started making clucking noises.
“Asshole. Sorry, Mr. Goldhirsh.”
“Not a word I’m unfamiliar with, Maggie. Now come along, I brought you a mat.”
He grabbed her wrist and tugged her forward. Buzz, she noted, had his own mat at the rear and was simply sleeping on it.
“There you go, take that spot between Fin and Luke. They can help you with the moves.”
“Can’t I go at the back with Buzz?” Maggs looked longingly at the sleeping dog. “I don’t need anyone to tell me how to do what he’s doing.”
“Just get down here, red,” Fin said. “We’re about to start, and I could do with a laugh.”
“I hate you,” Maggie muttered as Mr. Goldhirsh unrolled her mat. “I thought people did these kinds of classes in the evenings.”
“Morning, evening; we’re very liberal here in Ryker. We exercise all day.”
“Shut up.” She glared at Fin, then Luke as he snorted. “What the hell are you two doing here anyway?”
“Staying supple.” Luke was stretching his long limbs in a series of movements.
“With yoga?” Maggs sat on her mat, refusing to take off her jacket, sweater, or scarf.
“What’s the problem here,” Fin asked. “You don’t think men should do yoga? That’s very closed-minded of you, Ms. Winter.”
It was, she realized, and that just pissed her off more.
“Take off your coat, Maggs.”
“I don’t have to.”
Fin’s sigh was loud enough to reach all corners of the room. He then rose, pulled her to her feet, and wrestled her out of her clothes.
“He’s had practice at that,” Luke drawled. “It shows.”
“Don’t touch me again,” Maggs hissed.
“When I touch you that way, it won’t be just removing your jacket.” Fin leaned in to whisper the words in her ear. The deep, gravelly tone made her shiver. “It will be all your clothes, and slowly.”
“They have names for men like you” was all Maggs could manage, as her tongue seemed to have stuck to the roof of her mouth.
He simply smiled and threw her jacket to the rear. It landed on Buzz. He raised an eye but seemed happy with the covering.
“Mr. Goldhirsh is in front of you. Follow his moves,” Luke said, giving her a quick hug.
“He kidnapped me on the promise of coffee and a drive.” Maggie struggled with her body’s response to Fin’s words. He’d taken her to a hot, sultry place that involved twisted bedsheets and lots of naked flesh.
“You’d think we’d be on to that by now,” Fin said. “The man’s good though, you have to give him that. It’s a skill to continually get us doing things we don’t want to.”
“And it all comes from a kind, if slightly obsessive place,” Luke added.
“Oh lord, tell me Miss Sarah is not taking this class?” Maggs moaned.
“Both of them, actually. They’re kind of a tag team. One talks, and the other walks about repositioning people into the right poses,” Fin said. “But they leave the megaphone at home, as this is meant to be a calm and soothing environment.”
“Soothing, my ass,” Maggs whispered.
“Class, we have a new member today. Let’s welcome Maggie. Both her and Fin were in the bank heist right here in Ryker Falls. They both need our support during this trying time. Shots were fired, and Maggie was used as a human shield while Fin was forced at gunpoint to fill bags with money. Let’s help them de-stress,” Miss Sarah said.
“Just roll with it. There is no way anything we say will change the embellishments,” Fin said. “Enjoy the notoriety.”
“And our valiant park ranger of course had that incident on the mountain, which was terrifying.”
Maggs looked at Fin, who seemed to have perfected that pathetic expression.
“I’m baking you something nice, sweetie,” Pearl said. Maggs admired her pink fluffy leg warmers and geometric-patterned tights.
“I’m doing meatloaf and biscuits. I’ll run you up some later, Fin,” another said.
“I’d be grateful,” he said in mournful tone. “I’m struggling to cook at the moment.”
“I thought the seniors in this town were astute, but it seems I’m wrong. You’re conning them,” Maggs hissed.
“He’s been conning them for years. They love it,” Luke said. “I’ve tried it, but nothing sticks. I think it’s because I have Aunt Jess.”
“They love to look after me. What can I say, I love it too. You should see my cupboards, and my freezer is nearly full.”
“I haven’t had any offers of food,” she said, feeling a bit miffed.
“You haven’t perfected the simpleton look,” Luke said.
“Sad but true.” Fin sighed.
“Now, class, we will begin,” Miss Marla said.
“Is it too soon to go back to London?”