In Bloom: A Small Town Romance (Seasons of Highland Lakes Book 1)

by Nikki Blythe

  I nodded in agreement and kept to my task. I was almost done, and I pulled back to wipe some excess blood away from the tattoo as I surveyed all I had left. Just some shading, maybe a half an hour’s worth of work at the most.

  Levi’s surprised hoot broke my concentration, however.

  “Who is Cedar?” He asked with a lascivious lilt to his tone.

  “Who?” I asked, hoping to play dumb.

  I wasn’t ready to talk to Levi about Cedar just yet.

  “Hey, this is Cedar,” he read out from my text messages.

  Shit.

  “Yeah, who is Cedar?” Axel asked, his dark eyes looming on my face, a twinkle of amusement mocking me.

  I sighed. resigned.

  “So, yesterday, after work, I ran into this woman. Literally,” I began, talking as I refocused on the task of finishing Axel’s ink. “She was carrying smoothies as she exited the coffee shop, and I ran into her as I entered, spilling them all over her. She was so sweet about it, though. She didn’t get angry, or if she did, I couldn’t tell. I helped her get cleaned up and walked her to work. She owns that yoga studio just around the corner.”

  Axel gasped, and I looked up as I pulled the gun away from his skin, afraid I caused him pain. Instead, he grinned broadly.

  “I’ve seen her out and about. She’s one sexy lady, man. All that yoga does her ass some favors,” he winked.

  Levi and I exchanged smirks, and Levi forged on.

  “So, you exchanged numbers?” He asked.

  “Yeah. I meant to text her earlier, but I got a call from Faith, who apologized for our fight yesterday before work.”

  Axel shook his head. As a regular, he knew me better than most people, and he and Levi were in total agreement that Faith and I weren’t meant for each other. I knew they were right, but what could I do?

  “Y’all had another fight?” Levi asked.

  “Was this one violent?” Axel added.

  “No, not really. Just the same bullshit about how this isn’t a real job,” I gestured around me with a gloved hand.

  Axel scoffed. “With the amount I spend in this parlor alone, she better be grateful, because this is what pays the bills, man. Not a real job,” he mocked.

  “What Axel said,” replied Levi with a smirk. “Look, you know how we feel about Faith. Maybe you should pursue this thing with this new woman. She seems nice, right? Here, let’s not leave her hanging.”

  He pulled my texts back up on the phone and began typing.

  Ice gripped my heart. “What are you saying?”

  Given Levi’s lecherous ways, I thought whatever he typed could be anything from tame to pornographic.

  “Chill, I’m just saying ‘hey,’” he said, waving me off.

  “That’s it?” I asked.

  Axel laughed again. “Well, yeah, man, that’s sort of how you have a conversation, you know.”

  “You do remember that I’m holding a needle gun, right?” I mock-threatened, waving the gun lightly, which just made Axel laugh harder.

  “When was the last time you talked to a woman that wasn’t Faith?”

  I thought for a moment. I had been with Faith for the last several years. We met online while I was in high school. I grew up in a town across the state, and she grew up in Highland Lakes. My father was a drunk, and at 18, I finally had the ability to get out of his house. I left to move in with her, and at first everything was great. She was attentive, and so was I. Just like a fairy tale, I always thought. The more time went on though, the more I realized that my initial infatuation had everything to do with the fact that I viewed her as a savior. It tied me to her in a sort of twisted, toxic bond, that was draining my life force with each passing day.

  “It’s been a long time,” Levi answered for me. “Cedar responded by asking what you’re up to.”

  “Work,” I said matter-of-factly. A bit of a boring response, but at least it was honest.

  “Thinking of you,” Levi said as he typed.

  “What? Don’t do that!” I cried. “Won’t that make me look a bit desperate?”

  Levi adjusted himself on his stool and laughed. “No, dude, it makes you look like you give a shit. You have to play to your strengths, and with your heart of gold, you’re a catch for any woman.”

