Cliché

by Ryleigh Sloan

  Kevin smiled politely at the compliment but I knew he was uncomfortable. When I teased him about how comfortable he was on the red carpet and during interviews but how squirmy he got in public, he’d shrug and explain it was all about space. Events and interviews were work. Being in the streets and having someone fawn over you were two different matters. Not that Jonathan was fawning, mind you.

  For the next ten minutes Jonathan showed Kevin around. He explained that the eco pool contained absolutely no chemicals and that the water was filtered through the plants, then moved on to telling Kevin about the solar powered showers. We stopped in front of double doors framed by a leafy-green accent wall. “This is the hot yoga class. You’ll see it has two sets of doors. The entrance is designed this way to keep the room at an optimal temperature with the least amount of energy usage.”

  Kevin and I had been quiet the entire time Jonathan gave his tour. Me, because I knew how passionate Jonathan was about the environment and how proud he was of what very little affect the building had on the environmental footprint (I may even go so far as to say he was prouder than the owners), and Kevin because he was too sweet to interrupt and say he’d heard this whole speech from me in the car.

  Jonathan opened the doors and ushered me into the room, his hand on the small of my back. I looked back to mouth a ‘thank you’ to Kevin but frowned when I saw his narrowed eyes on Jonathan’s hand. I smiled, wanting to reassure him it was okay. Kevin knew how I felt about people entering my personal space. He always joked I had a definite “fuck off” barrier which was true for the most part. If you weren’t in my circle or tribe, touching my naked skin (my lower back was exposed due to the cropped tank of my yoga outfit) would definitely constitute a “fuck off” moment. The thing with Jonathan was he had no idea about personal boundaries whatsoever. At first, when he’d been so touchy-feely I’d been really uncomfortable but I soon realised it was an occupational hazard. When you spent all day touching people and readjusting poses it became part of your norm.

  Jonathan bent down and slipped his shoes and socks off. “The studio is a neutral zone. No shoes and no outside influences. If you give your phone to Claire-Bear, she’ll keep it in her tote for you.” I slipped the bag from my shoulder and opened it for Kevin to put his phone in. The muscle at his jaw was ticking like a metronome. I looked quizzically at him. It wasn’t like Kevin to get all testy about having to hand over his phone or to take instructions for that matter. Jonathan interrupted my train of thought by announcing he was heading into the studio and he’d see us inside.

  “Everything okay? Your phone will be perfectly safe in my bag.”

  Kevin didn’t meet my eyes as he unlaced his tennis shoes. “Is this Jonathan guy a friend of yours?”

  I frowned. “We’re friendly. I’ve gone out with him and a couple of the other instructors on occasion but I wouldn’t say we’re besties or anything. Why do you ask?”

  The door to the studio opened, leaving my question unanswered as Cathy walked in carrying her bright pink yoga mat under her arm. She stopped short for a beat, the door half-opened and gaped at Kevin before she composed herself and silently closed the door while shooting me a questioning look. I’ll be honest, I’d wondered about the attention Kevin would receive, which was why I chose the early Sunday morning class. I didn’t want him to be uncomfortable, and since this class usually hit attendance highs of five or six, I thought it would be manageable. Apparently we were off to a good start.

  “Cathy, this is my friend Kevin.”

  Kevin’s scowl turned into a polite smile as he nodded at Cathy. “Hey, Cathy. Good to meet you.”

  “Oh, holy fuck.” She ignored Kevin and looked at me. “And to think I was about to give this class a miss and hit Krispy Kreme instead.”

  Kevin chuckled and whatever tension he’d been harvesting slipped right off him. Eventually, Cathy composed herself long enough to shake the hand he held out to her. I couldn’t be sure but it looked like Cathy was warring with herself on whether to sniff Kevin or not. The man did smell like sin and he did look damn fine in his shorts and muscle shirt. Cathy struggled with her willpower, all the while holding onto Kevin’s hand. Eventually, his lip curled at the corner and he raised an eyebrow then looked at his hand, held in a grip tight enough to cut off his circulation.

