Edge of the Water

It wasn't unusual for Zoey to disappear on Belle like that. However, feeling more adventurous than normal, and also hyped up on caffeine from the tea Karl had made her, Belle went in search for her lost friend. She skipped the employee lounge, which Zoey never went in, and checked their room. When that was empty, like she suspected, Belle took a deep breath and wandered to the deck of the boat. It was getting dark out and she could see the stars, but she moved over to the bar, smiling at Tito as he wiped down the bar.

“How are you doing, doll?” he asked.

“I'm good, Tito! How have you been?” she asked, standing by the bar awkwardly. Tito would never kick her out of his area, although technically she wasn't supposed to be there.

“Stars shining, warm weather; can't complain. Zoey was just around here,” he smiled at her. “Can I get you anything?”

“I'll actually take a bottle of water if you have any. I'm gonna go around the deck and see if I can find her. Do you need me to bring anything to Jeff?” Belle asked sweetly, smiling when he handed her a bottle of water.

“If you wouldn't mind...” Tito paused, staring her up and down and, apparently, judging her competent. “I've got this rack of dried glasses for him.”

Tito lifted a crate filled with about thirty beer mugs. Belle grinned, placed her water bottle on top of it and picked up the crate.

“Thanks, Tito!” she called behind her, making her way around the deck. The glasses were fairly heavy, but she was fit. She was barely breathing heavier than normal by the time she saw Jeff and the bar. And all of the hockey players. She had been half avoiding them. One class a day was enough for her, thank you very much.

“Holy shit!” she watched as one shot up out of his chair and hurried over to her. He was the same one who had forgotten his phone and stared at her breasts.

“Here, let me take that for you!” he rushed out, breathing quickly and trying to grab the crate from her hands.

“I've got it,” she told him, pulling it back.

“No, really!” he insisted.

“Dude, I'd let her carry it.” That was Jeff. He stood protectively beside her, bar towel slung over his shoulder and a pointed look on his face. While Jeff did not like Zoey in the least, he happened to have a sweet spot for Belle. Not that that was unusual. Everyone reserved a sweet spot for Belle.

Belle pulled the crate again, successfully pulling it from the man's hands. “Thanks for trying to help Mr. Toews,” she said. “But I'm more than capable of lifting twenty pounds worth of glasses.” She held herself back from shooting a glare his way. How dare he think he was stronger than she was? She taught him. Flexibility wasn't the only thing yoga taught.

Jeff chuckled from beside her, leading her behind the bar where she set the glasses down with a puff of breath and then stood up.

“Have you seen Zoey?” she asked, trying to keep her happy face on. She didn't particularly like Jeff simply because he tended to be rude towards Zoey. Zoey was a free spirit. He didn't have to hate her for it.

“Yeah,” he said. “Brat was back here about ten minutes ago hitting on the hockey players but I sent her on her way. Can't help you, sorry Belle,” he shot her an apologetic smile.

“Hey.” Jonathan Toews was back there again, stranding at the bar in front of her. “Listen, I'm sorry if I somehow offended you by trying to take the glasses. I just wanted to be chivalrous, or whatever,” he said shrugging and looking sheepish as if he expected her to smile and forgive him. Belle had a better idea.

“Chivalry's dead,” Belle tossed her hair over her shoulder as she shot a look his way. “Men are not better than women. Men are not smarter, better capable or even better lifters than women. Chivalry was intended for men to take care of the delicate, incapable, stupider woman. And let me tell you Mr. Toews,” she smirked at him. “I am none of those things. Thanks again, Jeff!” she spun on her heel and headed back towards her room. If Zoey wasn't there by then, she'd make it back later and tell her all about her illegal adventures upon the Royal Caribbean Cruise ship.

***

Zoey hadn't made it into their room before three in the morning. And she showed up drunk, giggling and with blood pouring from her finger. She had cut herself on the room key. Belle couldn't even figure out how since it was a magnetic key entry room. Either way, that made Zoey still drunk and a bit hung over by the time they had their eight o'clock morning yoga class.

Belle had left her to sleep, encouraging herself mentally that she could teach the large class by herself even if one Mr. Toews was in there. Annoying personality and all.

She was done setting up several minutes early, so she started her own warmup, which generally consisted of her walking around on her hands instead of actually warming up. She was halfway through walking across the room when the door was thrown open and the large mass of men walked in several steps, then upon noticing her, stopped. It caused many of them to run into each other. So, giggling, Belle flipped herself right side up and half ran, half skipped to the front of the room.

“Good morning!” she called out.

