Derek was only eight when his father decided to walk out on the family. Before leaving for good, he wanted to say goodbye in person.
"Son, you're a big guy now, almost a man," his father said. "Your mom and I are just too different. I've found someone else who makes me happy."
"You're not going to live with us anymore?" little Derek asked, his face a mask of confusion.
"No, I won't. But you can call me. I'll come visit you sometimes."
"Dad!" the boy whimpered. He ran to his father, burying his face against his knees.
That was the last time Derek saw him. Soon after, his father moved to a different state. He called occasionally and sent child support checks, but he never came back. Years turned into decades. Derek grew up.
"If your father saw you now, I bet he wouldn't even recognize you," his mother often told him.
"I wouldn't want him to. He's got plenty of other people to look at," the young man snapped.
Derek was twenty-eight now. He didn't have any serious relationships; instead, he poured his life into his job and the gym. He had become so obsessed with fitness that he practically lived there.
"You've gone completely mad with this bodybuilding," his mother sighed. "You should focus on your personal life. Otherwise, I'll pass away without ever seeing a grandchild."
"Mom, how many times do we have to do this? I'm not interested in ruining anyone's life. I have no intention of getting married. Besides, who's going to put up with a husband who spends every single evening at the gym?"
Derek would cut the conversation short, grab his gym bag, and head for the door.
***
When he arrived at the fitness club, he saw a group of his buddies huddled on a lounge sofa, staring intently at a phone.
"What are you guys looking at?" Derek asked, tossing his bag down.
"Just admiring the grace of our new yoga instructor. Look at what she can do."
"A newbie? Let me see." Derek stared at the screen. "She's pretty."
"Are you kidding? That body is a masterpiece. The poise, the way she moves... man, she's a ten," one of the lifters remarked.
"So go talk to her. What's stopping you?" Derek said, turning to head to the locker room, but he paused.
The new instructor they were talking about walked right past them.
"See that? Total ice queen. Didn't even look at us."
"Thinks she's untouchable."
"Hey, guys! How about a bet?" one of the athletes suggested. "A year's membership and a massive supply of supplements to the first person who hooks up with her."
"You're on! Derek, you in?"
"No thanks. It's a stupid bet."
"He's just afraid he'll lose," a mountain of a man named Nick teased. "That girl is going to be mine." He let out a primal, Tarzan-like yell.
"Me? Afraid? No. It's just childish."
"Suit yourself. Who else is in?" Nick asked.
Derek looked back one last time, smirked, and disappeared into the locker room. On the floor, he ran into his coach, Mr. Vance.
"Hey, Derek! The regional championships are coming up. I was going to nominate you, but you won't be ready in time."
"What do you mean, Mr. Vance? I'm in peak condition."
"Strength-wise, yes. Но you're too stiff. Look at the other competitors. You're so muscle-bound you can barely walk naturally. You have zero fluidity. You move like a robot. You need to work on your flexibility," he said, patting Derek's shoulder.
"I'm a powerlifter, Coach. Flexibility isn't really my thing. I do a bit of stretching, sure, but how am I supposed to 'develop fluidity'?"
"We have a fantastic new yoga instructor, Mia. Let me introduce you. She's brilliant and very professional. Don't worry, nobody's trying to turn you into a gymnast," the coach winked, signaling for the new instructor to come over.
"Mia, this is Derek. One of the athletes I was telling you about."
"Nice to meet you."
Mia scanned Derek and offered a small, knowing smile.
"I'd like you to work with him and a few of the other guys. Teach them how to move. Soften those edges. They're good kids, but they look a bit clunky compared to the others."
"Of course, Mr. Vance. I'll do what I can. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a class starting," Mia said, her steps light and effortless as she glided away.
Derek and his coach stood there, momentarily mesmerized.
"What a woman."
"Not you too, Coach," Derek sighed.
"What was that?"
Derek just waved it off and headed for the squat rack. After his workout, he changed and walked toward the exit.
"Hey, let me give you a ride. It's late," one of Derek's acquaintances was saying to Mia outside.
"No, come with me, my car's right here," another chimed in.
"Thanks, guys, but I can manage on my own," she told the group of persistent men.
Just then, a sleek car pulled up. A handsome young man leaned out of the window. He hopped out, kissed Mia on the cheek, and helped her into the passenger seat.
"Oh, come on! Who was that?" Nick grumbled.
"Probably a husband or a boyfriend," someone guessed.
