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MIDNIGHT YOGA PARTY
10 PM
The entire studio is bathed in moonlight. Slivers of yellow flicker across the ceiling as I light the eucalyptus soy candles strategically placed around Go Zen. Four mats are lined up on the platform in front of the window, inviting us to begin our midnight sesh.
"So glad you talked me into this," I say to Zöe as she walks up beside me. I stifle a yawn. "Even if I'm half asleep."
"Nighttime yoga is my favorite. Love this studio in the dark," she says, grinning. "Total zen vibes. But we're missing..."
With one click her latest Spotify playlist starts pouring through every speaker in the studio and my ears are filled with the newest trendy alt-pop hit.
"Perfect. Nothing like noisy music for zen vibes," I joke.
"Hey, midnight yoga, loud music, and trash talk is all you need," Zöe reminds me, having said this at least five times today. "The trash talk is coming, just wait. You'll feel better in no time."
"I feel fine already thanks," I eye roll. "But I'll allow the trash talk."
"Knew you would," she grins. "Ah they're here."
Zöe scampers across the studio to unlock the door.
Demi and Tao, Zöe's friends from the coffee bar and avid patrons of our 6 AM class, are joining us tonight for moonlit yoga. Hence the four mats.
I hop down from the platform, making sure I found every candle hidden around the studio before stowing the utility lighter behind the front desk. The room already smells like beachy eucalyptus and it's already clearing my senses.
Zöe pulls the door open and the room temporarily fills with the white noise of wooden windchimes.
"Hi Z."
"Hey girl."
"Welcome," Zöe says, indicating the vacant and dimly lit floor of Go Zen, "to midnight yoga."
"Hi guys," I say, twisting my hair into a topknot. "Glad you could join."
"Glad to come," Tao smiles.
I nod, my gut dropping a little when I spot his brow piercing and how it looks just like Travis's, which only reminds me of him. Except Tao's hair is buzzed and his eyes are much darker, nothing like Travis at all.
"Yes, very glad. Only we just left the bar. Can we change in the back?" Demi asks. Her breath still lowkey smells like booze.
The sequined mini skirt and sheer top led me to the bar conclusion. So did the gallon of liquid eyeliner she's wearing. 2009 called.
"Sure. Mini locker room and bathroom in the back." I point down the side hallway.
Demi skirts along, a slight zigzag to her step, dragging her duffle behind her.
"I told her not to go hard," Tao laughs, watching her leave. "She never listens."
"She knows no bounds," Zöe jokes.
"None."
Five minutes later the four of us are standing on the platform, mats at foot. I stare at my favorite mat, which sounds insane I know. Who has a favorite yoga mat? Emmy does.
The cerulean marble print reminds me of the ocean -waves to be exact. Fluid. Suffocating. I think about drowning in my mat.
I'm OK.
I'm fine.
"Shall we begin?" Zöe asks, eyebrow raised.
"Ready as I'll ever be," Demi says, shaking away a headache no doubt.
"Who's starting?" Tao asks, looking between me and Zöe.
"This is all you," I nod to Zöe. "Guide us, yoga master."
Zöe kicks it off with a standing bend pose which transitions into a standing split. I keep up and by keep up I mean have zero problems considering I'm a pro. Tao and Demi do their best to keep up as we shift from one position to the next with little to no segue.
I focus on the blaring music, the candles, and the glimmering ring in Tao's eyebrow. Zöe's braids fan out behind her as she adjusts into a standing position, almost whacking Demi in the face.
The song switches over and Zöe turns to face me. I appreciate how oddly distorted yet beautiful her face is under the candle's shadows in the semi-darkness.
"Feeling better?" She grins.
"Yes," I give her a famous eyeroll. "Waiting on the trash talk, though."
"Oh trash talk?" Demi perks up, flipping her ponytail in a V Lauren way. "I'm here for it. Who we bashing?"
"Brooks," Zöe answers for me. "Emmy's ex future."
"Gee, thanks," I laugh.
"It's true!" Zöe says defensively.
It is true, I know this. Still, there's something about hearing someone else say it out loud. Hearing it from Zöe hits differently than Trix claiming Brooks is already dead to her.
I've, without conscious intention, done a decent job of keeping my Seattle life separate from my Brooks life. Maybe it's always sort of been an East Coast vs. West Coast thing.
This is the collision.
"He the one you been running all around the globe with?" Demi asks, abrupt.
"I mean," I mumble, slightly taken aback. "I'd hardly call it running and certainly not the globe."
"Yea, just a couple states, few getaways, a mega yacht," Zöe grins sarcastically. "No big deal."
"Why do I tell you things?" I stretch my left leg to nudge Zöe in the ribs.
"Back up. Mega yacht? And he's your ex why?" Demi asks.
"Zero chill," Tao shakes his head.
"I'm sorry. Aren't we supposed to be trash talking Brooks and not me?" I ask.
"Yes, back on track." Zöe tells them, shifting again. "Sphinx pose."
We all follow Zöe's instruction and lay our stomachs flat against the mats.
"So more deets. What happened to make him your ex?" Demi asks freely, like we are already deep level friends and not the surface level acquaintances we were 10 minutes ago.
"Well, apparently all the aforementioned vacations and semi-globe-trotting was too much for him. He wanted a break," I finish venomously.
"That he asked for while on a vacation. In the Bahamas," Zöe adds, "With all their friends."
"Bastard," Demi curses.
"Appreciated," I laugh.
"What was his reason for wanting the break?" Tao asks.
"Oh here we go," I joke.
"Yea, let's hear a man's excuse," Demi chimes in.
"Hey I'm not defending him! Just curious how you go from Caribbean escape to needing a break in five days. Seems like an extreme 180," Tao explains.
"Exactly," Demi nods.
"Brooks is..." I gaze at the flickering candles, at the lights on the wall from passing cars. "Kind of in love with 180s. I just sort of felt like we were on the same page, ya know? Really, I just forgot he was fucking terrible for a minute."
"I'm convinced they secretly hate each other, but the sex is just too good for them to notice," Zöe says plainly.
Everyone laughs and even I can't help it.
"That's it. You nailed it. I blame the sex," I smirk.