“You can walk on your hands? How did you do that?” Patrick Kane asked her, moving to the same mat he used the day before. Humans were creatures of habit. She noticed Jonathan taking his spot next to him.

“I'm a yoga instructor, Mr. Kane. I can do all sorts of things with my body,” she didn't mean for it to come out sounding so flirtatious or suggestive, but it somehow did.

“Oh, can you?” he winked at her.

“Maybe if you work your way up to an advanced class, you'll get to see. But for now, you gentlemen are beginners.”

“How long have you been teaching yoga?” another man called out. She ran through the roster in her head, finally landing on one Duncan Keith.

“I've been teaching yoga for four years now,” she replied, smiling at him. “I've taken yoga since I was ten.”

“So, how old does that make you?” someone new asked.

“Why don't you all start stretching a bit and I'll answer any questions you have within reason?” she said.

They immediately got to work. Some smirking over at Jon who had a light blush covering his cheeks and was the first one to move into a stretch.

Belle sat down on the ground, bending her knees and pressing her feet together to stretch out her pelvis.

“How old are you?” Kane asked again.

“Hasn't anyone ever told you not to ask a lady her age?” she said, smiling. “I'm twenty,” she said after a pause.

“Where are you from?”

“I'm from the big apple. But I live in Chicago for school,” she told them. That got grins from several of them and Patrick Kane almost pushed Jonathan Toews over in his haste to hit the other man in eager response to the woman's answer.

She noticed several of them were copying the stretches she was doing. In fact, most of them were.

“What are you going to school for?”

“Majoring in Physical Education, specializing in Nutrition,” she smiled, standing up and starting the sun salutation which everyone proceeded to follow.

“So, you know what to eat, then?” Kane spoke up, smirking.

“Yes...” she told him. “I actually wrote out each of your diets for the cruise. The chef is only allowed to give you boys certain things. If you call in for room service, they have to call me in to see how appropriate it is and how to adapt it to fit into your diet,” she shrugged. “So, don't order room service at three in the morning. Or I'll make sure they make it bland.”

The yoga session went on like that, Belle occasionally explaining how a certain move worked and praising those who seemed to do it well. She had to move out of her position at the front several times, helping someone who just couldn't seem to get it, and fixing someone who thought they were all that.

Somehow, the questions had turned into soft bantering. Jonathan hadn't said a word, simply messed up more than once and smiled apologetically at her every time she came to help him.

“Where's your partner? She's got nice legs,” one called out.

“Zoey's busy right now,” Belle replied, ignoring the second half of the comment.

“Wish she'd get busy with me,” someone mumbled. Belle cocked an eyebrow in that general direction. Opening her mouth to give a snarky reply back when Jonathan broke his pose of upward facing dog to glare at his teammate.

“Watch your mouth,” he growled out at his teammate. The room went silent. The quiet whispering and bantering ceased to exist. Captain Serious had spoken and he was pissed off. “Can we all remember that just because she's easy going and answering all of our questions doesn't mean you can be fu—imbeciles and make her uncomfortable.”

“Yes, cap.” A nod from the offending gentleman, and a chorus echoing his statement afterward. With sheepish looks, everyone turned to see Belle already in the tree pose, eyes closed with her centre of gravity perfectly in place. They moved into the position, moving with her when she finally let them lower themselves to the ground in resting position.

“You gentlemen can filter out whenever you're ready,” she smiled, rolled up her mat and made her way to her office. “Jonathan, if you could come with me?” she called out.

A chorus of “ohhh!”s rang out, but with a scoff and a glare at his teammates, Jonathan was behind her.

Once he entered the office, she turned on her heel and glared at him.

“I don't know what you did not understand about last night, but chivalry is not something I'm into. I can handle teasing and I can handle ungentlemanly banter. I do not need you to stick up for me. I can handle myself very well, thank you very much.”

“Belle, you can't stop me from putting my team in place,” he told her. “We all have an image to maintain. It's my job as captain to keep them in line,” he tried to reason.

“Any self respecting woman would have put them back in line herself,” she told him.

He set his jaw. She was incredibly sexy when she was angry. The blood rushed to her face causing her to be flushed, her hands clenched and unclenched, and even her face turned into the beautiful mask of fury that he had a hard time resisting.

He smirked at her. “I think you like it,” he told her, opening the door. “I'll see you around, Belle. Thanks for the lesson.” And he left the room.

Belle clenched her jaw, puckering her lips into a furious twist and moved to slam the door when Zoey's hand shot out to hold it open. She was gasping for breath, as if she had run the entire way there. “What'd I miss?”