"How are we supposed to win the bet if she's already taken?" a third asked.
"No woman has ever told me no," a fourth boasted.
"We'll see about that," Nick muttered.
Witnessing the scene, Derek just smiled to himself. Back at home, he hopped on his laptop and looked Mia up on social media. When he found her profile, he let out a low whistle. "She's thirty-five? Wow. She looks incredible. So graceful. I wonder who that guy was..."
"Hey, son."
The voice interrupted his thoughts. His father was standing in the doorway. Derek practically jumped off the couch.
"What the hell are you doing here?"
"Derek, honey, calm down," his mother said, appearing behind him. "Your father is visiting. Things didn't work out for him back there, so he decided to come back."
After the divorce, she had never remarried. She had spent all those years waiting for him. And now, here he was.
"Get out of my room," Derek hissed, his blood boiling. "Get out of this house."
"How dare you speak to me like that?" his father began, but his mother's hand on his arm stopped him.
"Don't push him. He'll get used to it. He'll forgive you. He'll understand eventually. I did. Come on, let's leave him be."
Derek collapsed back onto the couch, closed his eyes, and eventually drifted into a restless sleep.
***
The next evening, he went back to the gym after work.
"Derek, head to the studio. They're waiting for you," the coach said, rubbing his hands together.
"Waiting for what? Whatever."
Derek walked into the yoga studio. Six of his buddies were already sitting on mats, grimacing as they tried to maintain an unfamiliar cross-legged position.
"Derek, come in. Try not to be late next time. We've already started," Mia said, pointing to a mat on the floor.
"Look at Derek—the legendary Master Yogi," Nick joked, and the room erupted in laughter.
"I'd appreciate it if you could keep the noise down," Mia corrected them. "Yoga requires silence. You can't find your center if you're making this much noise."
Derek didn't say a word; he just shot Nick a warning look.
The session began. Mia moved through the poses with incredible grace. She walked among the men, adjusting their limbs and correcting their posture.
"Ow, ow, ow!" Nick yelped. "I can't twist like that. I'm going to tip over! When do we get to do the 'Napping Dude' pose? I'm beat."
Another roar of laughter. It got even funnier when Nick tried to balance on one leg, wobbled, and hit the floor hard. Mia rushed over to him.
"Nick, are you okay?"
Nick reached out his arms and puckered his lips. "I think I need mouth-to-mouth. Fast."
"What is wrong with you? Nick, please leave the room. Come back when you've learned how to behave," Mia said, pointing to the door.
The other guys stood up, still laughing.
"Stop it," Mia snapped. "Nick, and anyone else who finds this too funny, please leave."
Nick stormed out, looking offended. Two other grinning guys followed him.
"Right. Now we can continue our practice," Mia said, her gaze sweeping over the remaining few.
"Tough," Derek thought. "But fair."
When the class ended, Derek stayed behind. He asked Mia if she could show him a few basic movements. She happily agreed.
"Feel free to ask if anything is unclear," she said as she started packing her bag later.
"I will. Thanks."
Derek left the locker room and saw Mia at the exit again, once more surrounded by the guys. Nick was standing closest to her, holding a massive bouquet of red roses. It seemed he was trying to apologize for ruining the class. Visibly moved, Mia stood there, fiddling with the flowers and looking shyly at her suitors.
"I wonder if Nick's going to get her into his car this time," Derek thought. He decided to hang back and watch.
But it was simpler than that. Mia declined the rides again. Once the disappointed men had driven off, she started walking down the street alone. Derek followed slowly in his car.
"So, you shot everyone down and now you're walking home?" he smiled, pulling up beside her.
"A bit blunt, but yes," Mia said, keeping her pace.
"Where's your boyfriend today? Or the husband?"
"You mean Val? No, he's not my husband. He's my brother. He's at some party tonight and forgot to pick me up. The buses have stopped running, and I didn't feel like calling an Uber. It's not a long walk anyway."
"Let me give you a lift."
"Nope." Mia smiled. "But if you want to drive alongside me like this, I don't mind the company."
They made it all the way to her building. She thanked Derek for the company, said goodnight, and disappeared around the corner. Derek waited a few minutes before driving home. His father was waiting for him again.
"We need to talk," he started.
Derek just held up a hand and walked straight to his room.
***
The next evening, Derek arrived at the studio where the others were already gathered. Mia hadn't arrived yet.
"Hey guys, let's see what she's got in her locker," Nick said. He started pulling out candles and incense.
