Erika at the gym

"You threw it out?!" Erika blurted between sips of Strawberry Sunrise. She was in her usual workout getup of purple yoga pants and a pink headband, her curly hair pulled up in a high thick ponytail.

"Sshhh," I said as I closed my locker, my hair similarly styled, "keep your voice down."

"But you--I mean, Jasper won't--oh my god, seriously Riley that's just--bahahahaha," the blonde start-stopped a couple times, before throwing her head back in a peel of laughter.

"What's so funny?" I set my yoga mat down for a moment to adjust my teal sports bra. My boobs felt a bit too loose today, and I didn't want them to flop around while we stretched.

"Nothing nothing, just wow, Riley that's cold," Erika shook her head returning to her juice, "I didn't think you had it in you. No frantic texts from Jasper yet?"

"He hasn't said anything," I shrugged my shoulders. I had since locked my phone and glasses away. As soon as I'd arrived, Erika had been quick to ask for any updates on "Pocket-Gate", and I figured there was no harm in cluing her in. Though I opted to leave out the morning's douching attempt.

"Goodness," she said, a mat under her arm as we headed to our class. "Do you think he'll be mad when he finds out?"

"Oh I'll just deny it," I replied with a wave of my hand, "or tell him it was an accident. Like I was getting rid of cleaning products and must've thrown it out by mistake. It's not like he's going rush out to find it today--not after last night."

"OoOOoo, what happened last night, Ms. Riles?" Erika poked teasingly at my midriff, "What happened last night? Did the happy homeowners rearrange the furniture?"

"Why do I talk to you?"

"Because you like me," my friend giggled as we rolled out our mats on the floor. There was a group of about 12 of us, all women, sitting or stretching in the humid rectangular room. We had arranged our mats opposite a giant wall of mirrors, and didn't have to wait long before our instructor came in.

"Namaste, ladies."

"Namaste, Marco," we called back in return.

Marco was a Hong Kongese expat with chiseled arms and a penchant for neckwear. His multiple necklaces were arranged about his collar like the spoils of war, and he was dressed in a pair of yellow short shorts that came to about mid thigh on his muscular legs. Erika and I had taken a class with him before, and though a bit humorless, he was a good teacher and certainly easy on the eyes. He strolled to the front of the class before plugging in a grey boombox that started to play soft soothing music as we all came to attention. Marco then asked us to start in child pose while he went over some instructions.

"Now ladies, if you can't tell by the temperature this is hot yoga! I trust you've all been drinking plenty of water. Since this is the first class, we will be going slowly, but if you need to take a break, that's fine, too. Your bodies will be removing a lot of impurities, so proceed at your own pace, and I will be here to guide you for the next 90 minutes."

"So bossy," Erika whispered, and I smiled behind my mask.

"Please remember to be quiet and respectful to your fellow yoga practitioners," Marco's eyes narrowed looking in our direction, "and Riley you can take off your mask, if it'd make you more comfortable."

I shook my head, "no thanks, I'm fine like this." Not wanting anyone to see the red oval on my face, makeup or no.

"Very well, let's begin."

Marco took us through some deep breathing as we got up on all fours. The muggy room was slowly starting to effect some of the girls, but I was feeling okay and not too sweaty just yet. Telling us to alternate lifting up our legs, Marco moved to help a woman on the far side of the room, giving Erika the opportunity to whisper.

"Hey, your butt," she mouthed holding up an okay symbol, "looks good today."

I rolled my eyes then smiled at her, "Yours, too."

"I know, right?" She grinned and I tittered in response, but Marco was quick to interject.

"Si-lent-ly, arch your backs and take a deep breath in."

We both inhaled, arching our backs till our bodies formed tight "u" shapes, but on the exhale I tensed up as my torso bent uncomfortably in the wrong direction. **** up a little on the breath, I tried to readjust my body's bridge-like position, but instead felt my back fold in on itself as my distended stomach almost touching the floor. Still up on my knees, my back had somehow accordioned to where my waist was closer to my shoulders than I thought humanly possible. A pocket of air rolling up my chest escaped my lips with a soft belch.

"Uurp," I hiccuped, before clasping a hand to my mask, but still managing to draw Marco's ire, his necklaces jingled in consternation as his head whipped to the source of the sound. I quickly grabbed my pretzeled body, and drew myself into an innocent seated position. Reaching back to touch my spine, I was happy to feel my vertebra all seemingly in working order and supporting me perfectly as I sat up straight. I shifted to the right in an effort to crack my back, but instead came face to face with Erika, her mouth agape.

"What the hell was that?" The blonde asked surprised and staring at my recovered abdomen. I grimaced and started to respond, "yeah, kind of stretched weirdly," but Marco beat me to it.

"Erika and Riley, this is a silent exercise," called Marco, "focus your minds on your bodies at this time."

