Lyons den, p.4
Lyon's Den, page 4
“No. I’m serious.”
Kenni was losing the little patience she still clung to. “Okay. I’m serious too.” She pointed toward the stairs. “Pack your bags. Go back to Denver. Use your precious phone to call your boss and let them know you got kicked out!”
They stared at each other, neither of them blinking. Joni’s greenish-hazel eyes were shooting daggers at her. Kenni narrowed her eyes as well. Finally, Joni broke.
“Okay. You win. But this is inhumane treatment.”
She laughed at that. “Inhumane? Wait until we climb up the giant pine tree. Then you might think inhumane.” Her smile vanished and she held her hand out. “The phone.”
Joni clutched her phone tighter. “All right. But I’m doing this under protest.” She then slapped the phone in her hand. “There.”
“Thank you. Now, was that so hard?”
Again, daggers. “Yes. Yes it was. When will I get it back?”
“It’ll be in your room. Where it needs to stay.”
Joni turned on her heels, mumbling “stupid goddamn rules” as she opened the dining room door.
Kenni was grinning as she went into her office. Joni James had a potty mouth, it seemed. And yeah, this was going to be fun.
Chapter Eight
While Joni admitted that the breakfast had been good, it was food she would never have eaten normally. Certainly not at six o’clock in the freakin’ morning. The scrambled eggs tasted buttery. There was a choice of bacon or sausage patties. She took one slice of bacon. There were no options for toast or biscuits. No muffins either. Individual bowls of fruit were offered, and even though she knew she’d never be able to eat it all, she took a bowl—strawberries, grapes, and pineapple chunks. To her surprise, she finished off everything and wished she’d taken two pieces of bacon. She rarely bothered to eat breakfast, but when she did, it was something simple, like a packaged blueberry muffin that she might or might not heat in the microwave.
Now, though, they were gathered outside on a giant deck, each sitting on an exercise mat. The sun was slicing through the trees, and she squinted at it. She was certainly far too full to attempt any stupid yoga poses. Mindy, the instructor, was going over breathing techniques. She stopped listening and took that opportunity—while everyone’s eyes were closed—to look around at the other women. She guessed their ages to be from midforties to midsixties. Most were wearing what she assumed was real yoga attire—mostly tights—but some had loose fitting pants on instead. None were wearing sweatpants like her as far as she could tell. All were barefoot, sporting perfect nails and polish. She looked down at her own toes, glad she’d taken the time for a pedicure last week. Since she was heading to the wilderness, she’d skipped her usual red and settled on a more neutral color.
“Joni? Are you having trouble with it?”
She jerked her head up, finding Mindy looking at her with raised eyebrows. “I’m sorry. What?”
She looked around then, seeing everyone sitting cross-legged with their arms resting on their thighs, hands turned upward. Most were also looking at her. Oh god, are we going to start chanting or something? With a sigh, she crossed her legs, the act reminding her she wasn’t as flexible as she’d once been.
“Good,” Mindy said. “Now, take a deep breath in through your nose. Visualize it and pull it deep into your lungs. Hold it. Now, let it out slowly. Once more. Deep breath. Remember to sit up straight. Pull it in. Hold it. Out slowly.”
Okay, well, that did feel kinda relaxing, she conceded. At least there was no chanting. A few more deep breaths, then Mindy stood.
“Okay. Up, everyone. Now, who is familiar with yoga? Do any of you practice it?”
A few hands went up, and Joni rolled her eyes. Who had time to take yoga classes? Of course, she doubted that any of these women worked for a living.
“I used to do Pilates,” one woman said.
“Good. Then you should have no problem with this. Okay, we’re going to do the Mountain Pose. Stand very straight, arms at your sides, fingers pointing downward. Imagine a straight line from your head to your heels. I like to keep my feet closer together, but you may feel more comfortable with them separated more.”
Joni mimicked Mindy’s position, thinking that this wasn’t so hard. Maybe she’d at least leave here with good posture.
