“Yoga or teaching it?”
“Both.”
“My mom was always doing yoga around the house when I was growing up. I would do a pose or two with her, then get bored and go do something else. Then when I got to Valley I took a more advanced yoga class. It was so hard, but I loved the challenge, and it really helps with skating.” I swipe my card on the door reader to let us in the locked room. “And I started teaching when I realized I could get paid for doing something I was planning on doing anyway.”
She laughs. “It doesn’t suck the joy out of it for you being a job?”
“There are days I dread coming, but once class starts, no, I love it.”
“That’s really cool, and you’re good at it so it works out well for everyone.”
I start the music and sit on the floor to stretch out. “What are you going to do this summer?”
She lets her shoulders sag forward and the end of her red ponytail falls over one arm. “I have applied for so many internships, but so far they’re either unpaid or the salary is so low I couldn’t afford to feed myself.”
“What kind of internship are you looking for?” I ask.
While we wait for people to join the class, Dakota tells me she wants to do public relations or marketing and she’s hoping to find something this summer to get some experience for her resume.
“It looks like it’s going to be another summer working at the Hall of Fame. It’s so quiet over the summer. The only people that come in for tours are alumni wanting to relive their glory years.”
“Oh, that sounds kind of nice.” A few people have joined us and are rolling out their mats and getting ready.
“It really isn’t. Never fails, I get stuck listening to an hour’s worth of stories about how much harder they partied back then or how much better the team was.”
I laugh at the visual.
“I’m whining. I’m sorry. It’s a wonderful job and I love it, but I’m starting to seriously stress about graduating and getting a real job.”
“I feel that. I’ve spent many nights lying awake wondering if I should just get another degree and keep doing this for another couple of years.”
“Working out and getting paid? I could get down with that too.”
Dakota is athletic and in great shape, but after the first class, she falls back onto her mat and declares that she is done.
“That was beginner?” She places a forearm over her eyes.
“You didn’t have to do the modified versions.”
“I was trying to keep up with you. I failed.”
“Thanks for coming. It was good to chat and get my mind off everything.”
“Any time. I was thinking…” She bites the corner of her lip.
“Uh-oh.”
“I think you could do this as a job after college.”
“The pay is crap. I’d be living in cheap apartments with twelve roommates.”
“What if it wasn’t?”
“Then sign me up, but I’ve looked around. It’s crappy pay and no benefits.”
“I have an idea. Can I stay and record the next class?”
“You want to record the class?”
“Well, no. I want to record you.”
Maverick walks in and raises a hand in greeting before he joins us.
“Staying for class or just finishing up?” he asks Dakota.
“Both.” She looks to me. “I’ll only record you. I won’t get anyone else so you don’t have to worry about getting waivers or permission or whatever.”
“Record her for what?”
“I want to show Sienna how great she could be teaching yoga online.”
I’m sorry, what?!
“You’d be great at that,” he says definitively. “You can get me in the shots. I make yoga sexy.”
Dakota rolls her eyes.
“Don’t deprive the world of my mad yoga skills.”
“What do you say?” she asks me, grinning hopefully.
It’s time to start class and I don’t have time to think through everything she’s throwing at me right now. “Fine. Yes to recording, but try to make it look casual so it doesn’t disrupt the class and only me and Maverick.”
“Yay!” She does a little happy shimmy.
“And no posting anything until I see it.”
“Of course. It’s going to be amazing. I promise.”
“Mhmmm. I’ll believe that when I see it.”
My class doesn’t seem to notice Dakota filming from her mat, but I do. I spend the first five minutes stiff and robotic in my movements and instruction. Soon enough though I’m able to get into the flow and mostly forget that someone has a camera aimed at me.
When class is over, I cringe as she approaches with her phone.
“It’s okay. I don’t need to see it to know how awkward that was.”
Mav stands beside her staring at her screen.
“It’s a little shaky at the beginning. I had trouble finding the right angle, but there’s some good stuff here.”
“Look at that perfect form.” Mav grins.
“I hate to admit this, but the camera loves you,” she says to him.
His smile couldn’t be any bigger as he throws an arm around her shoulders.
“Is the room free? Can we try a couple of things?”
“You don’t have to do this,” I say.
“I want to.”
“Why?”
“Because, as your friend, I see potential in you that you cannot see.”
“There are so many yoga videos out there already.” Most of them crap, admittedly.
When I’m not convinced she adds, “You have a story. That makes people want to like and follow you. And you’re a really good yoga teacher.”
“Plus, you’re hot,” Mav says.
I laugh, but Dakota nods. “He isn’t wrong. That helps too.”
“Let me take some video and play around with formats. You’re right, there are a ton of yoga videos out there, but they don’t have you.”
“Fine. Okay. What else do I have going on tonight?”
“That’s the spirit,” she says with a laugh.
Over the next week, things get easier. I miss Rhett something fierce but I keep busy with classes and Dakota’s new obsession of turning me into a yoga influencer. I cringe every time she says the word influencer.
We film videos, take photos in the studio and all around campus. I have to say, even if I never get the courage to post any of it, it was worth all the time and energy in distracting me.
“Let’s go out tonight,” Dakota says Thursday afternoon.
We’re video chatting as I walk back to my dorm from classes.
“I can tell by that look on your face you were planning to stay in and sulk.”
“I’m not sulking. I just don’t feel like being overly happy.”
She laughs at me. “Noted. I will make sure you only have a decent time then. Nothing too fun.”
“Okay. I’m in. I’m going to ask Josie and Olivia, too.” They’ve also been pestering me about going out so I can please everyone at once.
“Cool. I’ll see if I can pry Reagan and Ginny away from their men.”