Edge of the Water
Chapter One
The sun cast its shining rays through the yoga studio's windows as it began to set. The brightly colored yoga mats were scattered symmetrically throughout the room, clearly the work of Belle. The mats made their ordinary pattern; a semi circle facing towards the front of the room. It was the same one they had made since Belle had started working.
When Zoey walked into the yoga room, wearing her regular exercise outfit, a Royal Carribean polo and a pair of yoga pants. It was clear by the pep in her step, that she was having an extraordinary day.
It might have been the orange juice that had left her feeling absolutely giddy, or it could have been the hot bath she had taken the night before. Her pleasant mood could have even been attributed to the fact that she had found a 20 dollar bill on the floor, but that day was no ordinary day, and those ordinary things hadn’t been what caused Zoey to be extraordinarily happy. No, it was the ship’s newest passengers that had sent her spirits soaring.
That morning, Zoey had heard that the Chicago Blackhawks had graced the ship with their presence. It was Lucy who had told her, but Lucy wasn’t the most reliable source, so she didn’t believe it until she saw it with her own eyes.
“What’s got you in such a good mood?”
Zoey whipped around, finding Belle standing in the doorway. She wore the same Royal Caribbean polo and blue yoga pants as Zoey, but the polo looked much better on her brunette friend that it did on her.
Rolling her eyes, Zoey gave out a small laugh. “Do you even have to ask?”
“You’re still going on about them?” Belle asked, moving to the center of the room. The brunette girl tugged at the end of one of the mats, straightening it. She needed everything to be perfect. Just perfect.
“Of course, I am.” Zoey half skipped, half walked over to the series of windows. “You saw them, Belle. How could I not be?”
Belle chuckled. “They’re just boys, Zo.”
With her hands on her hips, Zoey turned to Belle. “They’re not boys. They’re men.”
Zoey turned her attention back to the windows, shutting each of the blinds to add to the ambience of the studio.
Belle stood at the front of the room, looking around at it. “It’s perfect.”
“Isn’t it always?”
Belle glared at her, before looking at her watch. “Just in time. The next class should be here any minute.”
With one last look around the room, Zoey turned toward her friend, smiling as she spoke. “Is that so?” Zoey asked, moving towards the door. “That’s a coincidence, because I’m due for my break.”
Before Zoey could reach the door, it flew open, nearly startling her. From behind the door, came a group of large and extremely fit men. Each of them wore similar black athletic shorts, paired with chunky running shoes. It was the exact opposite of what someone should wear to yoga.
Zoey turned to Belle, a smile on her face. “On second thought, I think my break can wait.”
Rolling her eyes, Belle nodded her head, as Zoey took her place at the front of the room. With a class this large, Belle was going to need all the help she could get.
The men stood in front of the room, looking around in confusion.
“What are all these mats for?” A blond moved to the front of the group, pointing at the floor. “Are we going to sit in a circle and talk about our feelings?”
Each of the men laughed, and Zoey couldn’t help but chuckle along with them.
Belle glared at her, before turning to the blond. “What’s your name?”
“Patrick Kane,” the blonde said.
Her eyes moved through the list of players in her hand. She spotted his name toward the center of the list. He was a right wing, so he would need a lot of leg movement.
Belle made her mental notes, then turned back to the man. “Well, Patrick, these are yoga mats. You can take a seat wherever you want, and if you’re still feeling up to it after class, there’s a therapist on board that you can talk to about your feelings.”
The men snickered, each of them taking a seat on the empty mats.
“I’m Belle and this is Zoey.” Belle pointed to her blonde friend. “We are going to be your yoga instructors for the next two weeks. We’ve got a lot to cover, so we better get started.”
Zoey turned to Belle, a large grin on her face. “How about you instruct, and I’ll critique.”
Belle chuckled. “If you wanna go around and grab their butts, be my guest.”
“Gladly,” Zoey said, her grin getting even bigger.
Belle started the class off with one of the easier poses: the tree. With her hands placed in front of her, in the prayer position, she lifted her right foot to her left knee, using her muscles for balance.
The boys tried to mimic her, many of them having trouble keeping steady.
“Focus on your abdominals,” Bella said, moving her hand to her stomach. “Flexing them will make it easier to balance.”
The tip made it easier for many of them to balance, but they were still shaky.
Zoey walked around the room, pretending to critique their formation.
“Make sure you keep your toe pointed to the floor,” Zoey said, placing her hand on the foot of one of the men, and twisting it. He smiled at her and she kept walking.