  I swallowed hard. “Levi, I’m in a relationship.”

  “Yeah, and you know how I feel about that abusive bitch.”

  “That’s a little harsh,” I whispered, refocusing on the tattoo on Axel’s shoulder. There was a moment of silence, in which the only sound was the tattoo gun, and the squeak of my stool as I adjusted to draw a difficult angle.

  “Is it really that harsh, though?” Axel chimed in. “Man, I’ve been coming here for the past few years, and this is the first time I’ve ever seen your face light up about anything. From the stories you and Levi have told me, I’m not sure you should still be with this woman, and you definitely shouldn’t feel guilty just for talking to someone else. It’s not like you’re cheating.”

  “Wouldn’t it be a bit like cheating, though? And she doesn’t know I’m even in a relationship. It’s not fair to her,” I said over the low hum of the tattoo gun.

  “Eh, you have a point, I guess,” Levi conceded.

  He stood and walked out of the booth Axel and I were in. Axel and I exchanged glances, then I shrugged and went back to work. The conversation died down for a few minutes, and it was blissful. I was uncomfortable with what these two were suggesting, but I was even more uncomfortable with how willing I was to go along with their idea.

  Levi came back a few minutes later, clapping his hands as if he had just completed a momentous task.

  “I put a sign on the door, we’re closed for the rest of the night. We didn’t have any appointments after Axel, and it’s Tuesday. No more drunks to ink. Thank fuck,” he said.

  I pulled the gun away from Axel’s skin and stared at Levi in awe as he stretched and started cleaning and placing tools in the autoclave.

  He never suggested closing early. In fact, the only reason we even stayed open as late as we did is so that I didn’t have to be home at the same time as Faith. Levi has never liked her, and he viewed it as his solemn duty to ensure I was away from her as much as possible without raising suspicion. Little did he know, Faith knew all about his little ploy, which was why she disliked him in return.

  “Why are we closing?” I asked, suspicion heavy on my tone.

  “We’re going to get some sleep, then we’re going to attend one of Cedar’s yoga classes!” Levi responded as if that was the most obvious thing in the world.

  Axel and I exchanged glances again.

  “Come on, you two. It’ll be fun. And besides, they say yoga is good for you! Axel, you in?”

  Axel took a moment to respond, and I wondered how many expletives came to mind before he finally said, “Nah, you two have fun. I’m out.”

  “Buzzkill. Well,” Levi turned to me. “You can’t back out.” He pulled his own phone from his pocket and looked up the yoga studio’s website.

  “Yeah, look, they have a beginner’s class at 9:00 am. We’ll go then!”

  “I’m not going to her class, man,” I laughed. “I’m glad to take the rest of the night off, though.”

  I was already working out what I would tell Faith. She would likely just use the hours I wasn’t working as ammunition for another fight, and I didn’t have the energy for another fight in me. I couldn’t go home, so I figured I could nap on the couch in the break room.

  Whatever else happened I knew one thing: I was absolutely not going to some yoga class just to get closer to a woman I shouldn’t be talking to in the first place.

  Chapter Six

  Cedar

  I looked up from the front desk and felt my heart skip a beat. I took a step back in surprise as I watched Neville walk in with a tall man, one who seemed familiar, but I couldn’t place.

  “Good morning,” called the strange man. “We’re here to take your beginner�
��s lesson.”

  “Oh!” I said, still too stunned to react in any other way. “Did you call ahead or anything?”

  I flipped through my date book and had a fleeting moment of panic as I didn’t see Neville’s name anywhere. Then, I realized that I would have remembered him calling to sign up for the class, so there was no need for my panic.

  “No, no,” the man assured me.

  I stole a glance at Neville whose face was red. His black t-shirt—did he own any other color?—bound his muscles, and I had to resist the urge to walk around the desk and run my hands down his chest. Neville’s hands were stuffed in the pockets of his basketball shorts, and I thought maybe this class wasn’t his idea.