“Lift your toes up, keeping your weight on your heels and try to lengthen your spine. Breathe deeply. Good. Now we’re going to fall into Downward Facing Dog.”
Everyone bent over and placed their hands on the mat as if they knew exactly what the hell a Downward Facing Dog was. With a sigh, Joni did the same.
“Keep your back straight. Your hands are for balance. You want your weight on your legs, not your hands. Arch your hips high. Now, don’t stand on your toes. Press your heels down. You should feel a nice pull in your hamstrings.”
Nice?
“Hold it. A little longer.”
Joni was getting lightheaded.
“Okay, stand straight again. Walk it back up if you need. Once you learn the poses, you won’t stand up, you’ll simply move into the Warrior Pose. Watch me first to learn, then we’ll move into it together. Now, from Downward Facing Dog, you’ll bring your right leg up next to your hand, like this, bending your knee. Your left foot, you’ll want to angle it a bit, like this, and bring the heel down to the mat. Keep your spine straight as you lift your torso, knee still bent. Extend your arms overhead, palms facing each other. Feel the energy all the way to your fingertips.” Mindy held the pose for a moment, then stood up, smiling. “Easy. Now you try it.”
Oh god. At least she wasn’t the only one having trouble. She winced, feeling fairly certain she’d torn her hamstring when she brought her right leg up to her hands.
“Excellent. Keep your spine straight. Now rise up. Good. Arms overhead. Feel the energy.”
“Energy, my ass,” she murmured quietly.
And so it went. The Extended Side Angle, the Triangle Pose, the Reverse Warrior, the Garland Pose, the Pyramid Pose, and many others she could no longer remember. All she wanted to do was to sit down and rest, as she’d long forgotten not only the names but how to do the damn poses in the first place. Unfortunately, sitting meant more stretches and more stupid poses—the Cobra, the Bridge, the Cat-Cow—until she finally heard one she knew. The Plank. By that time, she was completely spent and thankfully so were some others.
“I know this wasn’t much,” Mindy was saying, and Joni made eye contact with the woman next to her and they both raised their eyebrows in horror. That nearly made her laugh, exhausted as she was.
“After a week, you’ll be able to do these in sequence and move easily between the poses. My hope is that after your month with us, you’ll have fallen in love with yoga and will continue to practice it when you leave here. Find a class to go to and immerse yourself in it.”
Yeah, right.
“Okay, ladies. I think Jenn is ready to lead you on a morning hike. Go ahead and put your hiking boots on, then grab a water bottle from her before you go.”
Oh, good lord. A hike? She again looked at the woman next to her. “Are your legs as rubbery as mine?”
“I’ll say. I’m Sarah Beth,” the woman said in a rather thick Southern accent. “I’ve never done a single yoga pose in my entire life!”
“Me either. And I’m Joni.” She got to her feet, suddenly feeling far older than her thirty-one years.
“Yes, I think everyone knows your name,” she said with a laugh. “I heard you tried to sneak in ten bottles of wine.”
“I did. The Lyon woman confiscated them. And my phone,” she added.
“Honestly, I was glad to ditch my phone.” She leaned closer. “I did miss my nightly cocktail, however.”
Joni sighed. Yes, she’d missed her wine too.
“I’m looking forward to the hike, though. Being out in this cool weather is wonderful, isn’t it? July in Dallas, I barely set foot outside. Where are you from, hon?”
“Denver. Originally from New York City—Manhattan.”
“Really? Well, I’m originally from South Georgia, if you can’t tell by my accent. Bill and I live in Dallas now, but I still twang a lot more than they do there.”
Sarah Beth was a little overweight, but she wouldn’t call her fat. Her hair was dark and cut in a bouncy bob style just below her chin. Her makeup appeared caked on.
“You’re on Team Five, right?”
“Yes,” Joni said as she slipped on the hiking boots she’d retrieved from her room earlier, knowing she looked absolutely hideous with boots and sweatpants. Of course, everyone else was still in their yoga attire and looked equally silly.
“That’s great. I’m on Team Five too.”