  Cathy dropped his hand and a giggle worthy of a sixteen-year-old meeting One Direction for the first time escaped her lips. I fully expected her to start squealing but then she straightened up and composed herself. “I’d better get a grip, Jonathan will have a shit-fit if I do any of that in there. He has a strict silence rule. Only he’s allowed to speak. It’s for getting into your zone, y’know.”

  Realising she was babbling, she waved her hands in a dismissive gesture, slipped her flip-flops off her size-three feet and placing her phone next to her shoes walked in, her sharp black bob bouncing as she did. Kevin stepped aside so I could follow her in then walked in behind me.

  The humidity hit us with full force as we entered the studio and it wasn’t long until Kevin’s shirt was stained from the dampness. I could already feel my hair grow wet which was why I had it in a loose bun. The 40 degrees and 60-percent humidity may make for a great hot-yoga session but it wreaked havoc on my hair.

  I unrolled my mat in my usual place at the front of the class next to the atrium wall. Tiny water droplets formed on the glass and elegantly slid to the earth. The plants thrived in the humidity and the mini jungle effect was soothing to me. Kevin spread his mat out next to mine and we both sat cross-legged waiting for the class to fill. Only two other members came to class—Anthony, a quiet guy in his mid-forties, and Tanya, a sixty-year-old woman who always smelled like cinnamon cookies. Neither of them seemed very impressed with Kevin and if they were, they certainly didn’t show it. It made me happy to know that aside from Cathy’s outburst earlier he might be able to have a normal yoga session.

  At Jonathan’s instruction, we settled into Shavasana. I lay still, my heels as wide as my mat, palms facing up and breathed deep. It wasn’t long before I felt myself relax completely and I revelled in the peace that was far from a constant with me. Sex and yoga were the only things that could get me out of my head. In the moments where I completely focused on my body, I was finally able to escape the minefield that was my brain and switch off, stop overthinking and just “be”.

  I heard Jonathan move around the room, gauging if we are all relaxed and then he instructed us to move into Downward Dog. I was so busy watching Kevin move in the mirror that I was slow to get into position. Jonathan strolled up behind me and silently placed his hand on my lower back, extending me downward. I watched Kevin tense in the mirror and wonder if the shoulder injury he got performing a stunt a year ago was giving him grief. As soon as we moved to Tree pose I caught Kevin’s eye in the mirror. I didn’t see any signs of pain so I shot him a wink. Kevin relaxed and I did too. It had been over six months since Kevin had done any yoga and even then, it was just because I begged him to. I should have warned him to take it easy today.

  “Please move into Triangle pose.” I heard Jonathan’s voice as he walked the room and I started moving my body.

  “Tanya, arms at six and twelve o’clock, please. Kevin, protect your knees, don’t let your knee go beyond your foot.”

  Kevin moved his knee back and Jonathan came to stop next to me. I watched myself in the mirror, confident that I was aligned well and in the correct position and smiled, expecting Jonathan to move on but he didn’t. He moved behind me, his hips pressed so flush against my ass that my eyebrows shot up and my cheeks reddened at the close proximity. His left hand came to rest on my hip and he coached me down and forward as he traced his other hand up along the extension of my arm, moving it a fraction of an inch to make it more 90 degrees. I bit down on my lip to stop the giggle threatening to escape me. I’m so damn ticklish and that was torture. I’m not a hundred percent sure what Jonathan was trying to do, maybe he was using my body in order to demonstra
te to the class what to do but as near as I could tell, everyone seemed to be in the correct pose. Jonathan’s arms whispered over my underarms and this time I couldn’t keep myself from bursting out in giggles. I overbalanced and Jonathan’s arms came around me, his lips brushing my ear. “No disrupting my class, Claire-Bear.” His fingers found my ribs and tickled me, I squirmed and shrieked against his hold until I collapsed on my mat.

  “Then stop tickling me.” I laughed, wiping the tears from my eyes. I looked around the class, everyone was staring open-mouthed at Jonathan and me. My cheeks flamed brighter but blanched just as quickly as I noticed Kevin glaring at us while he gathered his mat into his arms. Without a word to me, he walked out of the studio.