  I flicked my eyes back to the man.

  “What’s your name? This course just starts today, and we’re almost full, but I can squeeze you both in. You can try the first class for free, but next week I’ll start charging you,” I said professionally.

  I mentally grumbled to myself about how fake my customer service voice sounded.

  “My name is Levi, and this is Neville,” he said.

  His broad grin told me he already knew that Neville and I had already met, but I chose not to say anything.

  “Yeah, all right,” I sighed. “It’s nice to see you again, Neville,” I smiled.

  A wave of giddiness struck me, and I felt like I was in middle school again.

  He responded with a wave and a smile of his own.

  “Are we late? I was worried we might not make it on time,” he said in a soft voice.

  It would have been very easy for Neville to be loud. His deep voice was the kind that resonated deep in your chest. As it was, with his low volume, it sounded almost like the rumble of distant thunder. I longed to sit in solitude with Neville, to get to know him better and to hear him use that sultry voice to seduce me.

  I mentally shook myself. Not the time, for fuck’s sake.

  “No, you’re not late,” I said, quelling my heated desire with a subtle, but deep breath. “We’re just about to start in ten minutes. You can head into classroom three; that’s where we’ll get started today. Go ahead and mingle with the other students, I’ll be in very shortly.”

  I directed them to the correct room with an extended arm. I noticed Neville’s eyes following the curve of my arm, and I dropped my hand back to my side immediately.

  “Sounds good!” Levi said, seemingly oblivious to the fireworks between me and his best friend.

  They wandered into the classroom, and I took a moment to steady myself at the front desk. Normally, I wouldn’t be at the desk, but my assistant needed a restroom break, so I’d taken over for the moment. As awkward as the encounter was, I was grateful for that, because if Neville and Levi had walked into my class without my being prepared for their presence, I’m not sure how I would have reacted.

  As it was, I wasn’t entirely sure I’d make it through the whole hour-long class without losing my senses completely.

  I had to admit, the timing was a bit absurd. After our brief text conversation the night before, I had lost myself in visions of him walking into the studio. I imagined me laying hands on him to guide him into poses, and one thought led to another, and suddenly I was relieving myself of the image with a few simple flicks of my finger.

  Having him in the studio for real was jarring and not at all helping the way I felt about the man.

  I decided after my little daydream that I would go ahead and get to know Neville without any expectations for the relationship, but I couldn’t help but hope it would develop into something serious.

  I still worried quite a bit about whether Neville even returned the feelings, but surely a friendship could form, even if there wasn’t the possibility of going any further.

  I desperately wanted to go further, though. Desperately. It had been awhile since I’d even been touched by a man I thought remotely worthy of my attention. At the same time, though, I was still unsure if I was ready for a relationship. Perhaps, he would be interested in a friends-with-benefits arrangement, I thought.

  But then, I wasn’t capable of sustaining that sort of friendship, so it was a moot point. I either needed to get over my fear of entering a relationship, and see how things turned out, or I needed to just let things lie. I couldn’t have it both ways, and I knew that.

  I took a deep breath as my receptionist returned to her post. She gave me a look, and I just shook my head.

  “I’m going in to start my class. You good here?” I asked.

  “Yes, ma’am,” Bethany trilled.

  Ah, bless Bethany and her eternal good mood and optimism. She really was such a joy to work with.

  “All right, see you in a bit.”

  I rolled my shoulders back and walked into the classroom, head held high, and mind on the task at hand.

  “Welcome, everyone!” I called as I entered.

  I scanned the room and took stock of the nine students who had signed up. I noticed Neville and Levi sitting on mats in the back of the room. I wondered idly if they would cause trouble. Neville’s sheepish expression told me he likely wouldn’t, but Levi’s broad grin said he might. I just wasn’t sure what kind of trouble it would be.

  “My name is Cedar Hughes,” I continued. “I am the owner and lead instructor here, and I am so happy you all could join me!”

  I locked eyes with Neville for half a moment, then scanned the faces of the rest of the class.

