Bend for Me

by Jessica Yeh

  “So.” Kadence handed her the accessory. “Who’s John?”

  “Uhh.” Avery cleared her throat as she adjusted the brim of the hat, returning it to its rightful place on her head. “My dad. He passed away.”

  Kadence’s eyes widened. “I’m so sorry. I wasn’t–”

  Avery shook her head. “It’s fine. You didn’t know.”

  “Still…” Kadence sighed longingly. “It’s unfair losing the people we love.”

  “Terrifying,” Avery agreed with a shudder. “Can I show you something?” Avery nodded toward the studio.

  It took Kadence by surprise. Despite her visits, she had never been inside the studio. She followed Avery to her workspace, stepping across the tarp and maneuvering around canvases. Avery stopped at the closet, gesturing Kadence to her side. Kadence’s breath caught. Stowed away in the back of the closet was an old painting— a man with amber eyes and dusty blond hair. He had the same wrinkles by his eyes as Avery and a kind smile that tilted to one side.

  “You look like him. He seems like a great man.”

  “He was,” Avery agreed.

  Kadence shook her head. “Is.”

  “What do you mean?”

  Kadence offered her a gentle smile as she pointed to Avery’s hat. “He’s still around. You carry him with you to this day.”

  “Thank you.” Avery’s voice cracked.

  Kadence hummed, turning her attention back to the art. “It’s amazing how well you capture people. You should consider doing commissions.”

  “I don’t know anyone who needs one.”

  It sparked an idea in Kadence. “I do.”

  “You…you do?”

  “This.” Kadence reached for her phone. She swiped through a few apps before revealing an image of her sister gazing at her hand, admiring the ring around her finger.

  “You want me to paint…Melody?”

  “You don’t have to. I just thought it would be a sentimental wedding gift,” Kadence explained before frowning with a sigh. “Maybe it’s stupid. Never mind.”

  “No!” Avery placed a hand on her forearm. It made Kadence’s skin sear. Avery must have felt the spark, too, because she quickly withdrew it and cleared her throat. “I mean, no. It’s sweet and thoughtful. I’ll do it.”

  “Really?” Kadence beamed. “Thank you.”

  Before she could contain her excitement, Kadence’s arms were around her shoulders. She felt Avery tense under her. Kadence squeezed a little harder.

  “Thank you,” she whispered in Avery’s ear. Avery barely managed to wrap her hands around her waist before Kadence straightened again.

  “So, how much do you charge?”

  “I guess it kinda depends on the style and the size of the canvas.”

  “The style?” Kadence tilted her head to the side.

  “Watercolor, oil, etcetera.”

  “Can you show me?”

  Avery nodded, retrieving her laptop from her room before returning to the studio. It started up with a gentle whir and they settled with their backs against the wall, legs splayed out.

  “So, watercolors are softer, while oils are typically bolder, and the colors are louder.” Avery began searching for images to accompany her explanation. “I think you would typically like watercolors if you were to paint. They’re easier to handle. They dry fast and are light enough that any mistake can be covered up relatively easily or blended so that they don’t show as much anymore.”

  Kadence admired the soft pastel colors on the screen. “Those are nice.”

  “They are. But I like acrylics and oils.” She started typing again before clicking the search button. The screen filled with bright still-life paintings of captured moments.

  “Oils are a slower process. It takes longer for each coat to dry and should be done in layers. It’s pretty difficult, I’ll be honest. But in the end, it’s worth it. You just have to be patient with it. They make things livelier and brighter. Plus, the colors last for lifetimes while watercolors fade.”

  Kadence wasn’t sure that Avery noticed her habit of speaking faster when she was excited about something. Her amber eyes would also glow in response. Kadence liked it.

  “I guess I overlooked those in the past. I typically would go for watercolors, something safe.”

  “And now?” Avery asked, thumb tapping against the space bar.

  “Now.” Kadence paused, searching in Avery’s gaze. “Now, I think an oil portrait would be a nice change.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  THEY SLOWLY BEGAN MENDING their friendship with easy conversations. ‘How are you?’ and ‘hope your day is going well’ texts were exchanged daily. They discussed how Kadence’s classes were going, and the different artists Avery admired. Surface-level things. It was a comfortable pace and most importantly, a safe pace. Avery was still hesitant to push their boundaries, but the wariness slowly disappeared.

