Clearly, she wasn’t on his mind.
“Now relax into child’s pose,” the yoga teacher said.
The class of twenty or so women complied. Turning her head to the side, Viv caught Farren’s attention again.
“I should have known better,” she whispered. “How could it go anywhere? God, we met at a bar.”
The woman on the other side of Farren frowned.
Viv mouthed, “Sorry.”
“Rise to standing,” the teacher instructed. “Hands to your heart. Thank you for joining me today. Namaste.”
“Namaste,” Viv echoed along with everyone else.
She and Farren rolled up their yoga mats and headed outside.
“He sounds like an ass,” Farren said as they exited the yoga studio.
“Yeah,” Viv agreed quietly.
Trouble was, Markus had been anything but an ass. He’d been kind, attentive, fun, and sweet. His taking off before she woke up didn’t make sense.
Then again, maybe she was crazy. Or desperate. Could be that she’d seen what she wanted to in him.
“Viv.”
“Huh?” Blinking, Viv stopped at the edge of the parking lot.
“I said, see you next weekend. Will you be here?”
“Yeah. I should be. Unless I get sent out unexpectedly by work.”
“Right.” Farren’s attention had moved to her phone. “Sorry. I gotta go. Dan has his hockey thing in twenty minutes, and I have to get the kids from him.”
“It’s okay.” Viv waved her hand. “You get home. See you next weekend.”
“Bye.” Farren waved and climbed into her car.
Behind her own steering wheel, Viv turned on her favorite playlist and blasted the AC. She’d been in a funk all week, and nothing seemed to make her feel better. Not yoga with a friend. Not treating herself to froyo three separate evenings.
Not even putting in her one-month’s notice at work.
That last one should have really done the trick, but it hadn’t. Try as hard as she could, she still felt off and down.
It was ridiculous that someone she’d only spent an evening with could have such an effect on her. She’d put a lot of hope in Markus, though, and it was that that made getting past him hard.
She’d be okay, though. Soon enough. Life went on, and this time next year, who knew where she’d be?
In a new job. Maybe with a house. Maybe with a boyfriend.
Feeling slightly better, she drove for home. Grabbing the mail she’d neglected to bring in the day before, she opened up the apartment door and started going through it.
A bill… another bill… ads for a furniture store… a letter from Florida State Prison.
Viv’s blood ran cold, and she nearly dropped the envelope. The address on the front was handwritten in pen. She didn’t have to read the name in the corner to know who had sent it. Taking a step back, she found the chair by the window and plunked down into it.
Fifteen years. That’s how long it had been since she’d seen or talked to her father.
It had been her choice to stop visiting him in prison, but he hadn’t reached out at all since the last time they’d seen each other. So why now? What was different?
Viv threw the letter onto the pool table. It didn’t matter. The man was nothing to her. He was a shitty father, and he was a shitty human.
But still her hands wouldn’t stop shaking. Placing them on her hips, she paced the living room. She’d planned on doing some online shopping for a new couch, but sitting down now felt impossible.
Turning on her heel, she grabbed her running shoes from the front closet and yanked them on. Since she still wore leggings and a tank top from yoga, the only other step was putting on a baseball cap to shield her eyes from the sun.
From her front door to the beach was less than one minute. She hit the sand hard, even tired as she was from an hour of yoga. Arms pumping at her sides, she sprinted parallel to the waves.
She should open the letter.
No, she shouldn’t open the letter.
Would it really matter either way?
She shook her head and ran harder, gasping for air. If she went fast enough, maybe she’d be able to forget. Forget her dad. Forget Markus.
Markus…
God, she saw him everywhere. Even right then, in the man walking toward her on the beach.
“Viv?” The man’s eyes widened.
No, not “the man.” Markus.
She stumbled over her feet and hit the sand, face first.
“Are you okay?” Two big hands took hold of her arms and helped her up.
Vivian spit sand from her mouth. “I’m fine.”
She wanted to shrug his hands off of her, but at the same time, his touch felt heavenly and she never wanted the moment to end.
“Oh, dear,” a woman’s voice said. “Are you sure? Did you hit your head?”
For the first time, Viv noticed the older woman with Markus. She was dressed much like Viv was, in leggings and jogging shoes, but her hair and makeup were done like she was ready for a night out.
“Only hit it on the sand,” Viv said. “Thank you.”
“You’re not hurt?” the woman pressed.
As a matter of fact, her pride was in critical condition. Not that she would suggest as much in front of a man who had ghosted her a week ago.
“Markus, let’s take her back to the house. Get her some lemonade.”
“Um, sure, Mom.”
“Mom?” Viv glanced at him.
He nodded once, his lips drawn tight. He didn’t look very happy to see her, either.
“Vivian, this is my mother, Tracey.”
“Oh, you two know each other?” Glee filled Tracey’s voice.
“Yeah, we met last weekend,” Viv said.
And then we had an amazing night together, after which your son promptly slipped out in the dead of the night.
She wondered if Tracey had any clue how much of a jerk the man she’d raised was.
“It’s good to see you, Viv.”
Markus’ voice was hushed, his eyes simmering with heat.
Viv opened her mouth, but only a croaking sound emerged. Tingles swept across her body.
She wanted to hate Markus, but it was really, really hard when one look from him had her melting into a puddle at his feet.
“You, too,” she said.
A silence followed, during which they stared at each other.
Tracey cleared her throat. “Vivian, do you live near here?”
Heat seared Viv’s cheeks. She hadn’t meant to gawk at Markus. And in front of his mom, no less!
“Yes. Right in that building.” She pointed behind her.
“I live close, too.” Tracey’s smile grew. “My house is a ten-minute walk from here.”
Markus rubbed the back of his neck. He still watched Viv, his lips parted, like he had something to say but was unsure about it.
“And do you live there by yourself?” Tracey asked.
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Oh, really?” She arched an eyebrow. “So then, you won’t have to be home for dinner tonight?”
“Um, no.”
“Wonderful. Come to dinner at my place. Markus will be there. Do you like shrimp?”
Viv bit her bottom lip and looked to Markus. His shoulders dropped.
“That would be nice,” he said, eyes imploring. “Please come.”