Oh, look, Joni…you’ve made a friend already. She followed Sarah Beth—a woman she would peg to be in her early forties—to where the others were gathered. Jenn, their hiking leader, handed them each a bottle of water. She was dressed in smart-looking khaki shorts and matching socks and boots.
“We’re taking a short hike this morning. When we take longer hikes, you’ll be issued a waist belt that will hold two water bottles. Tomorrow, after yoga, you’ll be split up into two groups. While one goes to the gym, the other will hike, then you’ll switch. You may want to take the time to change clothes after yoga. Today, though, we’ll introduce you to the grounds here, and I’ll point out some of the different trees. If we’re lucky, we’ll get to spot some birds, and I’ll help you identify them.” A big smile. “Ready, ladies?”
“Can’t wait,” Joni muttered quietly.
She found herself walking with Sarah Beth, but thankfully the hike—and perhaps the altitude—rendered Sarah Beth breathless and unable to chat. In fact, very few of the women were talking. It was then she reminded herself she was supposed to be interviewing them.
“So, what brings you up here?” she asked casually.
Sarah Beth glanced at her and smiled. “I needed some time away. Bill suggested I go back home to Momma to sort things out.” She shook her head. “Momma loves Bill. There would be no talking to her.”
“Oh? Marital problems?”
Sarah Beth waved her hand in the air. “I don’t know. Bill says it’s a midlife crisis. I’m forty-three.” She shrugged. “I’m sick and tired of the country club. I’m sick and tired of hosting dinners.” She paused. “Bill is in the oil and gas business. He’s moved up to president of the company and he’s not home much.”
“You have kids?”
“One. He’s nineteen and in college. Bill is grooming him for the business too.”
“So you’re suddenly alone?”
“Yes, alone. Oh, don’t get me wrong, I have friends. And I do lunches and dinners often, but it’s not the same as having a partner at home, you know.” She smiled quickly. “I don’t mean to complain. I never want for anything. Bill makes sure of that.” She sighed rather loudly. “Just seems like something is missing.”
“And this place resonated with you?”
“I’ll admit I live a pretty pampered life, Joni. Now I do anyway. Certainly not when I was younger. I grew up on a farm with seven siblings. Never had my own room. Only had two bathrooms in the house, so there was a lot of sharing.”
“How did you meet Bill?”
“We went to school together—he was a grade ahead of me. Then he got a football scholarship to Texas Tech in Lubbock. I followed him there.” She laughed. “The terrain was a far cry from South Georgia, but let me tell you, oil wells and natural gas wells were everywhere. That’s how Bill got into the business.”
“And you?”
“No, no. I never worked. When Bill graduated, he already had a job lined up making more money than either of us could even comprehend,” she said with a laugh. “We stayed in Lubbock for three years, then moved down to Odessa for a year. I don’t mind saying, I was so thankful when the company moved us to Dallas. Been there ever since.”
A loud squawking sound came from the trees, and they all looked up. A blueish black bird watched them.
“That’s a Steller’s jay,” Jenn said to the group. “You’ll notice them at the birdfeeders near the lodge. The tree he’s in is a Douglas fir. Notice the pinecones. They call those ‘mouse tails’ that stick out from each scale. These trees are one of the easiest to identify the cones for. Legend has it that many, many years ago there was a forest fire in the mountains. Animals were running from the fire to escape the flames. But little mice couldn’t outrun the fire. So, they asked the trees for help. These tall Douglas fir trees gave them shelter and allowed them to hide inside the cones and out of danger of the fire.” Jenn smiled broadly. “The mice survived, and to this very day, if you look at the cones, you can still see the mice tails as they hide.”
Joni reluctantly looked at the cones, seeing the “tails” as they peeked out. Sarah Beth picked one up from the ground.
“Look here! Isn’t that cute? They do look like little tails.”
“Yep,” she said dryly.
The group walked on, and Sarah Beth dropped the cone. “I do miss the pine trees in Georgia.”
Joni sighed. “I miss sidewalks.”
