All These Thrifted Things

Four

A gasp ripped itself from Aggie's throat. Cassie sat stiffly beside her.

She wasn't naive. Aggie knew they lived in a small town and some people might not think highly of yoga depending on their background. But to have the gauntlet thrown down like this - in such a dramatic fashion - truly surprised her.

She stole a glance around the room. Council members sat awkwardly in their chairs. Some of the others in attendance looked just as uncomfortable as she felt. Others looked confused like they hadn't been paying attention. And a third group, one not quite large enough to take up a third of the room but still big enough to concern her, nodded along at the proclamation.

Thom Lewis made an awkward attempt to retrieve the microphone from the woman's hands, but she held firm. "Mrs Johnson, while you're certainly within your right to speak your mind, this isn't the time for-"

"I'm speaking at a town council meeting with my fellow citizens," she huffed, pulling the microphone further from his reach. "This is a highly pressing matter and needs to be addressed and treated as such."

A council member Aggie recognized but hadn't interacted with much before stood from her seat. "Cassie has the proper licensure to operate her business, and her studio is up to city regulation standards. Though I'm sure your complaint is religiously focused," she said.

Corrine Johnson narrowed her gaze as she turned to look at the woman. "You know it is, Margot." She returned her gaze to the people sitting before her. "I'm deeply concerned about this. And the people of this city should be, as well."

Margot approached her. "The people of this town know that a person operating a business must abide by city and state requirements to do so. These requirements do not have anything to do with religion... or at least they shouldn't." 

Cassie's searching hand landed in Aggie's lap. Not one for physical touch most of the time, she had to resist her instinct to brush her friend's contact away. She instead intertwined their fingers and held on tightly.

Conversation on the makeshift stage continued.

"I knew there might be some opposition." Cassie's voice was a whisper in her ear. She sounded near tears. "I just didn't think it would be like this. Loud. Public." She shrunk a little. "Maybe I was hoping no one would care enough to say something. Why would they really want to say something?"

"I don't know." Aggie awkwardly patted her friend's hand. "Practically everyone knows how good yoga is for you. This is ridiculous."

Corrine's attention snapped to Rowan. "Mister Reagan. You own the building the studio is set to open in. As a man of business in a small town, I'm sure you understand how important it is to uphold family values."

Aggie checked the buzzwords off her list mentally: man; small town; family values. Corrine was hitting some big ones like a politician onscreen during a debate. Her gaze snapped to Rowan.

"Well." He cleared his throat and stood slowly, as though he felt he was supposed to, but wasn't sure of himself. "I only recently inherited the properties from my uncle."

A round of whispers went up. Aggie pursed her lips. Not a murderer, then. 

"I remember Bailey Ross fondly." Corrine was nodding. 

Aggie wasn't sure she'd ever even seen the man before. Her mother had been the one to sign the lease in the first place. He'd never been around to check on the place, to Aggie's recollection. He'd dropped off the contract to her mother in the first month and hadn't even come around the next year to renew the lease. He never even increased the rent price.