bent in a reverse-seven position flat in front of her while her right leg was extended straight out on the floor behind. Her hands reached in front of her, fingertips touching the floor, and she eased her torso down so her belly settled onto her left calf.
The position caused a beautiful sort of pleasure-discomfort that opened her hips and reminded her that sitting or even walking every day still required her to stretch her muscles to remain flexible.
Helga was next to her doing the same thing, but her forehead was actually resting on the floor, because she, unlike Vivien, hadn’t skipped yoga class for the last month. “It hurts so good,” she said, taking a deep yogic breath.
Vivien did the same, and when she released the long, steady breath, she was rewarded by sinking deeper and flatter into her mat. Oh yes…almost as good as sex.
“I know what you’re thinking,” Cherry Wilder murmured as she approached Vivien. Cherry, who was one of Maxine Took’s cohorts and a Tuesday Lady, was the studio owner and teacher. Somewhere over sixty, she looked like a very fit Sharon Stone with slender, cut arms bared by a skintight tank in neon blue and short platinum-blond hair.
“You do?” Vivien muttered. Hell, she certainly hoped not.
Cherry placed a firm hand on the center of Vivien’s back, right between her shoulder blades, and said, “Deep breath, Vivien, and now…exhale…” Her hand, flat and gentle, helped coax Vivien down into an even deeper stretch. “You’re thinking, When is she going to let me come out of this so I can do the other side?”
Vivien huffed a laugh as Helga snorted into the floor next to her. “She likes to torture us,” said Helga in a muffled voice.
“That’s right,” Cherry said lightly. “But all right, class, time to switch sides.”
Everyone made little groaning noises of relief as they came out of the position and pulled right legs up and slid left legs straight back.
“What did you need to talk to me about?” Helga said a while later as they rolled over onto their backs for shivasana—the final position of simply resting, face-up, hands at sides, eyes closed, breathing deeply.
“Shh,” murmured Vivien as she took inventory of her body while stretching long and low on her mat. She was a little achy but felt energized deep inside as well. This last hour of simple, easy movement had almost enabled her to put away what had happened yesterday morning at the theater.
Almost.
But now that class was over, it all came back.
She’d decided she had to tell someone, and Helga, being a cop, a very practical person, and Vivien’s oldest and best friend in Wicks Hollow, was the obvious option.
“Tea shop?” asked Helga as they retrieved and put on their shoes in the foyer of the yoga studio. “I’m in the mood for one of auntie’s cinnamon scones. She’ll give us a table in the back.”
“Mmm,” said Vivien. The last thing she wanted or needed was Maxine Took to catch wind of what had happened. “How about we get a glass of wine on the patio at Trib’s instead? You’re not on call tonight. Besides, I owe you for picking up my tab yesterday.”
“Wine after yoga?” Helga looked at her with raised eyebrows. “Don’t you want to at least bask in the wholesomeness of listening to your body’s wisdom before you contaminate it with the wickedness of alcohol?”
“Yada, yada,” Vivien said, flapping a hand at her friend. “Like you don’t snag a chocolate bar half the time after yoga instead of drinking a liter of water like you should.”
“Chocolate after yoga?” They both turned to see Cherry standing there with a bemused look on her face. “I hope it’s at least seventy-five percent cacao.”
“Of course it is, Aunt Cherry,” said Helga with an innocent grin. Cherry wasn’t her aunt, but she’d always used the term for each of her Aunt Orbra’s friends. “And fair-use-sourced and stone-ground and in limited, recycled packaging and everything else that makes it okay for consumption.”
“Whatever it is, if it requires wine after yoga, make sure Trib pours you some of that Sancerre he keeps in the back. It’s by request only,” Cherry told them. Then she leaned closer so none of her other students could hear. “If I didn’t have a hatha class right now, I’d invite myself to join you. It’s been a hell of a week.”
“But it’s only Wednesday,” said Vivien with a laugh.
“Tell me about it!” Cherry clapped her on the back, then turned