Page 19 of Jealous Wife

“At yoga?” The short, plump woman screeched. “I thought I was your best friend, period!”

Both of them began to giggle. It made Rollo uncomfortable. He was so upset and confused and here these two women were, loving life and laughing like there was no tomorrow. He tried to edge away from them so he could wallow in his own self-pity but they kept engaging him, pulling him back into conversation.

“So what’s bothering you?” Sarah asked. “Anything us ladies can help with?”

“Your wife, perhaps?” Helen asked, her eyes glancing down to Rollo’s wedding ring.

He touched it with his thumb and nodded slowly. “You hit the nail on the head,” he smiled. “But I’d rather not talk about it. I’m just here to get a bit of space, you know?”

“Yoga isgreatfor that!” Helen grinned, waving her hands at Rollo.

Her nails were so long and pointed that he was concerned he was going to get cut.

“Ben will sort you out. Just one or two sessions and you’ll be centered and back to your old self.”

Rollo nodded again and smiled meekly. “Hope so,” he said before turning his back to the women.

He didn’t want to be rude but, at the same time, he wasn’t in the mood to talk. He just wanted to get this over with and, hopefully, get relaxed. Making friends with single women wasn’t something he was looking for.

He edged away from the women, trying to find an empty spot in the waiting room. The sounds of murmured chatter echoed around the room, bouncing off the walls. Rollo closed his eyes and breathed steadily, trying to keep himself calm.

As he was standing there, keeping to himself, he heard people filtering past him quietly. He opened his eyes to see that the yoga instructor was standing in an open doorway, waving goodbye to people leaving the ending session.

People in the waiting room started to form an orderly line, moving out of the way so everyone could get out of the front door.

It was strange to Rollo, seeing everyone move so nicely and effortlessly. They were all thinking about each other, trying to make each other’s lives easier. Since when did humans do that? Since when did people care about anyone aside from themselves?

“All right,” the instructor whispered, opening his arms and waving people inside the room. “We’re going to get started today with some gentle exercises.”

Rollo waited his turn to go inside. Just as he got through the door, the instructor pulled him aside with a gentle touch.

“You’re new,” the man said.

He was wearing a floaty linen shirt that was only buttoned up to the top of his stomach. His black hairs showed through the material in dark shadows, and the hairs curled around the edges of his open shirt. It was like a forest was growing out of his chest, consuming his clothes. He wasn’t wearing any shoes, either. His toes were free and naked, bared to the world.

“Welcome,” he said, his voice so quiet Rollo could barely hear him. “My name is Benjamin, but please call me Ben.”

“Sure thing,” Rollo said, trying not to look into Ben’s deep green eyes.

If he looked into them, Ben would be able to see into his soul and know everything he was struggling with. He had those penetrating, knowledgeable eyes. It made Rollo uneasy just having them on his face. What would happen if they knew his secrets, too?

Ben didn’t press him, though. He floated away from the door and stood in the front of the room, on his own yoga mat. That was Rollo’s signal to get to a mat. The session would be starting soon.

He tried to go in the corner of the room, away from everyone else, but Sarah and Helen kept beckoning him over to the middle. They wanted him beside them, with all of their yoga friends around him.

With a deep sigh, he made his way over to the women. They touched his arm and cooed over him, welcoming him into their group. Rollo wanted to kick himself. He wasn’t here to feel good about himself. He should have stayed in the corner, all on his own, away from everyone else.

The session passed slowly. Rollo couldn’t do any of the poses, often falling over and almost knocking over his yoga neighbors. That just spurred the women on, cooing over him and touching him and asking Rollo if he was all right. By the end of the session, he was red-faced from embarrassment and more stressed out than before.

Rollo tried to scamper out of the room, dodging the women’s grabbing hands and moving mouths, but the instructor stopped him at the door. His linen shirt was slightly damp and even more see-through than earlier.

“Let’s have a talk,” he whispered so quietly that it took Rollo a moment to realize what he was saying.

They stayed in the room until everyone else had left. Then the instructor stood opposite him and clasped his hands in front of his crotch. His arms bulged beneath his sweat-soaked linen shirt, stretching the material around his large muscles.

“Why are you here?” Ben asked. “I canfeelthat you’re not really into this.”

Rollo sighed and let his head fall forward, his eyes staring to the ground.