“That’s right, ladies, you could win a date with your favorite singer heartthrob, Gabriel Cocker!”

Shelby raises the volume. “Paige, listen!”

“Sometime in the next hour we’ll play Gabriel’s hit song, Existence, so call in when you hear it! Eleventh caller wins!”

I snap the radio off with a roll of my eyes. “Nobody actually wins those things.”

“Somebody does. Why not you?” she asks as I walk to straighten the yoga pants bearing the pretty Om This logo.

When Bobby resurfaces I’ll confront him.

I can’t believe he did this to us.

If don’t have rent by Monday…

We’ll be on the streets.

I’m sure he’ll come home tonight.

It’s going to be…

“Shit!” my best friend shouts, staring at the calendar. “Nobody has signed up for my class! Am I doing something wrong? There are twenty-two students for yours and five reserved for mine! Why!?”

“Did you check the bathrooms?”

“Yes, the janitor did a bang-up job. We can now eat off the toilet seats.”

Under my breath I remind myself, “Have to hang a new guidelines note on the back door. The old one is torn.”

“You didn’t answer my question.”

I mumble, “Put on the Zen playlist, Shelbs. People will be here at any minute. No commercials during class.“

She shouts, “PAIGE!”

Startled I drop the pants. “Jeez! What?”

“Where are you right now? I’ve been talking to you and you’re not listening!”

Fantastic.

How am I supposed to teach classes like this?

If I’m going to survive the day I’d better focus.

Rolling my dark brown hair into a tight bun I blink at her. “I’m sorry, what were you saying?”

“That you have way more people signed up. Look!” She whips the iPad around and points to the calendar. “You. Me. Twenty-two. Five. Huge difference! Is my teaching really that terrible?”

“No! You’re amazing.” She doesn’t catch the lavender incense I toss at her. It goes clattering to the ground as I insist, “I’m personally addicted to your classes!”

“They apparently do not agree with you. These signups don’t lie.”

“You’re a great teacher and you know it. Pick up the incense.”

Writing today’s date on a fresh mailing list she shakes her head. “I’m not a healer like you, Paige. You make stress go away just by the sound of your soothing voice.”

I sigh, “That’s ironic.”

“What is?”

That I can make other people’s stress go away, yet here I am with knots in my stomach.

“Nothing. Pick up the incense!”

“You threw it. Okay! I’m getting it.”

I flip the sign over in the window from ‘Love and Light’ to ‘All Are Welcome,” and pause as I see the darkening parking lot and black polka dots appearing on the asphalt.

Touching the glass I moan, “No!”

We get paid by the number of students we teach.

I need every single one of them attending today.

No cancellations.

Is life always going to be this hard?

Shelby asks, “What’s wrong?”

“The clouds are coming in like the Devil sent them. Half our students won’t show up now.”

“That means I’ll have two-point-five people?! How am I going to teach half a human?”

“You’re being ridiculous. Look at your lunchtime class. Is there an increase there?”

She runs her finger around the screen and tilts her head. “Okay, I’ve got thirty-three people for it. I’ll stop whining. Oh, listen! I haven’t heard this song in ages!” She turns up the volume. An old Simone Ross-Taylor hit fills the air with an amazing dance beat. “God, whatever happened to her?”

“I read she got married and had kids, moved to Spain.”

“He wouldn’t let her sing?”

“No, he did. I think she just didn’t want to grow old in front of her fans.”

“Tragic!” Shelby climbs on the stool that lives behind the register, and starts wiggling her ass and arms, blonde curls bouncing. “Dance with me, Paige!”

“I’m not in the mood to dance,” I grumble, but my hips are moving despite my worries.

She shouts, “Woot! Woot!” and spins her head around. The silliness is infectious so I grab a purple yoga mat from our Sale rack and dance like it’s my tango partner. “Break it down, Paige! That’s right! Do it! Yeah baby! Break it down!”

The bells twinkle as three of our Monday morning regulars hurry in leaving raindrops reaching for them.

But do we stop?

Hells to the no!

Nisse takes one look and laughs, “Is this the kind of day we’re having?”

While I dip my purple lover, Shelby calls to Nisse and the other students over the music, “It is now!”

Of course our wild Lisa jumps in immediately. That woman is up for anything. “I so need to dance, you don’t even know.”

Michelle sets down her things with a shrug, “Screw it, I’m in,” and starts grooving without inhibition.

Outside, the rain is picking up at a feverish pace. More students catapult themselves into our store to escape it. Angela, Liz, Ruby and Pam each brush water off their hair while reacting to our impromptu dance party.

Angela cries out, “Where’s the wine?!”