  “So, each of you has decided to take this class in order to learn more about yoga, I assume. If not, you might be in the wrong place,” I joked.

  A few students laughed along with me.

  “It’s important to understand that I am very big on safety, and it’s for that reason that I had you all sign a waiver declaring your health before you started this class.”

  Shit, all except Neville and Levi. Hopefully, they didn’t have some random chronic illness that might cause them to drop dead in my studio. I doubted it. No one had ever really died of practicing yoga before, but my lawyer advised me to have the waiver, anyway. I would have to catch them after class and have them sign the paperwork.

  I carried on with my introductory speech, and then began with an explanation of various poses, along with a basic demonstration of each. There were ten basic poses I liked to teach in the beginning, including downward-facing dog, child’s pose, warrior pose, and mountain pose. They all looked relatively easy to an onlooker, but as my students would soon find out, holding the poses in various flows over the course of an hour was more difficult than any of them had likely imagined. Especially given that they hadn’t yet built the muscle memory required to ease into and out of each pose.

  “So, to begin with, we’ll practice entering each pose and holding that pose for a brief time. By the end of this twelve-week course, we’ll have you flowing from one pose to the next, so that there is little interruption. You’ll find that once you reach that point, it can become relaxing and an excellent source of grounding for any tense or anxious situations.”

  I guided them through the first pose, explaining how to hold it and breathe properly.

  While I directed most of my students to close their eyes, I kept mine open so I could monitor their progress. I scanned the back of the class and my eyes found Neville’s. He hadn’t closed his eyes at all, and I guessed he must have been staring at me the whole time.

  I gave him an automatic smile, and he returned the gesture in kind. I broke eye contact and moved the class on to the next pose.

  At the end of class, I was sweating, and so were most of the students. I stood by the door, bidding everyone farewell and a wish that I would see them next class. There were a couple of people I thought I might never see again, given how they reacted to the initial difficulty.

  Neville and Levi were the last to leave, which reminded me to grab their unsigned paperwork.

  “That was so much harder than I thought it would be,” said a still sweating Levi.

  I laughed. “Yeah, many
people think that yoga is this super easy activity that requires very little effort, but as you can see, it most certainly is not.”

  “No shit,” Levi said.

  I shook my head. “I forgot to have to sign some paperwork when you came in. Do y’all have a minute to fill it out now?” I asked, hoping to get the conversation in the direction I needed it to head.

  “Yeah, of course. The waiver?” Asked Neville.

  “Mm-hmm,” I replied as I led them to the front desk again. “I’m sure you know all about these. Don’t clients have to fill these sorts of things out at a tattoo parlor?”

  “They sure do,” Neville smiled. “Funny how we have such different businesses, and yet both require this sort of bureaucratic nonsense.”

  “I know,” I said before turning to Bethany. “Bethany, can you grab me two copies of the health waivers?”

  She nodded, drew two packets of paper from a drawer and placed them in my hand. I handed the packets and two of the pens off the desk to Neville and Levi.

  I watched as they began filling out the forms, and noted that Neville was left-handed, just like me. I smiled at the thought. We had a lot in common, it seemed.

  Neville was the first through his form, and he handed it back to me with a smile.

  “You have a really great place here,” he said, looking around. “I should definitely keep taking these classes. I feel more relaxed already!”

  I followed his eyes as they explored the lobby. I had put a concerted effort into creating a warm, inviting space for anyone who walked through my door. The desk sat right next to the front door, but that was the only business-like thing about the lobby. Beyond that, there were potted plants and bonsai trees placed on various wall-mounted shelves. There were a couple of comfy armchairs that I bought from an estate sale, so they were worn in and comfortable. I intentionally created the space so that it didn’t feel as if my students were sitting in the waiting room of a doctor’s office. It was perfect, in my humble opinion.

  “Ah, you’ll feel sore in a couple of hours. You might rethink your plans to return at that point,” I laughed.