I'd been eyeing Melanie at work for a few weeks. She was a new employee at our software development firm, a computer programmer, as am I. I'd chatted a little with her, but hadn't yet worked up the courage to ask her out. I've always been very shy. It didn't help that she is so beautiful. Tall, blond hair, hazel eyes, with a firm, full athlete's body. And a lovely face and smile. It's embarrassing to admit, but too much beauty is intimidating. It's hard to believe someone like that would be interested in an ordinary guy like me. Though it didn't stop me from looking.
But it seemed she was looking back. She'd smile as we crossed in the halls, and she even stopped to ask me about my Labrador puppy, of whom I'd proudly shown her pictures. She was a dog lover too.
Then I bumped into her in the company cafeteria, and she suggested we eat lunch together.
"How do you stay in such great shape?" she asked me. (I do have a nice body, if I don't say so myself.)
"Well, I play tennis, and I run. What about you? You look athletic," I ventured.
"Not so much athletic as active. I used to do aerobics, but now I'm mostly into yoga. It's great for fitness and so calming of the mind," she replied.
"I've never tried yoga, but everyone says it's great."
"Oh yes," she said, "if you tried it, you'd love it."
Nothing more was said of this, but a seed had been planted. A lovely seed that just needed some time to grow and blossom.
We chatted more in the following weeks, and it was clear there was a mutual attraction. Timid me, it fell to her to make the first move.
"Say, Bill," she said to me, "I'm going with a friend this weekend to a hot yoga class we've recently discovered. Why don't you join us?"
Now, I'd heard of hot yoga. Where they heat the room with high humidity, to warm the muscles and to encourage one to sweat. Supposed to be a spiritual experience as well as a physical one.
"I wouldn't know what to do," I said, afraid of looking foolish.
"Not to worry. We'll show you. It's easy. It's just stretching."
In truth, I was pretty dubious about yoga. Isn't that something girls do? But I couldn't turn down an invite from Melanie.
"Sure; let's do it," I replied, trying to sound enthusiastic.
So it was that on Saturday, Melanie, Rachel (her friend) and I drove to a suburban strip mall which housed the yoga studio. She'd told me to dress light, just sandals, shorts and a t-shirt. Melanie and Rachel were also in casual gear, gym shorts and a t-shirt. I quickly noticed that neither was wearing a bra. Rachel was shorter than Melanie, but with a pleasing face and a lovely figure. Yoga was good for that, apparently.
Melanie chatted amicably with me. "Get ready to sweat. It'll be over 100 degrees in there."
"I heard," I said. "Maybe I should have brought a change of clothes. They'll be soaked at the end."
"Don't worry," said Melanie. "There are towels for us to dry off afterward. As the class is in the nude, the clothes will be fine."
I froze. I was stunned. It never occurred to me that I'd be doing this naked. Or more importantly, that Melanie and her friend would be naked.
"Are you sure?" was the best I could muster.
"Of course. Didn't I mention that to you?"
"No."
"Oh. Are you okay? I don't want you to be uncomfortable. Rachel and I are very at ease with our bodies."
"Sure, I'm game," I lied.
Now, I'm not a prude but I rarely do adventurous things. The idea of a nude class caused me to tremble -- with dread, with excitement, with anticipation. I steadied my body not to reveal any of this. In my mind, I was mumbling, oh my God, oh my God, oh my God ...