He found a tube of red lipstick and drew a dot on his forehead. Then, he pulled out a beautiful tapestry with an elephant on it and draped it over his head.
"I am the mean, strict yoga instructor, Mia. Namaste," he mocked, twisting his body into a caricature.
Nick's back was to the door, so he didn't see Mia enter. When the guys burst out laughing, he turned around.
"The 'mean and strict' instructor would like you to leave. Have a nice evening."
Instead of leaving, Nick stepped toward her, threw off the tapestry, and grabbed her in a bear hug.
"Stop playing hard to get, babe. I know you're into me."
Mia struggled to get free, but Nick wouldn't let go. Derek stepped in, forcing Nick's arms open. Mia broke free, grabbed a glass of water she'd been holding, and splashed it right in Nick's face.
"That's totally uncalled for," Nick muttered, wiping his face. "Fine. Let's go, guys."
The group followed Nick out. Before leaving, Nick shook his fist at Derek, promising to settle the score later.
"Are you okay?" Derek asked.
They were alone now.
"Yeah. Thank you."
"Here, have some water. I have an extra bottle."
Mia took it and gave him a soft smile. When the session ended, Val arrived to pick her up. Derek watched them drive away.
The next day, he went to class with genuine excitement. This time, everything went smoothly. As soon as the lesson was over, Derek hurried to his car, hoping he might finally be the one to drive her home.
Instead, he saw a nightmare: Nick and two other large guys had grabbed Mia and were trying to force her into a car.
"What the hell are you doing?" Derek yelled, running toward them. "Let her go! Now!"
Nick and the others glared at him, teeth clenched in rage, but they eventually let her go.
"What is wrong with this place? Do I need a bodyguard just to go to my car?" Mia fumed.
"Could I apply for the job?" Derek asked with a grin.
"You really are like a superhero. Always showing up when someone's in trouble," Mia laughed. "Thank you, Derek."
"Did your brother forget you again?"
"No, I actually wanted to run some errands, so he told me I was on my own tonight."
"I can walk with you, if you'd like."
Mia nodded. "I'd like that. Let's just walk, though. My head is spinning from all this."
She took Derek's muscular arm, and they walked down the street together. As it turned out, Mia was fascinating. She had traveled the world, spoke three languages, and was a talented singer.
"Well, here we are." Mia stopped at the high-rise building she had disappeared behind before. "Thank you for another rescue, and for a lovely evening."
She looked at him intently, and they kissed.
Derek spent the next week courting Mia. He was completely head over heels for this woman who had turned his world upside down. He felt like the luckiest man alive. One evening, they arrived at the club together, heading to their respective rooms. Nick was watching from the shadows.
When they left the club later that night, they were met by a crowd of athletes led by Nick.
"So, you actually managed to charm our untouchable instructor?" Nick sneered.
"What is he talking about?" Mia asked, confused.
"Here you go—the year's membership and the supplement card. All yours. You won the bet." Nick proceeded to recount the entire story of the wager in vivid detail.
Mia slapped Derek across the face and turned to walk away, but Nick wasn't done. He added one more detail. It turned out Mia was the daughter of a wealthy businessman—the very man Derek's father's second wife had left him for years ago.
"Wait... my father planned this?" Derek whispered, his head spinning. "He wanted to get back at the guy by having me break his daughter's heart?"
"Yep. Mission accomplished. Your lady friend isn't going to forgive you. And by the way, we got paid handsomely for our part."
"Out of my way!" Derek jumped into his car, floored it, and sped to Mia's house.
"Oh, you showed up?" Mia's father said when he answered the door. "She's not here. I sent her to London. She needs to get away from people like you. You broke her heart. Now get lost."
Derek walked back to his car and buried his face in his hands in despair. Suddenly, he heard the screech of tires.
"Get in, son. We can still make it."
It was his father behind the wheel. When he realized his plan had actually worked but had crushed his own son in the process, he decided he had to fix it. Without a second thought, Derek hopped in, and they sped toward the airport.
Derek's mind was a mess of hatred and gratitude. He desperately wanted to explain everything. But when they arrived, he ran as fast as he could only to find the gate closed.
The plane had already departed. Devastated, Derek trudged toward the exit.
"Not meant to be, I guess?" a familiar voice said.
He looked up. It was Mia. She had missed her flight too.
Overjoyed, he ran to her and pulled her into his arms. After a moment of resistance, she softened, melting into his embrace. The trip was forgotten. Nobody was going anywhere.
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