Yoga & Tequila
By: Jessika Lakin
Tags: Yoga, Relationships, Fiction, Sex, Dating

The Big Night

“Jess, honey! Don’t you look precious?” Bikram Yoga instructor, Donna, gushes over me — as she does with everyone — when Geoff and I stroll into Veritas’s downtown studio off 5th. “My goodness, you are looking so good. Happy with your results from the challenge?”

“Oh my gosh. You have no idea. I haven’t been this healthy — this calm — ever!”

“Keep up the great work, girl.”

She flatters me, but I have to admit I’m feeling damn good, I mean, good in a way I’ve not felt in a very long while. Sixty days of ninety-minute yoga sessions and clean eating have transformed my mom-bod into pure hotness sans the residual twin-skin leftover from my pregnancy five years ago.

I’m sporting a Karen Millen cocktail dress I found on clearance a few years back in Atlanta to show my yoga body off. With tuxedo ribbing and chrome belt buckles, the dress blends elegance with sassiness. My stilettos punctuate the ensemble, although I do tower slightly — okay, significantly — over Geoff at the moment.

My new beau seems to be managing it well, though, spinning me around in his driveway before jumping into the car back at his place. “You really do look amazing,” he says.

“Aw, thanks. You look pretty hot yourself.” Donning a blue, button-down shirt by Robert Graham, Geoff brings it all together with frayed, designer jeans and Gucci loafers. He’s so flipping cute I can barely stand it. How long do we have to stick around at this party? I wonder.

“Who’s your friend?” Donna asks. Donna has emerged as one of my favorite teachers at Veritas. Retired from a nursing career in her late fifties, she’s a font of anatomical knowledge in class. She’s also unafraid when it comes to talking about bodily functions. You can count on her sharing at least one inappropriate story per class in-between pose instructions.

“This is Geoff,” I say.

“Geoff, nice to meet you. You oughta come to take a class with us sometime.”

“Maybe, I don’t know. It sounds a bit intense with those temperatures you guys exercise in.”

“Oh, it’s not that bad. You get used to it, I promise.” Donna gives me a wink. “If you’re thirsty, you’ll find a margarita kiosk at the other entrance, courtesy of Tacos & Tequila.”

“Care for a drink?” Geoff asks.

“Would I!” We head outside, where I run into my second favorite instructor and his lady companion. Teddy’s wearing a satin shirt and complementary purple boa. His hair looks freshly washed and hangs just above his shoulders, giving him a rockstar vibe. I can see why the young woman hanging on to him at the waist won’t let go. He gives me a head nod but offers no additional communication beyond that.

“Salt or no salt?” Geoff asks. “It’s no salt if I remember correctly.”

“You have a good memory!” Our second-to-last date took place over enchiladas and margaritas two weeks ago. Have I commented yet on how refreshing this is? This is what moving at a normal pace feels like with someone, with a man who doesn’t sext after the first date, send a dick pic, or ask me what I’m looking for in a man after our first lunch date.

“How long do you want to stick around here?”

I could have left ten minutes ago. “Whenever you’re ready unless you want to stick around for the presentation.”

“Let’s do that so you can get your certificate. Want to walk around the vendor’s tables while we wait?”

“Sure,” I say. We make our way back inside, and Geoff escorts me around the perimeter of the studio. He makes small talk with purveyors of beeswax candles, 100% cotton unbleached yoga towels, and chiropractic adjustments with “free exams.” Finally, Veritas’s owners, Jack and Mandy, announce they’re ready to start the presentation.

“Thank every one of you for making this year’s yoga challenge the most successful one yet!”

Cheers erupt throughout the yoga room as people whoop and holler.

“For everyone who completed all sixty sessions, we have a certificate for you, so please walk forward when your name is called.” They run through more than seventy names for our studio alone. It’s silly, on the one hand, to formally acknowledge something as commonplace as yoga. Yet, it took tremendous effort to coordinate workouts while traveling for Align. Suppose there was an award for working out at the most studios across the country. In that case, I’d win considering my stops in Memphis, New Orleans, San Francisco, and Houston.

“Alright, babe. They’ve called your name,” Geoff says.

Sashaying up to the front for my special piece of paper, I’m unsure which excites me more: completing the challenge for greater fitness or starting something new for a chance at love. Geoff shouts out as I cross the mini stage. My vote is for love!

The Morning After

8:30 AM

I am positively glowing. It’s Sunday morning, and I’ve lost track of how many times Geoff and I had sex between last night and this morning.

We made it back to his house around 10:30 last night. “How about a fire,” he suggested.

“Sounds lovely.”

Geoff lives down in Circle C. His limestone covered home features cathedral ceilings, stained concrete floors, and a fireplace large enough to serve as a brick-oven pizza factory. He’s opened a bottle of cabernet, and we are cozied up on the couch. “Happy?” He asked.

“Yes…happier than I have been in a really long time. How about you?”

“I have to agree. Can’t say that I’ve felt like this for a while. It’s nice, right?”

“It is. Thanks for coming with me to the party tonight. You made it much more enjoyable. Plus, I think Donna has a crush on you!”

“Sure, she does. All the ladies love me.”

“And you’re modest too.”

We stared into the fire for a while, waiting for it to heat the living room. My thoughts turned to Amy from OM as we sat there. She said I alone had the power to decide when and with whom I wanted to be intimate — without feeling guilty or second-guessing myself! With Geoff, there was no pressure, just pure unadulterated consent with zero regrets.

“Ready to go upstairs?” I asked at some point.

“Thought you’d never ask,” Geoff said. He grabbed my hand and the wine bottle, and we made our way upstairs for the second half of our evening.