Page 4 of Archer
I shook my head and started to head for my studio when the knot came undone, and he lowered himself to the floor. Then he looked up to see me watching him.Shit, shit, shit.I quickly turned the other way and headed back up the stairs to my condo. Forget the golden hour. I was going to go hide in my condo where I couldn’t get into any more trouble.
Crispin
Holy shit! Was Mr. Tall, Dark, and Broody watching me? He had to have been, right?
There was no one else around, so what else or who else was he staring at? Damn, I wish he hadn’t taken off like that. I’d finally had the perfect opportunity to meet him. Completely bummed, I headed over to the side wall and picked up my towel to wipe off my face. I’d been in here running through poses for over an hour, so I felt amazing, but I needed to freshen up before the last class tonight.
A notification of a missed call showed on the screen of my phone, and I smiled, happy to see that Aziza had called. Pushing send, I returned her call. She answered, “It’s my favorite human,” which made my grin widen.
“Hello, Aziza. How’s Florida treating you?” She’d been gone for a couple of months now, and I missed her like crazy. She’d taught the first yoga class I’d ever taken, and then she’d coached me through getting all my own certifications. It was great being able to earn them online, but I felt sorry for anyone who hadn’t received that personal touch that I’d had with Aziza by my side.
“It’s glorious. You have to come visit. I’m telling you, Crispin, there’s nothing like yoga on the beach at sunrise.”
It sounded amazing, but I wouldn’t be traveling anytime soon. Aziza was giving me time to buy the name of her yoga practice from her, which included a fair number of clients, but I’d also lost several who were devoted to her. The rent on the space in this old hotel-turned-condominiums wasn’t cheap, but I didn’twant to give it up. The ambiance in a place so rich with history and renovated so lovingly couldn’t be beaten. “One day,” I finally responded, realizing I’d kept her waiting too long.
Her lyrical laughter came over the line. “You worry too much, my young friend. Harmony and Joy Yoga was meant to be yours. It’ll all work out.”
This was one of the things that I’d always loved about Aziza. From the first time I’d met her, she’d radiated this inner peace that I hadn’t known was possible. That had been back in my last year of college when the stress of what came next was really starting to weigh me down. I’d pursued a finance degree like my brother, Ben, but only because I’d had no idea what else to do. The closer to graduation I got, the more unhappy I’d been, until my first Yin Yoga class with Aziza. “I hope so. I’ve really been trying—”
“Nope,” she said, cutting me off. I could picture her shaking her head, her long braids with all of the gold beads and jewels swinging gently around her shoulders. “The last three times I talked to you, it was about business. I’m missing my friend tonight. Tell me what else is going on? Have you been out lately? Met any fine men to call Daddy?”
If this had been almost anyone else, I’d be embarrassed, but not with Aziza. She knew how much I yearned for a Daddy of my own. I’d confessed that little tidbit to her long before I’d come clean with how much I hated my job. “No, I’ve either been busy here with classes, or I’ve been hanging out with my brother.”
No way was I telling her that I’d addedDoorDashto my resume. She’d made me promise not to overextend myself to buy the business from her, but whether she said it or not, I knew she needed the money to start something new. Besides, most people couldn’t live from their yoga studios. I saw new ones open and close all the time. It was her determination and drive that had made this place what it was. The name and reputation were worth their weight in gold.
“You need to make time for yourself, Crispin. You’re young. You need to get out there. Go out for cocktails, dance a little, hook-up with a sexy man.”
An image of the man who’d been watching me outside of the studio popped into my head. “There’s someone I’d like to meet,” I said. “He lives here in the condos, and I’ve seen him at the bar several times, but I’ve always had my stuff, so I never worked up the nerve to go in.”
“How in the world is he supposed to know you exist if you don’t go in there and introduce yourself?”
I snorted. I had no problem rattling away to anyone about yoga or knocking on the door for my deliveries, but the idea of approaching a hot guy was ludicrous.
Aziza laughed. “Okay, silly question. You should at least go into the bar when he’s there and plant your ass somewhere he can see you, though. Once he gets a look at you, I’ll bet he’ll make the first move.”
I loved this woman. “Normally, I’d tell you I think you’re biased and giving me too much credit, but…” I trailed off, building the anticipation.
“But what? Are you holding out on me?”
Snickering, I said, “No, and until right before you called, I’m not sure he’d ever noticed me before. But it just so happens I caught him ogling me through the windows while I ran through some poses.” The other side of the line grew quiet. “Aziza?”
“Did you have the blinds up?”
The studio was one of many storefront locations on the bottom floor of the old hotel. Since the side facing out into the hall was all glass, it was perfect for the boutiques and other retail stores to display their goods to everyone walking by. We had roll-down blinds covering our windows much of the day so the students would feel comfortable moving through the poses. No one wanted someone staring at them doing downward dog with their butt in the air. Except maybe me, if it was that luscious man from earlier.
“Well, yeah. You always kept them open between classes so people could check out the esthetic. I think it’s a great way to draw people in.”
The floors of our studio were two-toned hardwood with soothing cream-colored walls. To the right, immediately after you walked in, was a coatrack tree and a place for shoes. In the corner was the small desk where we conducted business. To the left,we had a small sitting area with a coach and a couple of chairs around a circle table where we had a few different decks of tarot cards, a couple of books on manifestation, magazines, and other literature on yoga.
My personal favorite wall was the one opposite the hallway. In the center was a huge mosaic of the Tree of Life. On either side were Tuscan column pillars with a large golden hurricane holder on each one. We used white flameless battery-operated candles in them for safety, but a brass incense burner hung from the ceiling on the left side, so the studio always smelled amazing. Personally, I thought that alone, along with the low lights, helped people take a breath and begin the journey of relaxing and resetting the minute they crossed the threshold.
“Crispin, we’ve never left them up when we were practicing or if we were alone. Honey, that isn’t safe.”
“That’s true. I guess—”
“Speaking of,” she said, cutting me off. “When are you going to find someone else to help you out? You can’t conduct all the classes yourself. I’ve always had at least two other instructors besides me on the schedule until Shelly left, but since you’d just quit your job, it helped us both out for you to take over hers. But you can’t do them all. You’ll wear yourself out, and it’s going to affect your energy.”
Ugh. I’d been dreading this question. If she figured out that I’d even added sessions since she left, she’d be really pissed. It wasn’t that I didn’t want help because I really did. I missedhaving someone like-minded around to talk to and plan events with. But instructors had to be paid, and I’d never be able to buy Harmony and Joy if I didn’t keep every cent that came in. “I know. It’s on my to-do list.”