In reality, formation was the farthest thing from Zoey’s mind. The sweet blonde was focused solely on their muscles, and how they had each managed to fit them into such small shirts. It was a miracle, really.
When Zoey walked into the yoga room, wearing her regular exercise outfit, a Royal Carribean polo and a pair of yoga pants. It was clear by the pep in her step, that she was having an extraordinary day.
It might have been the orange juice that had left her feeling absolutely giddy, or it could have been the hot bath she had taken the night before. Her pleasant mood could have even been attributed to the fact that she had found a 20 dollar bill on the floor, but that day was no ordinary day, and those ordinary things hadn’t been what caused Zoey to be extraordinarily happy. No, it was the ship’s newest passengers that had sent her spirits soaring.
That morning, Zoey had heard that the Chicago Blackhawks had graced the ship with their presence. It was Lucy who had told her, but Lucy wasn’t the most reliable source, so she didn’t believe it until she saw it with her own eyes.
“What’s got you in such a good mood?”
Zoey whipped around, finding Belle standing in the doorway. She wore the same Royal Caribbean polo and blue yoga pants as Zoey, but the polo looked much better on her brunette friend that it did on her.
Rolling her eyes, Zoey gave out a small laugh. “Do you even have to ask?”
“You’re still going on about them?” Belle asked, moving to the center of the room. The brunette girl tugged at the end of one of the mats, straightening it. She needed everything to be perfect. Just perfect.
“Of course, I am.” Zoey half skipped, half walked over to the series of windows. “You saw them, Belle. How could I not be?”
Belle chuckled. “They’re just boys, Zo.”
With her hands on her hips, Zoey turned to Belle. “They’re not boys. They’re men.”
Zoey turned her attention back to the windows, shutting each of the blinds to add to the ambience of the studio.
Belle stood at the front of the room, looking around at it. “It’s perfect.”
“Isn’t it always?”
Belle glared at her, before looking at her watch. “Just in time. The next class should be here any minute.”
With one last look around the room, Zoey turned toward her friend, smiling as she spoke. “Is that so?” Zoey asked, moving towards the door. “That’s a coincidence, because I’m due for my break.”
Before Zoey could reach the door, it flew open, nearly startling her. From behind the door, came a group of large and extremely fit men. Each of them wore similar black athletic shorts, paired with chunky running shoes. It was the exact opposite of what someone should wear to yoga.
Zoey turned to Belle, a smile on her face. “On second thought, I think my break can wait.”
Rolling her eyes, Belle nodded her head, as Zoey took her place at the front of the room. With a class this large, Belle was going to need all the help she could get.
The men stood in front of the room, looking around in confusion.
“What are all these mats for?” A blond moved to the front of the group, pointing at the floor. “Are we going to sit in a circle and talk about our feelings?”
Each of the men laughed, and Zoey couldn’t help but chuckle along with them.
Belle glared at her, before turning to the blond. “What’s your name?”
“Patrick Kane,” the blonde said.
Her eyes moved through the list of players in her hand. She spotted his name toward the center of the list. He was a right wing, so he would need a lot of leg movement.
Belle made her mental notes, then turned back to the man. “Well, Patrick, these are yoga mats. You can take a seat wherever you want, and if you’re still feeling up to it after class, there’s a therapist on board that you can talk to about your feelings.”
The men snickered, each of them taking a seat on the empty mats.
“I’m Belle and this is Zoey.” Belle pointed to her blonde friend. “We are going to be your yoga instructors for the next two weeks. We’ve got a lot to cover, so we better get started.”
Zoey turned to Belle, a large grin on her face. “How about you instruct, and I’ll critique.”
Belle chuckled. “If you wanna go around and grab their butts, be my guest.”
“Gladly,” Zoey said, her grin getting even bigger.
Belle started the class off with one of the easier poses: the tree. With her hands placed in front of her, in the prayer position, she lifted her right foot to her left knee, using her muscles for balance.
The boys tried to mimic her, many of them having trouble keeping steady.
“Focus on your abdominals,” Bella said, moving her hand to her stomach. “Flexing them will make it easier to balance.”
The tip made it easier for many of them to balance, but they were still shaky.
Zoey walked around the room, pretending to critique their formation.
“Make sure you keep your toe pointed to the floor,” Zoey said, placing her hand on the foot of one of the men, and twisting it. He smiled at her and she kept walking.
In reality, formation was the farthest thing from Zoey’s mind. The sweet blonde was focused solely on their muscles, and how they had each managed to fit them into such small shirts. It was a miracle, really.