. Not always, but usually.
That train of thought sputtered and stalled as we shifted positions and had to hold ourselves in a way that forced everyone to rely on balance and core strength that no one but Niles had. That was until I watched as Isaac got into position with an enviable smoothness and grace, and held it with no wobble whatsoever.
Suddenly, I found myself watching him for reasons that had less to do with seeing what kind of body he was working with and more with fascination. I couldn’t help but watch, needing to know if what I had witnessed was skill or just a fluke. Yet for several positions, he moved with a grace and a solid core strength that was beyond fascinating. I didn’t know if that sort of thing was essential for an escort, but he moved more like a yoga expert than a former sex worker...or at least what I expected from someone who had sex for money.
By the time Niles called the end of the session, easing everyone into more comfortable, cooldown positions, I was barely aware that my body had stopped its protests. In fact, I was feeling up to a lot more and debated staying after everyone left. The room was used for a lot of things, but there were recorded guidance sessions if people wanted to do yoga without the group.
Chatter began once Niles called the end to the session, reminding everyone to wipe down their mats. I watched him gravitate toward Isaac, and I found myself doing the same.
“Thatwas impressive,” I said before Niles could say anything. “Where the hell did you learn to move like that?”
Isaac looked at me with a flicker of surprise before he smiled softly. “You’d be surprised at the tricks I’ve learned in my life.”
I grinned. “I don’t think I’d betoosurprised.”
“Behave,” Niles chided as he stepped forward, looking Isaac over. “He’s right, though. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say you were better than me.”
Isaac ducked his head as he wiped his mat. “I wouldn’t go that far. You’re good. You have excellent control; your motions were a lot more measured and intentional than mine. I just kind of go on autopilot.”
Niles squinted. “How long have you been doing yoga?”
“Oh God, years,” Isaac said with a laugh that was easy and yet controlled. “I substituted for one of my teachers years ago, only a few times though, so don’t get too excited.”
“Hell, you could guide one of our sessions if you’re ever feeling up to it,” Niles said, grinning when Isaac gave him a startled look. “No, I’m serious. If there’s anything I’ve learned over the years, it’s that having someone new to guide people can really help. Sometimes it gives them something interesting, like hearing someone else.”
“You can just say you want a break from trying to make everyone groan and complain because you want them to become human pretzels,” I told Niles with a snort.
Niles waved me off. “Ignore him. If he feels like he’s not getting enough attention, he starts acting out.”