Liz laughs, “She’s not joking.”

“I am totally joking!”

Ruby roll her eyes. “I could use a drink after getting my kids to school.”

Pam mutters, “Right? Getting Henry in his car-seat was like wrestling a gator.”

Everyone laughs, shaking their bodies freely and without a need to be ‘good’ as the last few stragglers hurry in – Ms. Bauer, Josephine and Brenda.

Brenda grabs Josephine’s hand to make her swing dance, modifying elaborate moves for the compact space.

I call over, “Wow! Look at you, Brenda!”

“I used to teach Swing at the YMCA!”

Josephine is laughing. “You’re amazing. Will you give my husband lessons?”

“Honey, don’t tempt me. We’re all friends here!”

We all whoop at her joke.

The only one who refuses to join in is Ms. Bauer. Honestly, that she even attends class at all is a mystery to me, much less the three days a week as she religiously does. She’s never spoken to anyone. The only greeting I’ve ever received from her is a grunt.

Does she dampen our spirits?

Not one little bit.

When it switches to another song, Shelby and I lock eyes and holler, “Can we get a hell yeah?”

They all raise their arms and shout, “Hell yeah!” except for Ms. Bauer.

And we dance that whole song, too.

As it nears its end I glance to the clock. Exactly three minutes ago we were supposed to have started our classes.

I call out, “Shelbs, much as I hate to say this, turn it off. We have to begin. Some of you guys work right after this?”

Groans all around because yes, everyone has obligations whether it’s work or community philanthropy, or just cleaning the damn house before their kids have torn it up again.

Nisse announces, “My babysitter charges double when I’m late. It’s my fault! The clock and I aren’t friends.”

Michelle suggests, “You really should call Terrianne. She’s very fair and wouldn’t penalize you for that.”

Lisa tells everyone, “I adore Terrianne! Last time she babysat for my boys she brought home-baked banana bread. She’s amazing!”

Nisse shakes her head. “It’s my kids! We love Jax P-J, they always cry out. That’s Jackie’s nickname. Cute huh? What can I do?”

“Be on time.”

“Nope.”

Shelby shouts, “No paying double!” as her fingers reach for the dial to switch to our Zen playlist.

All of sudden a horrendous noise explodes in our lobby-store as Ms. Bauer hack coughs like crazy, calling everyone’s attention to her because it is loud and hideous. She bends over with her drink canister held far away like whatever was in it poisoned her.

I hurry over to the poor woman as her face goes dark red. “Raise your arms over your head, Ms. Bauer! Your lungs need space. Come on! Arms up!” I grab them and hold them high. As a thank you I get a fresh round of hacking right in my face. But it worked, and she starts to calm down.

Shelby shouts, “Hey, Listen!” She’s pointing at the radio, her cell phone pressed tightly against her ear.

The DJ says, “Hello! Tell me your name!”

Shelby says, “This is Paige Miller calling!”

My jaw drops.

“Well, Paige Miller, can you guess what caller you are?”

Shelby asks, “The eleventh one?”

He does a dramatic pause and bellows, “That’s right! You’re the eleventh caller, Paige! You’ve won a date with Gabriel Cocker, plus two tickets to his concert this Friday night!”

Our students start screaming their brains out.

Most are happily married.

Doesn’t matter. He’s that hot.

Ruby shouts, “Oh my God! Oh my God!”

Brenda makes monkey sounds through cupped hands.

Stunned I say, “I didn’t even hear his song come on.”

The DJ laughs through the speakers, “We have some Gabriel fans there with you, Paige?”

“We sure do!” Shelby grins then holds the phone out for more hooting and shouting from all the women here.

That is, everyone but Ms. Bauer...and me.

“Paige, your friends must think you are one lucky girl. Now hold on the line and someone will collect your information. And to the rest of you Gabriel fans listening to K.L.C.K. we’ve got more tickets coming up to give away, every hour on the hour!”

The volume of Existence increases back to normal as Shelby bounces around, waiting for the radio station to take her off hold.

I am speechless.

Ms. Bauer for the very first time, isn’t.

“You bitch!”

She storms out.

We all stare after her and Angela mutters, “What the hell was that about!?”

Brenda cocks an eyebrow with a knowing look. “The people who won’t dance are the ones who need it most.”

They disappear.

I hear someone announce from the other room, “I can’t dance but I still do it!”

“You have to dance,” someone else mutters. “It’s mandatory for living.”

I’m alone again with my best friend who just did the stupidest thing without my permission and without knowing about the troubles in my life. Stunned I whisper, “Oh my God, Shelby, why did you do that?”

“You’ll thank me later,” she smirks.