Warner Park

Chapter Fourteen

Andrew

On Friday afternoon, Sam texted me to confirm she was free next weekend, and she'd decided on a time and place to meet Vince -- 8pm, Sushi, next Saturday. The camping trip was tomorrow, and I'd set it up with Vince then as a surprise for next weekend.

This was it...

Before I knew it, Vince and Sam were going to be a couple again. Things were going to change. I'd have to say goodbye to single Vince, and accept that maybe he'd have a chance to re-do Hawaii. A chance to celebrate an anniversary. A chance to get married again, maybe have a few more kids if that was what he wanted... He could start over. 

He seemed unhappy lately... Something was off, and I really hoped I was going to be able to fix what I ruined for him.

I put my phone next to me on the yoga mat, laying down and looking up at the ceiling of the empty studio.

I couldn't avoid the fact that this was tearing me up inside.

There was a voice in the back of my head telling me not to do this, but I knew it was a selfish voice because if Vince didn't want to be with me, then I didn't want him to be with anyone at all. How was that fair? I liked Sam, Vince was happy with her. Doing this was for the best, and it would make me feel like so much less of an idiot for breaking them up.

• • • • •

"Hey! Andrew!"

I had been nursing a La Croix in a koozie at the far end of the campsite, talking to Gary and Frank, when I recognized the woman approaching me. Her jewelry adorned dreadlocks were kind of her thing -- Cynthia. 

"Hey!"

She returned the same grin, "Sorry I had to leave so soon on the last camping trip, but I'm stoked to finally see you in person again..."

She fumbled with something in one of her thick jacket's pockets before pulling out a business card.

"Vince has been bugging me to connect with you for a few weeks now, but I haven't had the time to call you. I'm actually in commercial real estate - he told me you were planning to open a yoga studio?"

My eyes lit up, "Oh! Yeah! I mean, one day...I have a handful of clients right now paying for private classes. I do online group classes every afternoon. I also do an hour here and there across a few different studios."

"You sound busy. I'm guessing that means you're pretty good?" I shrugged modestly but she laughed, handing me her business card.

Aubrey interjected himself between us, shorter than the both of us with Cynthia also being tall at about five foot nine. I had no idea where he'd just swooped in from.

Aubrey really wasn't all that short, now that I thought about it. He was still taller than a lot of guys I'd known. I think he was five seven, so he wasn't all that short. Everyone else in the group was just tall, so it made him look even shorter than he actually was. Maybe we needed to add less gigantically tall men to the friends group...

Aubrey still hadn't rejoined the group chat. He was still feeling down, and I was doing my best to hang out with him most of the evening.

So far I'd been able to keep my promise to him. He knew I needed to step away to talk to Vince at some point tonight, but so far the evening had been completely drama-free. Eli had been sitting next to Vince by the fire, drinking and keeping away. I guessed Gary also had a talk with him at some point before Aubrey and I showed up for the campout together.

"Nah," Aubrey blurted out as he joined the conversation. I raised my eyebrow at him and he laughed. "I mean, don't get me wrong Andrew, you probably are really good at yoga and all, it's just that you're also really damn hot. You're doing well because everyone wants to watch you do yoga... The yoga industry is so oversaturated with women around here. I bet you that's what it is. It's your hot bod, dude."