Bobby reaches over to comfort me as we pull into the parking lot. “Hey, don’t! She won’t fire you.”

“Yes she will! She doesn’t have an evolved or forgiving bone in her body, despite how she presents herself.”

“Ironic for a woman who owns a yoga studio.”

“Right? She barely even practices! She’s a trust fund baby who bought Om This to make her feel important around her rich friends, took the Teachers Training to give her facade credibility. If she taught my class she will be pissed I made her look bad. She will fire me the second she gets me alone.”

My eyes widen as I spot my Thursday morning die-hards filing out of the front door. Ducking down I cover my head and decide a second later not to be such a wuss. “Oh fuck it. Why am I hiding? Let me out.”

“I’m almost there. Just hang on.”

“Stop the car!” He slows and I jump out while it’s still moving.

This could be graceful and superhero-esque if I had any luck today.

I don’t.

Instead I go rolling and scrape up my right arm. “Ouch!”

Some of the my students run over, Laura yelling her concern the loudest. “Oh my God, Paige! Are you okay?!”

Climbing up with the help of Najma’s offered hand, I limp toward the studio. “I’m so sorry I missed class.”

Najma mutters a tentative, “It wasn’t the same, that’s for sure,” as she walks with me and Laura back to Om This.

Others who saw my tumble join us.

Ashley jogs up, joking, “Why jump out of a perfectly good vehicle?”

Dee Dee asks with concern, “You okay?”

“I don’t know. Walk with me, okay?”

“Of course!”

Jodi runs up for the left side and winces at my arm. “Oh, honey, you need to wash that out soon!”

And though she was almost to her car, Susi — who has been to every Thursday class I’ve ever had — rushes back to see why I wasn’t here. “Class was awful! Where were you? Are you sick?”

Laura points to my car, now parked with Bobby waiting for the verdict. “Paige, is that your boyfriend?”

“If he was my boyfriend, I would have broken up with him by now. He’s my brother.”

He and I lock eyes as I walk inside Om This where the two Lindas are talking to Shelby. They’re best friends who always introduce themselves by saying, ‘Yes, we’re both named Linda. You’ll get used to it.’

Linda N. glances over at our entrance, takes one look at me and says, “What the fuck happened to you?”

Linda M. mutters, “Only you would cuss before nine in the morning.”

“Is there a schedule on cussing? If so, clock me in.”

Shelby comes forward with a single glance over to Studio 1. “Jordanna’s in there.” To everyone else she says, “You guys go with her.”

Beth comes out of the bathroom with her phone to her ear, “No, I just changed and I’ll be at the office in two shakes of a lamb’s…what the hell? I’ll call you back.” She joins the march.

Jordanna Stevens is stacking bolsters with her usual amount of sloppiness. Her long black hair is pinned up like a geisha’s and her outfit flows as she moves. As she spots us her lips tighten and her blue eyes dart around. She’s trying to decide how to handle this.

“Well, Paige, you look…tired.”

“She just fell out of a car!” Susi announces while others back up the claim and murmur concern. Those who did not see my stunt, give each other looks.

Words won’t come out of my mouth, I’m so anxious. I can see behind her eyes that she is furious I’ve put her in a position where she cannot tell me what she really thinks.

She clears her throat and blinks too many times. “So, you fell out of a moving vehicle and missed class. Well, that’s…normal. I mean, acceptable. As an excuse not to be here.”

Awkward.

I try to speak but still…nothing.

She brightens and adds, “And I had such a wonderful time teaching you all. It was a gift in disguise. Not your arm getting hurt. You know what I mean.”

Weakly I nod, waiting for her to lose her mind as soon as they all leave.

Beth’s phone rings. “Oh, I have to go to work. I was just dying of curiosity, but Paige, you’re okay?”

“Uh huh.”

Everyone except Shelby says goodbye, some reaching for my hand and giving it a squeeze. Linda M. even gives me a hug. “Call if you need me?”

“Promise.”

The room empties leaving only Shelby and me with the predictably two-faced Jordanna Stevens. Her head tilts and she crosses her arms. “I can’t wait to hear this, because that car couldn’t have been moving very fast to create those little scratches.”

My lips part, but a male voice echoes off the walls instead of mine. “I ran into her car back on Piedmont.”

Jordanna and I look over.

“Ben Cocker,” he smiles extending his hand, and damn if he isn’t more handsome with those white teeth shining on us.

Shelby and I exchange a look.

That’s when it hits me for the first time. “Wait, Ben Cocker?”

Shelby tries her best to appear cool. “Like related to Gabriel Cocker, Ben Cocker?”

“He’s my cousin, yeah.” On a glance back to Jordanna he says, “But I’m way better looking than him in person.”

She giggles. “I’m Jordanna Stevens. So nice to meet you, Ben.”

Running a steady hand through his thick, sandy hair, he throws her a sexy smile like cupid’s arrow just hit him.

They’re perfect for each other.

She’s a nightmare and he runs strangers off the road. Great match!