  I grabbed my mat, struggling to roll it up in my rush. Everyone was looking at me, all straightened from their poses and puzzled expressions on their faces. Jonathan’s fingers curled around my bicep. “Shit, Claire, I’m sorry.”

  I looked at the studio doors Kevin had disappeared out of. “It’s okay, don’t worry about it,” I mumbled.

  “No, it’s not okay. I was completely outta line.”

  All I could think about was getting to Kevin. I curled my mat up and clipped it into place then slung it over my shoulder, wiping the sweat running down my temple. “I’ve gotta go, okay?”

  “Sure, okay.” He took a step forward, likely to hug me but then must have thought twice because he took a step back, tucking his hands under his arms.

  I raced out of the studio, slowing when I saw Kevin, arms crossed on the roof of my car, a scowl firmly in place. He looked up as I approached but didn’t move.

  “Are you okay?” I felt like I should be apologising for something but wasn’t entirely sure what.

  He turned and leaned his back against the car, arms crossed against his chest. “What the hell was that in there?”

  I honestly didn’t know. That was the first time Jonathan had ever pulled a stunt like that. “I don’t know. Jonathan was just messing around.”

  “Does he grind against you like that often?”

  I snorted out a laugh. He had to be kidding, right? Except he didn’t look like he was kidding at all. His nostrils were flaring and he was biting down on his teeth so hard I feared he might snap a molar.

  “Are you serious right now?” I took his silence as affirmation. “Of course not.”

  “So that was all for my benefit.” His words were like ice but his glare was damn near volcanic.

  I was so confused. “What was for your benefit?”

  “The little performance in there. Jonathan with his hands all over you.”

  “For God’s sake, Kev. He was readjusting me, that’s it.”

  Kevin raked a hand through his damp hair. “Please tell me you’re not this naïve, Claire. The guy all but dry-humped you in there. He was clearly marking his territory.”

  I’d never seen Kevin behave this way and it pissed me off. I mirrored his pose. “You’re being ridiculous.”

  “Claire, your pose was textbook perfect. There was no need for him to readjust you in there and you know it. I know guys like Jonathan, I see them every day. They always want to one-up the Oscar-nominated actor and I’m not about to stand by and let him use you to get to me.”

  All the anger seeped from me. When had he become so jaded? I walked over to him and put my arms around his waist. He tensed and for a while I thought he might push me away, but then his arms came around me and he pulled me in tighter. “I’m sorry, Claire, I couldn’t stand watching him objectify you in there.” Kevin’s words stung, not because there was any venom to them but because there was truth in it and I’d allowed it to happen. I’d known Jonathan had behaved inappropriately but I’d allowed it to continue instead of walking away.

  “I’ll talk to him, okay?”

  Kevin’s answering embrace, a hold so tight I could barely draw in a breath, was more confusing than anything else he’d done today. His kiss even more so. And in that moment, I didn’t give a damn about being careful or about who was watching.

  Chapter Six

  I’d never been so glad to load a dishwasher in my life. I couldn’t stand the silent interrogation of Brandon’s questioning glances. He hadn’t said a word about mine and Kevin’s kiss splashed all over Facebook and the media but I knew he was just dying to bring it up.

  “You know, the point is to rinse the dishes, not scrub the pattern off the plates.” I looked up to see Alison walking into the kitchen, two empty glasses in hand. She raised the glass with the elephant charm hanging from the stem. “Refill?”

  I nodded my head and loaded the sparkling plate into the dishwasher. Alison handed me my glass and clinked hers against mine, her tiny hippo charm tinkling against the glass. The charms were a gift from Alison. After owning up to her bad habit of stealing everyone’s drinks, she’d handed me the set of charms and announced we’d thank her in the end when she wasn’t fall-down drunk from inadvertently taking sips from everyone’s else’s glasses. I had to admit the idea was genius, my mother was a complete wine thief who constantly walked off with my wine declaring it was hers.

  I downed the wine in three gulps and continued my task while Alison stared on with a raised eyebrow.

  Alison nudged me out the way. “Here, let me help. I’ll rinse, you load.”

  “Absolutely not, you’re a guest. You should be relaxing.”