  Two weeks after the dinner, Avery was working in the studio, the layout of Melody’s portrait sketched upon her canvas. She was having trouble getting the details of the portrait just right, her phone zoomed into the specific angle of Melody’s jutted features. She knew why, groaning at the blatant references of Kadence that reflected on the canvas. The bristles of her brush were just about to key into the cut of her jaw and the rise of her cheekbones when her phone rang.

  With a sigh, she rubbed her paint-colored palms against her jeans. But her frustration dissipated when she read the caller ID—Kadence Cooper. “Hey,” Avery greeted, jamming the phone between her shoulder and cheek. Why is your voice so high? She cleared her throat, trying to collect the nerves that were running amuck. “What’s up?”

  A breathless, frazzled Kadence was on the other side of the line. “I hate to bother you, but I have no one else to call right now. Mel’s at work and Emma and Danny are on the other side of town. I know you don’t have set working hours but—”

  “Whoa, Kadence. Calm down. Start from the beginning. What’s going on?”

  “Oh.” The line went quiet for a moment, the only sound Avery could detect was a slow exhale.

  “My car.” Kadence’s voice was level once again. “I think, well, I don’t know what’s wrong with it, but I think I need a jump. I don’t mean to interrupt your day—”

  “I’m on it. Where are you?”

  “About five minutes from your place, off Rivers and Chestnut.”

  “I’ll be there in four.” Avery was already swiping the keys from the counter.

  “Avery, wait.” Kadence’s panicked tone stopped her from sprinting out the door.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Don’t speed.” The strain laced in her words led Avery to believe it was more than just a casual warning. There was a hesitant pause. “Please drive carefully.”

  Avery blinked at the phone before placing it back against her cheek, lips against the speaker. “Okay. Be there in six, maybe seven.”

  “Thank you, Avery. I owe you.”

  “No problem.”

  ***

  Unfortunately, it was a problem. They tried to jump start the car three times, each attempt failing.

  Avery frowned. “I think you’re going to need to get it towed.”

  “Shit.” Kadence ripped her hands through her dark hair.

  Kadence never swore. It was rare for Avery to see her so raw and, well, frustrated. It was kind of a turn-on. She shook her head, desperate to be a friend and not a horn-dog. Kadence stepped away to call the towing company, pinching the bridge of her nose.

  “Yes, Chestnut and Rivers. I will. Thank you. Goodbye.” After the line went dead, Kadence collapsed onto the curb, toe kicking her car’s tire for good measure.

  Avery settled next to the distraught woman. “Don’t worry, Kae. It’s going to be all right.”

  Kadence buried her face in hands with a sigh. “I hate to do this to you.”

  Avery was pretty sure that if Kadence asked her to cut off her own limbs, she would. How could she say no to thos
e eyes?

  “Do you think you could give me a ride to the nearest subway station? Maybe I can catch the next one and will only be a few minutes late for class.”

  Come on, Bennett. Be her hero. “I’ll do you one better.” Avery gave a lopsided grin. “I’ll drive you.”

  Kadence shook head. “I can’t ask you to do that.”

  “You’re not. I’m offering. I want to.”

  Kadence blinked, but Avery held her gaze. “I insist.”

  Later, after the tow truck left with Kadence’s car, they climbed into Avery’s car, and Avery placed the keys in the ignition, twisting her wrist. It groaned to life. She caught Kadence eyeing her expectantly before recalling Kadence’s insistence on wearing a seatbelt. Avery clicked the safety buckle, giving it a tap before flashing a bashful grin in Kadence’s direction. Once it clicked, Kadence’s shoulders deflated. A flash of sadness crossed her green eyes, disappearing so quickly that Avery wondered if she had imagined it.

  A mile into the trip, Kadence began jiggling her knee. Avery tried to ignore it, but the movement soon became compulsive bouncing.

  “Hey, don’t worry. Your car will be fine.”

