6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Archer

I had photos from three different shoots to edit today. None of my clients were expecting them right away, but the plan had been to get them done early so I could take a few days for a short road trip looking for some interesting things to photograph. And yet here I sat, going through the photos I took of Crispin instead.

He was beautiful, but more than that, he was ethereal. I'd enjoyed listening to his singing bowls, but mostly, I enjoyed watching him play. His whole demeanor shifted as he played. In the beginning, he seemed a little nervous, but eventually, as time went on, he lost himself in the sounds. So much so that I was able to take some candid shots, and he wasn't even aware I was doing it.

I clicked on my favorite picture. It didn't need any editing, and that wasn't due to my skill as a photographer. It was totally the subject. I knew he said word of mouth was the best advertising for his business, but I had a hard time believing that anyone who was searching for a yoga studio wouldn't choose Harmony and Joy if they saw this photo.

He said he was buying the business, which was great for him, but he needed to make it his own. Out of curiosity, I googled the studio, and the only write-up I found was on the Windsor Hotel website that listed all the businesses that were in the building. It said that Harmoney and Joy had been in business for over twenty years, so Aziza obviously had a strong clientele, but Crispin didn't. He couldn't make this business his own based on her reputation.

I had no right to get involved or to tell him what to do, but I'd built my business from scratch. I knew a little about what it took to be successful, and that was what I wanted for him. To be able to grow his business and thrive without killing himself working multiple jobs.

There were so many things he could do. Wellness fairs or yoga in the park for example, things that would get his business in front of a whole new group of people. But the simplest of those would be to have a website because he wouldn't have to do a thing. I could do that for him.

I checked to make sure Harmoney and Joy was available as a domain name. It wasn't, but Harmony and Joy Yoga was, so I purchased it. I could always transfer the domain name to him if he bought into the idea. I wasn't going to spend a fortune on hosting and themes and what-not until I sold him on the studio having a page. I'd create a nice, simple, free one just so he could see what was possible.

Of course, nice and simple got complicated pretty quickly because that was the way it went when you were creating a webpage. Before I knew it, I'd worked right through lunch. My stomach grumbled, alerting me to that fact, and I checked the time. Wow, it was almost two o'clock. No wonder I was hungry. All I'd eaten all day was a muffin.

I snatched up my laptop. I wanted to show Crispin what I'd done, and if he wasn't in a class, maybe I could talk him into grabbing something to eat with me while we looked. I cut across the lobby to the side where his studio was located, but all the blinds were closed, which either meant he was in a class, or he was gone for the day. I reached for the door and pulled on the handle, being careful to be quiet so I wouldn't interrupt them if they were meditating or something.

The lights in the room were dimmed, and the relaxing sound of flute music was playing while five women were lying on the floor completely still. Their arms rested limply beside them, and their eyes were closed. It looked like they were all napping. Crispin was sitting cross-legged on the floor in almost the same spot he'd been when he played his bowls for me. He glanced up when I opened the door and brought his finger to his lips, letting me know he needed me to stay quiet.

"Now, take a deeper, longer breath," he said in a monotone, almost hypnotic voice. "Very good, now invite a little energy back into your body, slowly, wiggling your fingers and your toes."

I stood there mesmerized as I listened to him. "Slowly open your eyes and take another deep breath, this time lifting your arms up slowly over your head with the breath, stretching your whole body. Now lift your legs and roll slowly to your side. Good. Pause there and take another deep breath before pressing into your palms and coming back up to the sitting position."

He slowly stood up from his mat, walked soundlessly over to the light switch, and brightened the lights a tiny bit. Just enough so everyone could tell the session was over.

"Good job, everyone. Don't forget we're having a special free introduction to sound healing session on the twenty-fifth, so if you want to give it a try, add your name to the signup sheet on the counter."

He watched for a minute to make sure all the women were getting up and moving around before he walked over to me.

"Archer. I didn't expect to see you today."

"You're really good at this," I blurted out. What was it about this man that made me speak without thinking?

"Thanks. I had the best teacher ever." I'd noticed my little Zen master wasn't very good at taking compliments, but I wasn't letting him get away with it this time.

"A teacher can guide you in technique, but they can't instill heart, and that's what you have."

"Thank you for that, Archer. So, uh, you're back?" He looked up shyly. Unlike the guy so masterfully leading the class, he was back to the flustered young man from the hallway.

"I am. I need a sandwich from Luxe, and I wanted to show you how the pictures turned out. I thought maybe I could take care of both needs at one time. Have you had lunch?"

Crispin

I had to remind myself to breathe. Was this really happening? Archer was asking me to lunch? Thankfully, I didn't have another class today, and I was free until prime dinner time for dashing. Lifting my arms up to the side, I said, "I'm all yours."

Before I had a chance to feel like the biggest dork who ever dorked, he grinned so big that it lit up his whole face. Holy goddess. I'd do whatever it took to get him to smile at me like that again.

"Crispin," a soft, female voice said. Turning, Kate, one of my regular participants, stood six feet away, her gaze flickering between me and Archer as she smiled self-consciously.

