"Fuck me, man," Dylan said as he fell into the booth next to his best friend Josh, "this overtime bullshit is killing me." He stretches his tired muscles as he grabbed the back of his neck. "I've had this stress headache for like three days now."
"You need to quit that job, man. I'm telling ya, there's a lot of shit you could do. Shop around a bit, find something you actually like."
"Says the guy without any student loans" Dylan said sharply. Almost immediately, his shoulders relaxed a little, and he sighed. "Sorry, it's just been a lot to deal with recently. How's Julia?"
Josh laughed. "She's like a woman possessed. You know how they say new moms are always really tired? Well, if she is, she isn't showing it to me. I swear, sometimes I worry about whether or not our baby is going to get enough sleep."
"What about you?"
"I don't know man. Sometimes I think I'm not cut out for it. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy. But I'm tired as fuck." Josh laughed weakly. "I haven't even been going to yoga and that's easy as hell."
"Aw man, you know when you start talking about that gay shit I gotta nip it in the bud." Dylan took a deep gulp from his beer, finishing it off and signaling the waitress for another one.
"No, no listen man. It's actually really really relaxing. You should try it sometime. My instructor is great. Ever since I started going to him I've been sleeping better and everything."
"Ugh, it's a guy? Fuck no. I at least want the chance to get a look at some chick while she's bending over."
Josh gave him a sharp look. Ever since he had become a dad, Dylan thought he was a bit of a stick in the mud. All of a sudden, talking about a woman's body a certain way pissed him off.
"Listen. Just try it out once, alright? He's top notch, I swear."
Dylan shrugged noncommittally. "I don't know man. I don't want people seeing me do that shit. What if I fall or something?"
Josh considered that. "Well, I could mention you to him. See if he would be willing to do a one on one session just to show you the ropes. He might do it."
Turns out, he would. A week later, Josh called Dylan to tell him that his yoga instructor, a guy named Ed, would give him a private session.
"Listen, I already paid the guy and I don't wanna hear anything about it. I'm tired of you bitching all the time so if it gets you off my back I'm down. But it wasn't cheap you know? So your ass better go, and you better tell me that you chilled the fuck out for a while."
That's how, one evening after work, Dylan found himself standing in front of a small shop that was painted bright blue. For some reason, he expected a chime to go off when he entered, but everything was quiet. There wasn't anyone in the entry hallway, either. Dylan was nervous, and his borrowed yoga mat, rolled up under his right arm, had him feeling ridiculous. Too nervous to just announce his presence, he reached for the first door on his left, hoping it led to the studio.
Luckily it did. The room itself was bright with the fading light of the summer evening coming through a large window with the blinds drawn back. In the center of the room on a black mat was a man. He was laying on his chest, and his legs were drawn up and hanging forward above his head. Dylan could tell that he was rather tall despite the way his body was contorted, and he couldn't help but notice his muscular physique. Unwillingly, his eyes traveled downward, and he quickly averted his eyes when he eyed the large bulge in the front of the mans formfitting clothing.
"Sorry l didn't meet you at the door. Sometimes I get too into the pose." A deep voice called out. Slowly reordering his limbs, the man turned to look at him. His jaw was sharp and chiseled. Dylan was shocked to realize that everything about this man radiated masculine power. Not a single thing about him was flowery or effeminate.
"I- oh yeah it's not a problem. I'm Dylan. Josh recommends you highly." He shook the mans hand.
"I'm sure he already told you but I'm Ed. It's fine to call me that, everyone does." Ed flashed a smile at him, easy and bright. Immediately, Dylan felt jealous.
"So why the sudden interest in yoga?"
Dylan sighed. "To tell you the truth, it's because of my current life situation. My stress level is through the roof. My health has gone to shit."
Ed nodded. His eyes roamed Dylan's body, and Dylan suddenly felt extremely exposed. "It's not uncommon. Lots of people are looking for release when they come to me. It might be a little easier for you to tell me more about where the tension is. That way, we can work on that immediately and get you feeling better."
Suddenly, Dylan felt every ache in his body. Most painful, however, was the series of knows that ran up and down his back. They had recently taken to random spasms, which woke Dylan up in the middle of the night with their intensity.