Chapter Nine
Kenni watched the hikers file into the dining room, most of them with sweaty red faces and tousled hair. Makeup was smeared and not a hint of lipstick remained on a single woman. She nodded and inwardly smiled at their flushed faces.
“Each table is marked so find your team. Sky has printed out the itinerary for this afternoon. After lunch, you’ll have a quick session in the gym, then we’ll head out into the woods to take a look at one of the obstacle courses.”
As predicted, her statement was met with groans. She smiled at them. “You’re going to love it.” She walked among the tables, her gaze finding Joni James. “How was the hike?”
“Long.”
She laughed. “That’s the shortest one you’ll ever take.” She turned to the group. “What lessons did we learn today, ladies?”
“What do you mean?” someone asked.
“If you had to start your morning routine over today, what would you do differently?”
“Run away.”
Everyone—including her—laughed at Joni’s reply.
“Surely it wasn’t that bad.” She turned to someone else. “Marsha? What would you do differently?”
“I would not bother with makeup, that’s for sure.”
“Excellent.” Most everyone nodded at that. “What else? Anyone?”
“I’m not wearing my rings tomorrow,” someone said.
“I would wear shorts. It was hot out there.”
“Yes. Good. Remember, there is no one here you’re trying to impress. You don’t have to be properly dressed—or what you may consider to be proper—and have your makeup applied as usual and your hair fussed with. You need to wear functional clothing and be comfortable. That’s why we gave you a list before you came. Since your yoga classes are early in the morning and it’s still a little cool, bring a sweatshirt to slip on. Or wear sweats over your shorts so that you can take them off before the hike and before we start the day’s activities. Of course, you can always run up to your room to change. Your choice.”
She motioned to Sky, who came forward.
“Ladies, by now I’m sure you’ve met your team members. We will have our first test before lunch.” Sky motioned to the papers on each table. “This will be a mini scavenger hunt. I hope you were paying attention to Jenn while on your hike. The lists there on your tables are the items you’re to find. The first team to come back with all their items wins.” Sky pointed to the whiteboard that hung on the back wall. “All wins get marked on the board, but some wins will also get you added prizes. Like extra time in the sauna or tub.” She smiled. “Or ice cream after dinner. Things like that.”
Kenni watched the faces of the women, feeling her gaze drawn back to Joni James. She could tell by the panicked look on her face that she had not been paying attention to Jenn earlier. A frown marred her features as she read over her list.
“Your team leaders will go out into the woods with you, so you won’t be completely on your own,” Kenni said, hoping to assure those few who looked terrified. “Okay, we’re going to give you a short break. Since you’ll be outside for the rest of the day, I’d suggest you take this time to change into shorts or jeans since you’ll be out in the woods.” She glanced at the black sports watch on her wrist. “Ten minutes. Then we’ll meet out on the deck.” As everyone got up, she called, “Don’t forget to take your lists with you.”
“This is kinda fun,” she heard someone say as they filed out of the room.
She found Jenn out in the lobby, and she went over to her. “How was the hike?”
“Everyone did pretty well. A few stragglers.”
She raised her eyebrows. “Any of them on my team?”
“Two. Joni and Sarah Beth.” She laughed. “No way your team wins this month.”
“It’s only the first day. Don’t count your bonus money already.”
That was the motivation for her staff—if their team won the month, they got an extra thousand bucks added to their salary. Her motivation for winning was not having to pay the thousand bucks. But yes, she probably did have her work cut out for her.
Chapter Ten
Joni plopped down on her bed, completely exhausted from the morning activities. Then her eyes popped open. My phone. She sat up, frantically looking around for it. Apparently the Lyon woman hadn’t bothered to bring it up here yet.
“Figures.”
With a sigh, she ripped off the sweatpants and put on one of the pairs of hiking shorts she’d bought. Her feet were absolutely killing her, and she rubbed her toes before putting her socks and hiking boots on again. It was a miracle she didn’t have blisters. She heard the others in the hallway heading back downstairs, and she got up, wondering if this was what prison was like.
