let them run their mouths off before announcing one of them was being assigned to the male strip bar," he said.
I grinned. "That was rather satisfying."
"Even more satisfying is watching Fletcher and Flaherty both struggle to win that game, while in reality, they're both going undercover!" Solomon's smile lit up his face. "There was no other case so they don't have a choice. I was just messing with them."
"I wish I could be a fly on the wall when you tell them that." I checked my watch. I could still meet Lily if I hurried. "I better go now. Lily asked me to go to baby yoga with her and I said I'd try to make it." I’d even dressed in black leggings and a flowing buttercup-yellow top in anticipation that I would have time.
"I wondered why you dressed in all that Lycra this morning. Don't you need a baby for baby yoga?" Solomon's gaze dropped to my stomach where there wasn't any baby. There had been a lot of discussion lately, and plenty of practice for the main event but no firm decisions. I was happy with that.
"I have no idea. I just figured we could share Poppy. Won't that make it easier?"
Solomon dropped a kiss on my lips. "Have fun."
I left my laptop and camera in the office since I didn't have a case and nothing to research. Grabbing my purse and the keys to one of the pool cars, I headed out. My car had recently exploded into a fireball during the course of an investigation and I still hadn’t purchased a new one. Driving my trusty VW for so long, I had no idea what to choose for my next vehicle. The same model? Or something newer? Or snazzier? Until I made that decision, Solomon suggested I either take his car or one of the two vehicles that he purchased for employee use while conducting agency business. Neither car was particularly fancy — Solomon preferred them boring and unnoticeable on stakeouts — but they functioned safely and they got me where I wanted to go.
Lily told me to meet her at the yoga studio on Century Street, aptly named because it probably took a hundred years to traverse in bad traffic. When I arrived, the parking lot the studio shared with several other businesses was packed tightly so I took a spot at the far end. Hopping out, I began walking towards the small group of women holding babies who were standing outside. Lily broke away and waved to me. Poppy, straddled on Lily's hip, attempted a floppy, chubby, hand wave. I hurried over, clasped Poppy's hand and embraced them both.
"What are they all so excited about?" I asked, nodding to the crowd of expensively clad women in a striking array of colored, two-piece yogawear. They were methodically forming a semi-circle with their backs to us. Even their babies seemed to chatter away animatedly.
"Please don't eat Mommy's hair," Lily chastised her gently before stopping Poppy from grabbing one of her blond curls. "There's a dad in this class," she added.
"What's so exciting about that?"
"That's what I said!"
"Is he hot?" I wondered.
"Not one bit but he does have an impressive hipster beard. They're acting like he's the latest gift from the universe because he's a stay-at-home dad, even though the majority of them are stay-at-home moms. They do the same thing he does without any beards although please don't mention that to Alicia; she's very sensitive about her facial hair."
"I still don't understand the excitement factor."
"Me neither. Their husbands must be totally useless if they think a guy paying attention to his own kid is exciting. Except for Janet."
"Is her husband wonderful?" I asked.
"No. Her wife travels a lot. She thinks all guys are sweet but pointless. Please don't get her started or she’ll gnaw your ear off with her exclusive, controversial views on sexless procreation."
"Noted." The yoga crowd parted when the doors opened and several elderly people came out. They headed en masse down the sidewalk to the coffee shop at the end of the strip. One of the elderly ladies inadvertently stomped on one of the yoga mom's feet and the mom yelled angrily after her.
"There's a lot of rivalry between classes," said Lily. "We should leave five minutes early since the class after ours can be particularly violent."
"This is yoga, Lily! We're supposed to leave here with zen in our bloodstreams, feeling joyous and a lot more bendy."