  She stood her ground. “Look, I know we haven’t known each other for that long but cut it out with the guest talk. I think we moved passed that when you found me in a hot mess over my cat that died.”

  “It was your cat, you were entitled to a good crying jag.”

  “It was more a stray cat that adopted me and I knew it for two days.”

  I placed my arm around her shoulders. “Hey, a pet is a pet, whether we chose it or it chooses us, regardless of the timeframe.”

  Alison smiled gratefully. “Since we’re having a moment here, I’ve been debating whether to leave you be and wait for you to open up or to tie you down and rip your fingernails out till you talk.” She took a sip of wine. “Since the wine has mellowed me out, I’ll go with an in-the-middle approach. Spill it, sista.”

  I loaded a couple of glasses into the dishwasher in an attempt to hide my blush.

  “Look, I’m not trying to make you uncomfortable here. It’s just after that lip-lock, I’m surprised that you guys aren’t all over each other tonight.”

  I straightened and faced her, genuine concern lined her face unlike the curiosity I’d witnessed from everyone else who’d seen the pics. She was right, we’d only known each other for a matter of weeks, but there was something so open and warm about Alison that I knew I could talk to her. More than that I needed to talk to her. The stress of the last few days was wearing on me and I so wanted someone to talk to besides Kevin, who clammed up at the mention of press.

  I grabbed the bottle off the counter and refilled my glass but this time I took a smaller sip. “It’s complicated.”

  She remained quiet, waiting for me to continue, taking a sip of her own wine.

  “Kevin and I have been friends for a lifetime. There hasn’t ever been a time where I don’t remember him being part of my life. At some point our relationship developed into more. We don’t define it, we don’t label it, we just go with it. But…”

  “But you’re in love with him.”

  I inhaled my wine down my windpipe. Choking and spluttering, I wiped at the wine dripping down my chin. “What!? No. It’s not like that.”

  I watched Alison chewing on the inside of her cheek as she chewed over the words I could tell she so desperately wanted to purge out of her mouth. “This isn’t my place but the way you two look at each other when you think no one is watching isn’t just a friendship with casual sex thrown in. You love each other, that much would be obvious from space.”

  I sighed. “Being in love and loving someone are two completely different things. You know that, right?”

  “I do, and you
and Kevin are in love with each other. It’s clear as, well as…Dammit, I’m trying to come up with something that’s not clichéd.”

  “It doesn’t matter what words you use, you’re wrong. We have history and are best friends. That’s all you’re seeing. Nothing else.” My tone was snippy and defensive. Silence echoed for long moments. “Shit, I’m sorry.”

  Alison walked over and hugged me. “No, my fault for being pushy. What do you say we change the subject?”

  Brandon’s loud voice reached us in the kitchen. “Time for some karaoke, losers.”

  Alison pointed her finger at me. “I am not singing. Brandon is as hot as fuck and as long as he doesn’t hear my singing voice I have a chance at getting lucky with him tonight.”

  I laughed, there was no denying the chemistry between Alison and Brandon. Alison had been subtly flirting all evening, Brandon, not so subtly. It was pretty obvious they were attracted to each other. Alison turned to walk into the living room but I stopped her by reaching for her arm.

  “Alison,” I hesitated, not wanting to be disloyal to Brandon but needing to be a good friend to her too. “Brandon’s not the kind of guy to invest your happily ever after in. He’s a great friend but when it comes to girlfriends…” I trailed off, taking a sip of my wine.

  Alison hooked arms with me. “I’m not looking for anything serious right now, so you don’t have to worry about me. Truth be told, I’d just like an orgasm that wasn’t self-induced.”

  I laughed and clinked her glass. “Well far be it for me to get in your way then.”

  By the time we reached the living room Brandon was already in full swing, strutting to Right Said Fred’s, “I’m Too Sexy.” Kevin’s look of pained acceptance turned to relief as we walked in the room. The next half hour saw Brandon and Kevin in a karaoke war. What Brandon lacked in vocals he made up for in enthusiasm. With each song he became more outrageous than the last. Right in the middle of “Genie in a Bottle”, Kevin snatched the mic away from him.