  Kadence remained quiet. It took another mile before it finally made sense. Once she realized, Avery pulled to the side, withdrawing the keys from the ignition. She set them in Kadence’s lap with a tender smile. “It’s not the car, is it? You…you feel more comfortable if you’re the one driving.”

  Kadence’s mouth opened and closed. Avery saw the gears turning as she tried to come up with something to say. Avery shook her head. She couldn’t quite understand why, but something in her gut told her not to ask. Kadence gave a hesitant smile.

  After they switched seats, the light in Kadence’s eyes returned. Though Kadence didn’t say another word about it, her green eyes twinkled with gratitude. The two held one another’s gaze, as though they were speaking in silence. Avery tried to calm her heart. This platonic thing was starting to be much harder than she thought.

  “You can leave once we get to the studio. I’ll hitch a ride with someone else. You’ve already done enough, Avery.”

  Avery frowned, gaze falling to the floor.

  Kadence placed her hand on Avery’s forearm. “I didn’t mean it in that way. I appreciate everything you’ve done for me today. I just can’t ask you to do even more for me. Mel will be off work soon, I can—”

  “But I want to.” Her amber eyes rose from the ground.

  Kadence studied her. “Okay.”

  They progressed down the road for a distance.

  “So, how’s the painting going?”

  “It’s good. You can stop by to see it if you want.”

  “I might do that.”

  “It’s a good present. You should give Em some pointers. She needs ideas. A registry would help.”

  “I’ll get on it.” A frustrated sigh escaped Kadence’s lips.

  “Hey,” Avery eased out. “Are you okay? Like, are you taking care of yourself? A wedding is a lot to plan for, especially with such short notice.”

  They stopped for a red light. With the car still, Kadence turned to Avery. “I appreciate you looking out for me.”

  Avery broke into a shy grin. “Anytime.”

  ***

  Avery sat at the back of the classroom with a drawing pad Kadence had insisted she bring along to occupy her time. She tried to concentrate on the figures she was drawing, but she was drawn more to Kadence’s voice, breathy and light as she commanded the class with grace. It was hypnotizing. That and the fact Kadence had stripped down to leggings and a sports bra, leading the class into a sinful back arch. It was like sitting through sixty excruciatingly unholy minutes of torture.

  “Expand your chest, inhale deep and slow.”

  Avery’s thighs clenched at the emphasized words. Bennett, you’re a fucking perv. Keep it in your pants. She swallowed hard, regretting not grabbing a water bottle on the way.

  An hour later, Avery was tense as a bow, her pencil clenched in a white-knuckle grip. Her throat was parched and pupils dilated. She was so lost in her corrupted thoughts she didn’t even notice Kadence settling on the floor. Class had dismissed and the room was now empty.

  “What did you draw?” Kadence cocked her head to the side, legs crossed at her ankle. She leaned forward to glance at the tablet in Avery’s lap.

  “Oh, uhh…” Avery rotated the sketchbook so that Kadence could get a better glimpse at the rough outlines. Human figures, ambiguous in their features, decorated the page. They illustrated the yoga poses that had occurred during the class period. Spheres and lines created the illusion of faces while soft, delicate curves formed the bends and arches of backs, legs, and chests. Sharper angles laid out the elbows and knees of the various positions.

  “These are fantastic! May I?”

  Avery nodded, cheeks rosy as a result of Kadence’s compliment. Kadence flipped through the pages Avery had filled, the lines growing a little bolder and darker as the poses became more intricate and subsequently, a little more sexual in appearance.

  She felt her cheeks burn when Kadence scanned a page with dark impression lines and a figure with its legs spread wide into a split. Her amber eyes rested on Kadence’s face, trying to discern her opinion.

  “You make yoga look so beautiful.” Kadence’s fingertips traced the shading of the collarbones branching into outstretched arms and open palms.

  You are. “It is,” Avery agreed with a terse nod, voice thick and heavy. The room fell silent as the two locked eyes, a feeling of push and pull hovering.

  Kadence tore her gaze away. “Care to give it another chance?” Kadence inquired, closing the sketchbook with finality, passing it to Avery.

