“Exhale and swan-dive forward. Hinge at the hip joints,” the yoga instructor called throughout the studio.
Alana exhaled slowly and bent her torso forward, her arms following so that her head was in front of her knees and her palms touched the floor.
“Good. Inhale, and come halfway up. Lift the chest… and your gaze comes forward. Exhale. Step your feet back, as if you’re in a push up position. Mhm, that’s right. Slowly to the floor, and inhaling into cobra. Exhale. Lower back and push into down dog. Take a few breaths.”
She did what was instructed, eventually stretching into the position and taking slow, deep breaths. This was what she needed. This was going to help her with her situation. All she had to do was take it slowly. Relax and take it slow.
Alana exited the studio with Stephanie about two hours later with clean, damp hair tied up in a loose bun. Her warm body tingled, and for the first time in a while, her muscles felt nice and slack, though her core was tight.
Doing yoga and tennis twice a week was proving to be useful. She could take all of her stress out by exercising.
“I didn’t get a chance to ask you since you came back a couple days ago, but how did the business deal go? Do you still have jet lag?” Stephanie stretched as the two of them walked down the street to a restaurant for lunch.
Alana exhaled sharply. Right. She still hadn’t told her friend about the fact that Gino had gone to Tokyo with her.
“Um, I still have a little jet lag, but Leo— he’s my superior,” she added, noticing the confused expression on Stephanie’s face, “is taking that into account. He’s letting me get a couple days off until I get back on track. But in terms of the deal…” She hesitated.
The silence stretched between them.
“It did go well, right?”
“Yeah. Sakura Corporations agreed to it, but when I met up with the partner who went with me to Tokyo, it turned out that it was Gino.”
Stephanie’s eyes widened. “Gino?”
Alana bit her lip. “Yeah.”
“So you were in Tokyo with your ex-boyfriend, alone, for three days?”
“Yeah.”
A moment of silence fell between the two friends; Stephanie wasn’t usually this quiet, but Alana wanted to hear what she had to say first.
“So… did anything happen there?”
“Not really.”
“Not really?”
“I mean, we did get meals together… but only because it was convenient!” she clarified, upon seeing the smirk on her friend’s face.
“Go on.”
“I guess the only real thing that stuck out was that he kissed me. On the cheek,” Alana added quickly when Stephanie opened her mouth to retort.
“Better than on the lips, I suppose. Doesn’t he have a girlfriend?”
“Yeah.”
“Hmm.” Stephanie exhaled through her nose and knitted her brows together. “Maybe he's starting to have feelings for you again?" she asked, after another pause.
Alana’s heart leapt within her chest. “Impossible. We hadn't seen each other in years. Besides, it's only been a couple weeks since I last saw him."
“You’d be surprised,” her friend’s voice sounded flat.
“Something similar happen to you?”
“Don’t want to talk about it,” Stephanie chirped.
This sucks. I can’t stop thinking about him.
Alana shut her eyes and started breathing through her nose: a supposed relaxation and meditation technique taught in her yoga classes.
I’m not thinking about him. Think about Josh. Think about Josh.
Gino’s handsome grinning face flashed in her mind.
Okay. Clearly, this isn’t working.
She sighed and turned on her side, the blankets rustling with her. His face was still lingering within her head.
Just then, her phone rang abruptly, startling her out of her reverie. She snatched it off the bedside table, grateful for the distraction, only to have her stomach drop when she read the name: Gino Fournier.
Is he trying to make it hard for me to not think about him?
Alana hesitated for a moment, her heartbeat spiking within her chest. She exhaled slowly and answered.
“Hello?”
“Bonsoir,” she heard on the other end, and could have sworn she felt her heart leap at the sound of his husky baritone.
“Konbanwa,” she smiled.
“You busy tonight?”
She blinked. “Uh… I don’t have anything planned yet.”
“Good.” He sounded pleased. “Listen, I think we should get some food together and talk.”
“About what?” Alana asked warily.
“Tokyo. After what happened, I need to know where we stand.”
She remained silent, unsure of what to say.
“Alana? You still there?”
“Yeah.”
“Is that a yes then?” He paused. “I think this is important, especially if we’re going to be seeing each other now and then at collaborative meetings between Solux and EcoHomes.”
She concurred. “All right.”
“I’ll pick you up at seven, then.”
Alana set her phone back on the table and flopped back onto the bed with a heavy sigh.
What the hell did I just do?
Her head felt as if it was pounding in time with her rapidly beating heart. She closed her eyes in an attempt to get some rest.
Alana woke some time later to the sound of a door slamming.
“Babe?” she heard Josh’s voice call out across the apartment. “Are you home?”
“Yup!” she called back, glancing at the clock, which showed that it was half past six. She slipped out of the bed and padded over to the front door, where Josh was taking off his shoes and hanging his coat on a nearby chair.
“Sorry I got back a little late. Traffic was hell.” He ran a hand through his disheveled hair and yawned.
Alana smiled up at him and walked closer. A sudden thought popped in her mind.
“Hey,” she whispered as seductively as she could, running a hand across her boyfriend’s muscled chest. “You’re not tired yet, are you?”
Josh grinned at her. “’Course not.”
“Good.” Alana angled her face up to his and kissed him lightly on the lips. His mouth parted and sucked hers as his tongue slid along the crease between her lips.
Gino's face popped in her mind again. Only this time, he looked crestfallen.
No, stop.
She clung onto Josh and deepened the kiss, straddling his waist and pulling his shirt off while he strode in the direction of their bedroom.
She was doing the only thing she could think of to get her mind off of Gino. And she wasn’t going to regret it.
Bonsoir- French for "Good evening"
Konbanwa- Japanese for "Good evening"
YOU ARE READING
Because I Love You
Romance(Sequel to I Love that You're in My Life) It's been three years since Alana and Gino last kissed and parted on that beach. Gino's business in New York and constant absences led their relationship to break off. Since then, Alana has focused on her...