Erika opened her mouth, prepared to give Marco a piece of her incredibly focused mind, but I held up my hand to stop her and shook my head. Unconvinced, Erika gestured to my stomach, bending her fingers back while she stuck out her tongue in disgust, but I shook it off with a quick thumbs up, letting her know I was fine. She sighed but returned to yoga. I looked in the mirror and saw my skin was looking a little pink as we moved to standing poses.

"And balance...very good, very good. You should feel a nice stretch in the back of your thigh," the shredded instructor continued as he demonstrated the correct form.

I started to breathe a little harder, the heat finally catching up to me. My sports bra was looking a bit damp and I could feel the beads of sweat clinging to my hairline. I reached up to brush some of it away, but I could feel more condensation rising up to take its place.

Yes, it feels good to be warm

A shudder ran up my back. A strange sensation as my abdomen released a pile of tension all at once, followed quickly by my back, midsection, and chest doing the same. As the sensation reached my throat, I couldn't help but vocalize it, letting out a gratified swoon, much too guttural for polite company. Embarrassed, my eyes darted about rapidly. The sensation had left my torso slick with sweat.

"Wherever our bodies take us...is good," Marco tried to cover for me as several of the surrounding ladies looked at me concerned. Erika too was side-eyeing me nervously. I excused myself and paused to take a drink of water, trying to cool down but to no avail. The liquid just seemed to flow right through me. So fanning myself as best I could, I returned to balancing on one foot, hoping Marco was about to give us a break.

"Now if everyone could put their...hands above their heads, we're going to try the balancing stick pose," Marco droned on, looking at me intently, "don't worry if this is too advanced, you can try it all in your own time."

Like the rest of the class, I stood on my right leg, bending at the waist while lifting my back leg behind me. The stretch was awkward and hard to maintain with my arms stretched out in front of me, but I stared at the floor feeling drops of moisture falling from my neck and back. "Jesus, Riley, you're burning up," I panted to myself,and shifted my balance forward to ease the heat. Feverish, I let out another moan as my body bent down till my nose was practically touching my right knee.

"Whoa, Riles, when'd you learn to do that?" I heard Erika distantly call. I hazily tilted my head in her direction, only to realize my left leg was now pointed skyward, outstretched above me.

The class gasped and Marco swore something in Cantonese. "My, well everyone, a round of applause for Riley, she's going for a standing split!" Several of the women who had given up clapped politely, as I wildly blinked in confusion. Having never attempted any kind of split, standing or otherwise, I was understandably freaked out that my hips were extended as they were. Carefully, I started to lower my flushed body, only to feel Marco come up behind me to steady my upturned leg. My lungs inhaled sharply at his sudden grip.

"Now, you've almost got it," the yoga instructor impressed. "Just relax your back leg muscles while I hold you steady, okay?" His hands felt so strong and reassuring, so much so, I nodded in spite of myself, allowing the instructor to continue when I would've much rather brought the appendage back down. Edging my outstretched limb forward, I felt my insides stretch like dough as my two legs pulled to either side, my body opening to the humid onlookers as my sweat-drenched yoga pants were pulled 180 degrees. Another shudder, but this time pulsing downward, as Marco edged my quads to their breaking point, and somehow went beyond. From my upturned position, I look down at his chiseled legs, glistening in the light and slowly drew my gaze up, up, up till I was staring at his yellow short shorts. Beneath the lemon fabric, the Asian man's turgid member was fully outlined, tracing the length of his inseam and fully erect.

He...wants...you

I gasped, my heated limbs flaying at the alien and intrusive thought. Losing the split and Marco's grip, I tumbled to the yoga mat, bumping my chin on the thin material, and tearing my mask in the process.

"Are you alright?" Marco cried out as he and Erika scrambled to the floor. I turned to look at him, but staring at his shorts instead, spun around to search for my water bottle. My insides burned like lava.

"Mmm...mmmaah...so...hot," I mumbled, breathing heavily. I clutched my hand to my burning groin and rubbed violently as I gasped for air. Confusing emotions surging through me, I could feel my mind attempting to pull itself in two directions, just like my legs a moment ago. Erika helpfully fished for my water, but when I refused to drink it, doused it on my face in an effort to cool me down. Pouring down my heaving chest, the water pooled and trickled down my bras, but its presence on my clammy skin only seemed to fuel my need.

"Is she okay?" An onlooker called. "What's that on her face?" Another asked.

Suddenly horrified as I remembered my morning rash, I looked to the mirror to see the foundation had fallen away, revealing the puffy red circle now plainly visible behind my broken mask. Frantically, I covered my face with my hands, the humiliation almost breaking me from reverie. Still burning inside, I spun around, searching for options, but seeing none, I hoisted up my yoga mat and fled in a panic for the gym room door.

"Riley wait no--," Erika called. "Are you alright?" Marco shouted in pursuit, but I paid them no mind. My heart racing and my insides on fire, I dashed from the yoga class in a heated daze, not even taking a second glance.