  “What do you mean?” Avery’s stomach flipped when their fingers touched.

  “Yoga. You seem tense.”

  No shit. “I’m not really built for that kind of movement,” Avery said, rapidly sketching a clumsy-looking stick figure with a snapback falling into a contrived position. She then drew a second figure that appeared to have face-planted before drawing a cartoonish frown. “Me.”

  “Nonsense.” Kadence chuckled, finger tapping the figure doing the splits. “You can be beautiful, too. There’s a special yoga that I think you’re going to like.”

  Before Avery could object, Kadence’s bare feet padded to the storage closet, appearing after a few moments with two long strands of silk ribbon around her neck and a small step ladder in hand. Her eyes shone with excitement as she gave Avery a wink. A wink that absolutely did not set her cheeks ablaze. No, sir. Not at all.

  Kadence proceeded to unfold the ladder, hooking the fabric onto the rungs anchored to the ceiling. “Ever hear of aerial yoga?”

  Amber eyes trailed up the fabric with hesitance. “No?”

  “You’re going to love this. It’s just like a swing set.” She guided Avery to the hanging fabric, positioning it at waist level, pressing it to Avery’s pelvis.

  Avery choked down a cough.

  “Just making sure it’s the right height,” Kadence said before letting go, allowing the silk to flow back. She repeated the process again as she prepared a station for herself.

  “All right. The first step is easy. Bunch it up like this.” Kadence demonstrated by gathering a fistful of the fabric into each hand. She stood on her tiptoes, shifting her hips so she could bring the bunched material under her waist.

  “Now sit, then pull forward. You’re basically making a seat for yourself.” She traced the curve of the fabric, hands coming to the round of her butt. “See?”

  Fuck. Yes, Avery definitely sees. Avery did as instructed, though she wasn’t even half as graceful.

  “Fun, right?”

  Avery wobbled in the swing, hands clenching the fabric in her hands. “Not sure if falling on my ass constitutes as fun.”

  Kadence chuckled, shaking her head. “You’re not going to fall.”

  Really not sure about that. Avery flailed, trying to regain he
r balance as her weight shifted around.

  “Let’s do a simple stretch,” Kadence said, ignoring Avery’s dramatization. “Here, take the fabric from under your knees and pull it forward to make a hammock.” She pulled the silk from where it had been resting under her knees, leaning to bring it toward her ankles so her body was resting at a ninety-degree angle.

  “No way,” Avery gasped. “I’m going to rip my pants if I try that.”

  Kadence’s rich, airy laughter filled the room and all of Avery’s resolve cracked at the sound. “You won’t.”

  Avery wiggled, attempting to follow Kadence’s lead. To her surprise, the movement created a more stable surface for her sit in, the tension in her back slowly releasing. It felt amazing.

  Kadence seemed to detect her relief. “Want to keep going?”

  No.

  Kadence shot her a smile.

  “Okay.” Whipped. Avery watched Kadence with attentive eyes.

  “Let’s slip out of this and into something more comfortable.”

  Did she just…? Avery’s pulse spiked as Kadence poked her tongue between her teeth. Avery swallowed, eyes betraying her as they scanned Kadence’s figure.

  “That’s better.”

  Avery couldn’t tell if she meant the new position or the fact Kadence had gotten her flustered like she used to.

  “Want to try an inversion?”

  “I don’t know what that means.”

  “I know.” Kadence nodded.

  “Am I gonna regret this?”

  “I’ll guide you.” She approached Avery from behind as her fingers steered Avery’s hips, positioning her in the silk cloth. Her palms found purchase on her sensitive sides. Avery tensed.

  “Breathe,” Kadence whispered in her ears.

  Oh, no. Not again. “I…I’m trying,” Avery whimpered, posture still stiff as a board.

  “Relax.”

  Goosebumps shot down her arms as Kadence ran her hand up and down her spine before kneading the curve of her shoulders.

  Fuck. Me. Game. Over. Press X to exit.

  Kadence dipped lower, knuckles grazing to the small of her back. “I’m going to pull the fabric out.” Kadence’s warm breath puffed against Avery’s ear. “Lean back. The fabric will catch you.”