Page 19 of Head Over Wheels
There’s an awkward pause as Jeff and I look at each other. My mind is so conflicted and excited over Jace, and I’m not sure if I have room in my head for alone time with Jeff right now.
Jeff must see something in the look on my face as he ushers me towards the studio exit. “Then let’s all go together. Maybe I’ll get a tea.”
Guilt stabs my chest that I’m running away from this moment alone with him, but I’m too tired to choose differently.
CHAPTER 14
As I struggle to hold a three-legged dog position for longer than any human should be asked to, I’m grateful I was able to get a spot in the corner of the room. After our impromptu group coffee date, I was one of the first people to arrive for yoga. I immediately threw my mat down in a corner at the back. Alia is teaching us, and I am mostly hidden from her watchful gaze. Somehow, she still seems to notice when I’m slacking and tells the whole class to make sure to keep that raised leg properly extended. Because I’m currently staring down at my mat, I can’t tell if the instruction was directly for me or if others are struggling as well.
“For everyone who thought this yoga class would be a gentle way to end your day, gotcha! Although I promise you’ll feel better by the end of class,” Alia calls out in a sing-song voice, making me beam in spite of my exhausted muscles.
“Okay, take it into a downward dog, and then into a cobra.”
I am so overjoyed at getting to put all my limbs on the ground that I may stay flat on my mat a little longer before pushing up into my cobra. I gaze around, and most of the class looks as tired as I feel. Although the really good news right now is that I’ve been concentrating so hard on holding my poses that I haven’t had time to obsess about Jace—or Jeff, for that matter.
Alia flicks her long dark ponytail off her shoulder and slides into a child’s pose. Thank goodness, another restful pose. Maybe the heavy work is done. One thing I love about yoga is that every class ends in a few resting poses. Even though I am the worst meditator, I still enjoy the feeling of calmness that envelops me. We slide out of child’s pose, and she instructs us into corpse pose, or shavasana. My body is sighing in relief, right along with my breath work. Alia was right, I do feel better.
She’s guiding us through a relaxation exercise, and I’m trying to focus on her soothing words. So far, this weekend has been full of so many unexpected moments, from the elevators, to Jace, to last night, to today’s lunch. My mind is spinning again. Focus. Breathe in. Breathe out. If only I could bring Alia with me for the rest of the day to keep reminding me about my breathwork.
And then the class is done, and we’re slowly sitting up. That was my last one for the day. We get a break now, and then there’s a big dinner tonight with all the instructors. I’m not sure about the set up for the dinner, but I’m hoping I can sit with my new friends. There was a rumour going around that the instructors would actually be sitting with us at tables, which would be so exciting.
There’s a grin on my face in anticipation of the evening ahead. Alia is talking to everyone as they collect their mats, and I wait to tell her how much I enjoyed the class. When my turn comes, she immediately puts me at ease.
“Ella, right? We met last night.” She’s smiling at me, showing off her beautiful ready-for-TV teeth.
“Yes, that was me. I’m surprised you remember me.” I laugh, look down, and tuck my hair behind my ear. It’s always escaping my bun.
“Of course. It was a lot of fun. Hopefully you’ll join us tonight too after the dinner.”
“That’s the plan. I really enjoyed today’s class too. You worked us so hard, but I do feel pretty great now.”
There’s a sparkle in her eye. “I’m glad you came and had fun. I like making yoga a little spicy.”
“Yes, I’m quite familiar with your class style. I’m not sure why I thought you’d go easy on us in person.”
We both laugh, and I notice there are a few people behind me waiting to say thanks. I tell her I’ll see her later and scurry out of the room. With a quick look around, I don’t see any of my other friends. They must already be primping for tonight.
Once I’m back in my room, I throw myself onto the bed. There’s a huge sense of relief that I only have one dress with me and I’m not at home. If I had my whole closet available, I know I’d spend the next two hours agonizing over what to wear. Thankfully, Jess and I already did that last week when I was packing, and now all my decisions are made for me. Instead, I can use this time to Zen out and get in the right mindset for tonight. I’m going to close my eyes and try to sneak in a quick catnap to soothe my exhausted muscles and turn my brain off. My hand juts out around the bed to find my phone with minimal effort. Once I feel the case, I pick it up, change it to do not disturb, and set an alarm for an hour from now. I don’t want to accidentally sleep through the event.
My fingers drift up to my cheek, thinking about last night’s kiss. My thumb drifts down to touch my lower lip, and I wonder if tonight will lead to more kisses. Our first real kiss? The butterflies in my stomach go wild at the thought. I inhale deeply, count to four, and let it back out slowly. This train of thought is not going to help my little catnap situation. I close my eyes and see Jace’s icy blue eyes. My heart starts to beat faster, and I realize I am never going to fall asleep at this rate. But my body is exhausted, and I know I’ll feel so much better if I can just turn it all off and pass out for a bit. I pick my phone up again and pick a playlist that makes me think of hot sunny beaches. Closing my eyes again, I erase all thoughts and just think about the music washing over me, like the waves.
When Justin Bieber starts asking me ‘What Do You Mean?’ my eyes pop open with a start. I realize that I did manage to fall asleep, but instead of feeling refreshed, I’m groggy. My arm flops over my forehead, and I groan out loud. I hate when that happens. I tentatively remove my hand and am thankful the room is dark. The sun has set while I’ve been napping, and when I move my eyes to the window, the whole city sparkles for me.
The more I wake up, the less foggy my mind is. Maybe the nap did its job after all. I stretch my arms out over my head, and every muscle groans in unison. I’ve worked out way more in the last two days than usual, and I’m sure all the extra stair walking isn’t helping. I still can’t see myself trusting the elevators here, even though I’m sure it was a one-time freak accident. I don’t even think I’d chance it knowing I could get stuck with Jace again. At the thought of those blue eyes and dimples, I swing my legs out of bed. It’s time to get ready for tonight’s dinner, and I do love a party.
A few minutes later—okay, more than a few—I put the finishing touches on my shimmery eye makeup. The look I’m going for is understated but fun, and I’m pretty happy with the reflection looking back at me. My green eyes pop with the subtle gold shimmer I’ve added, and my lashes are long and lush. I have some highlighter making my cheekbones look more pronounced, and I finish the look with my Fenty lip gloss. I leave my hair down in long waves since it’s behaving for once and framing my face the way I like it.
I leave the bathroom and go to the closet. For tonight I brought a cute short black dress, sleeveless and fitted. I add a blazer on top to finish the look. Scooping up my shoes, I sink into the bed to put them on. They’re a shimmery black heel with fun straps that make them look edgy and make walking easier, especially since I’m taking the stairs these days. Threading the strap through the buckle, I stand again and take one last look in the mirror. With a deep breath, I breathe out all the worries and stresses. I’m ready to face whatever tonight will bring.
CHAPTER 15
When I enter the ballroom, a gasp leaves my lips. It’s been completely transformed into a sparkly winter wonderland. There are white trees all around that look like they’re covered in snow. Against the back of the room is a wall made out of ice bricks. Fairy lights are everywhere, twinkling away. The tables are covered in white linens and have beautiful lit branches in the centre. There are several Christmas trees decorated in white and silver, and even some beautiful silver menorahs.
“It’s pretty wild, eh?” Tara comes up beside me and catches me gawking.
“I can’t believe it. It’s the most beautiful room I’ve ever seen.” I don’t want to stop exploring it, sure that there will be more to discover.
Tara links an arm through mine. “You look gorgeous! Come, sit with us.” She pulls me along towards her table.