Stretching out my hands toward her, I quickly went over, and I gripped her forearms. "Hey, did you enjoy today? How are you feeling?" Kate had suffered a minor injury at work, which left her back all jacked up and strained. This was the first class she'd attended in a couple of weeks.

"Great. That actually helped so much. Thank you. I have a quick question for you about sound healing, but I can ask you later if you're busy."

"No, you're good," Archer said with a nod of his head toward Kate. "I'll wait for you outside, Crispin." He smiled and went back out through the doors.

The other ladies from the class, now in their shoes and ready to go, waved as they passed by and exited also. Once alone, I gave Kate my full attention. "What's up, hon?"

"Well, I'd like to come to sound healing, but I'm sort of nervous about it."

"What are you worried about?" I asked, wanting to reassure her if I could. If there was anyone I thought would benefit from a session, it was her. I'd gotten to know her fairly well since her first yoga class had been the first one I'd ever taught. When she'd approached me about how much she'd enjoyed it, I'd blurted out how it was my first time on the teaching side and how excited I'd been, and we'd bonded.

"You know I've always wanted to come, but since you generally host them on a Sunday, I'm always at work. But with this injury, I'll be available. I'm not sure I can sit still that long, though."

I spent a few minutes assuring her that she could move around as necessary, and she was welcome to any of the mats and blocks to make herself comfortable. I even suggested that she bring pillows and a blanket from home. "So what do you think? Wanna at least try?"

"I'll be here," she said, sounding much more confident. Then, with a devilish grin, she pointed toward the door. "And who was the hot guy?"

"Archer." Avoiding her knowing smirk, I stepped into my slides and shrugged on my black yoga jacket, zipping it up over the sleeveless shirt I was wearing. Kate slipped her arm into the crook of mine. "Archer, huh? And who is this mysterious Archer exactly? You know, besides fine as hell?"

I felt heat flooding my cheeks. "He's just…" What was he? A friend? Just someone who lived in the building? I didn't even know how to answer that question.

As we crossed the threshold into the hall, she whispered, "Good luck." She giggled and said, "See you later, Crispin," loud enough for Archer to hear, too.

I busied myself locking up the studio instead of looking at him.

"She seemed nice," he said, so close I almost jumped.

" Mhm . I'm ready," I said, hoping like hell he hadn't heard her wishing me luck. As I spun toward him, I bumped into his chest and tripped backward.

Archer grabbed my biceps and steadied me. "Woah, there. It's a good thing I'm taking you to lunch. You're a little unsteady on your feet."

I inhaled his spicy goodness, then stepped back awkwardly. Hungry was as good an explanation as any for making a fool of myself with this man. "Yeah, I only had an apple with peanut butter this morning."

Archer's dark eyes narrowed on me. "For someone who's all about health and wellness, you're not doing such a great job taking care of yourself. Come on, let's get you fed."

I followed him into Luxe, where apparently, he knew everyone who worked there based on the greetings sent his way. He directed me to the table by the entrance. "This is my favorite spot," he said.

Peering out into the hallway, I nodded. "This is great for people-watching."

He smiled slowly. "Exactly. You wait here while I grab us lunch. Do you trust me to order for you?"

I barely knew this man, but I'd trust him with my life. Metaphorically speaking, of course. "Um. Sure."

"Any allergies?" he asked seriously, staring at me with an intensity I didn't really understand.

"No. I'll pretty much eat anything."

"I'll be right back then." He winked and took off toward the counter where the worker peered over at us inquisitively.

After we'd eaten BLTs and chips—which were quite delicious—Archer finally opened his laptop. "Why don't you pull your chair around and sit next to me?"

Since I wanted to be closer to him—hell, I'd gladly climb into his lap if he offered it—I moved my chair as close to his as possible without being obnoxious. He cleared his throat, sounding nervous. "Okay, I took some great photos of you the other morning, which I'll show you. But first, I wanted to give you a peek at my favorite ones first."

"Okay," I said, eager to see. I was sure that the ones in the studio turned out great because it was a beautiful space, but I wasn't holding my breath for the ones he took of me. But none of that mattered. I just wanted to see Archer's photography.

"Here we go." He clicked a button, and I was suddenly looking at a webpage that said Harmony and Joy Yoga Studio across the top. Directly underneath was the most fabulous picture of our Tree of Life wall. Somehow, he managed to make it appear almost alive. "Wow. Archer, that's…"

Without saying a word, he clicked again, and the top of the page said About the Owner . Followed by a picture of me playing my crystal bowls. There were no words to describe what I saw on the screen. It was obviously me. But I looked… different. It was like staring at one of the yoga gurus that I followed online or someone I trained with.

I appeared lost in what I was doing, but also very much in control. Guiding someone into that peaceful space of consciousness was one of my greatest joys, and somehow, Archer caught it. On top of that, it was the best picture of me I'd ever seen. Look, I knew I wasn't unattractive. I would say I was adorable as opposed to classically handsome, but Archer had made me look like… more. Radiant. Is this how others saw me? Is this how he saw me?

"Archer, I can't believe this." I hoped he heard the awe in my voice.