I grinned. "That was rather satisfying."
"Even more satisfying is watching Fletcher and Flaherty both struggle to win that game, while in reality, they're both going undercover!" Solomon's smile lit up his face. "There was no other case so they don't have a choice. I was just messing with them."
"I wish I could be a fly on the wall when you tell them that." I checked my watch. I could still meet Lily if I hurried. "I better go now. Lily asked me to go to baby yoga with her and I said I'd try to make it." I’d even dressed in black leggings and a flowing buttercup-yellow top in anticipation that I would have time.
"I wondered why you dressed in all that Lycra this morning. Don't you need a baby for baby yoga?" Solomon's gaze dropped to my stomach where there wasn't any baby. There had been a lot of discussion lately, and plenty of practice for the main event but no firm decisions. I was happy with that.
"I have no idea. I just figured we could share Poppy. Won't that make it easier?"
Solomon dropped a kiss on my lips. "Have fun."
I left my laptop and camera in the office since I didn't have a case and nothing to research. Grabbing my purse and the keys to one of the pool cars, I headed out. My car had recently exploded into a fireball during the course of an investigation and I still hadn’t purchased a new one. Driving my trusty VW for so long, I had no idea what to choose for my next vehicle. The same model? Or something newer? Or snazzier? Until I made that decision, Solomon suggested I either take his car or one of the two vehicles that he purchased for employee use while conducting agency business. Neither car was particularly fancy — Solomon preferred them boring and unnoticeable on stakeouts — but they functioned safely and they got me where I wanted to go.
Lily told me to meet her at the yoga studio on Century Street, aptly named because it probably took a hundred years to traverse in bad traffic. When I arrived, the parking lot the studio shared with several other businesses was packed tightly so I took a spot at the far end. Hopping out, I began walking towards the small group of women holding babies who were standing outside. Lily broke away and waved to me. Poppy, straddled on Lily's hip, attempted a floppy, chubby, hand wave. I hurried over, clasped Poppy's hand and embraced them both.
"What are they all so excited about?" I asked, nodding to the crowd of expensively clad women in a striking array of colored, two-piece yogawear. They were methodically forming a semi-circle with their backs to us. Even their babies seemed to chatter away animatedly.
"Please don't eat Mommy's hair," Lily chastised her gently before stopping Poppy from grabbing one of her blond curls. "There's a dad in this class," she added.
"What's so exciting about that?"
"That's what I said!"
"Is he hot?" I wondered.
"Not one bit but he does have an impressive hipster beard. They're acting like he's the latest gift from the universe because he's a stay-at-home dad, even though the majority of them are stay-at-home moms. They do the same thing he does without any beards although please don't mention that to Alicia; she's very sensitive about her facial hair."
"I still don't understand the excitement factor."
"Me neither. Their husbands must be totally useless if they think a guy paying attention to his own kid is exciting. Except for Janet."
"Is her husband wonderful?" I asked.
"No. Her wife travels a lot. She thinks all guys are sweet but pointless. Please don't get her started or she’ll gnaw your ear off with her exclusive, controversial views on sexless procreation."
"Noted." The yoga crowd parted when the doors opened and several elderly people came out. They headed en masse down the sidewalk to the coffee shop at the end of the strip. One of the elderly ladies inadvertently stomped on one of the yoga mom's feet and the mom yelled angrily after her.
"There's a lot of rivalry between classes," said Lily. "We should leave five minutes early since the class after ours can be particularly violent."
"This is yoga, Lily! We're supposed to leave here with zen in our bloodstreams, feeling joyous and a lot more bendy."
"You'd think," snorted Lily, taking off for the class as the crowd made their way inside. I hurried after her. Lily brought her own yoga mat, which she rolled out while fiercely guarding a space for me next to her. I grabbed a mat from the pile by the door. As we sat, Poppy started bouncing in Lily's lap, and the instructor strolled in. Her slender, muscular body was neatly encased in pink leggings and a matching pink crop top that contrasted stunningly with her black skin. "She has four kids," whispered Lily as I looked down at my own body and then at the instructor's again. Why didn't I look like that? Then I glanced at Lily, who was positively glowing in her black leggings and blue top, her bouncy, blond curls pulled back into a ponytail. Why didn't I look like her either? Was it the jelly donut? That had to be the culprit! "She's been practicing yoga for fifteen years but she's not allowed to do headstands in class anymore," Lily continued.
"Why not?"
"The babies got really excited and swarmed her. Now none of us are allowed to in case we fall over and squash one."
"To think I was so looking forward to perfecting my headstand," I said, checking out my biceps. They could do with some more work too.
"You look fine," said Lily.
"I feel so unfit!" I whispered. "Everyone here looks fitter than me. I haven't even had a baby. What's my excuse?"
"You don't exercise nearly as much as you did when you were miserable," said Lily. "And single."
I glanced around at the tight bodies and their delighted babies. "Is everyone here miserable?" I asked.
"No one here has slept in at least six months and we're all powered by caffeine and Instagram envy."
"Let's begin," said the instructor, her voice soft and dreamy. "Please stand, everyone, and connect to the earth through all four corners of your feet. Let's put our babies at one with us!"
We spent twenty minutes in semi-silence, moving through the poses while the babies chuckled and giggled. Some were occasionally excused for diaper changes. When we moved onto our backs, we were encouraged to tuck our heels in as we lifted to become a “bridge.” Poppy crawled clumsily towards me and tapped me on the head. I blew kisses at her while she wobbled into a sitting position and stuck her fist in her mouth, chewing gummily as she watched me. "Isn't she supposed to do this too?" I whispered to Lily.
Lily lifted her hips. "Yeah," she huffed. "One day."
I rolled my head to the other side when something bumped into my shoulder. A baby barely a few months older than Poppy clambered onto me and sneezed in my face.
"Sorry," said the baby's mom, lifting it off me.
"That's so cute," whispered Lily as I turned back.
"It sneezed right in my face," I said in barely concealed horror.
"Adorable," said Lily.
"Would you call it adorable if it were thirty-five?" I whispered furiously.
"No, I'd kick it in the..."
"And down," said the instructor. "Feel the love in your glutes!"