Disclaimer: The following is a work of fan fiction and is not intended to infringe upon the copyrights of MGM, The Mirsch Group, Trilogy, CBS or any others with claims. The characters of the Magnificent Seven belong to MGM and company.
Note: This is payback for Break the Fast. It’s that simple <g> It’s also just fluff and some fun – hope you enjoy it. Enormous thanks to Amy for beta-reading this for me, she deserves a day at the beach with the boys! Thanks.
Feedback is more than welcome!
The sky was etched in a symphony of reds and yellows, long strings of cloud scrawled across the heavens like waves of sand across the dunes. Sprawled in her deck chair, Anita stretched out her legs in the early morning sun. Yawning slightly, she got settled to watch the ‘Sunrise Yoga’ class.
When she had first arrived on the small tropical island, the hotel concierge had informed her of the many activities available to the holidaymaker. Besides the usual massages, water-skiing, volleyball and sun worshipping, there was an early morning yoga class for beginners and advanced. Anita had been half tempted to join the class but was put off by the early morning start. She was, after all, supposed to be on holiday and getting up with the sun kind of ruined the whole effort of achieving pure idleness.
Strangely enough, Anita found herself down on the beach in time to see the yoga class start. Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that five very interesting, very unusual, men had expressed a desire to join the class last night. She had overheard them talking at the bar and now, true to their word, there they were limbering up with the rest of the class.
She was pretty sure the youngest one, with long dark brown almost black hair, had only joined the class because he had been teased into it. The man responsible for coercing his young friend was avidly studying the female yoga teacher, his reasons for joining obvious. The younger man’s name was apparently JD or so Anita guessed after ‘Buck’ hissed loudly to draw his attention to the yoga-teacher who was welcoming her students. Buck was definitely not there for health and fitness benefits. Although, he would probably argue that this was part of any red-blooded man’s health and fitness regime – bird-watching.
Standing next to Buck was a tall black man who seemed intent on taking the class seriously. He had tried to distance himself from JD and Buck as the group assembled but after ensuring he was as far away from them as the designated area allowed, the pair had gravitated next to him. He was at least dressed in clothing you can exercise in, while Buck was attired in a bright floral Hawaiian shirt and had somehow managed to find the exact polar opposite in baggy shorts. Strangely enough it didn’t seem to look too horrendous on him, until he stood next to a more ‘normal’ outfit. Something like the way a carnival dancer looks fantastic but only while he’s at the carnival. JD was dressed similarly to Buck, although in more subdued tones and co-ordinated patterns. He looked like a miniature version of his taller friend.
The yoga class was comprised of a number of people. Several older gentlemen and ladies, kitted out in spandex and aerobic wear, looked like they might snap in two if they bent over too far. There were the usual young ladies in the class, all eager to tone and shape their bodies, most of them wearing looser, more concealing exercise gear. The tall, grey-haired man standing next to JD would have fit in with the older age group with ease. Only, his enormous tie-died T-shirt; red head-band and dirty grey sweat pants, didn’t quite match the retired ‘I-live-in-a-tracksuit-now’ appearance of the older holidaymakers.
All four of them looked quite comical as they bent over to begin the ‘Sun Salutation’. JD groaned as he tried to touch his toes while Buck seemed more interested in watching the instructor bend over and touch the floor. His hands were dangling somehow around his knees as he avidly studied the instructor’s ‘form’. The black man next to him, whose name was apparently Nathan, dryly remarked that Buck was a walking hormone.
As Jen, the instructor, continued to explain and then demonstrate the rest of the ‘Sun Salutation’, Josiah had to grab JD’s collar as the young man tried to leave. "Josiah! There is no way I’m doing that!"
"You just have to do your best JD. No one gets it right the first time."
Buck had been smiling after the demonstration, until Jen motioned for the class to follow her movements. Grimacing slightly, he managed to get as far as ‘Upward Dog’ before refusing outright to form the next position.
"Come now, Mr Wilmington, you assured me that this class was going to be beneficial!"
Anita turned her head to see the last two members of the group from last night, seated in the deck chairs a few feet from her. The Southern gentlemen, dressed in immaculate long grey shorts and a soft ivory shirt, the top two buttons undone, urged Buck on. With his smooth accent, he quipped, "Try not to pull something."
Standing up, Buck lifted his fist and shouted, "Ezra, I don’t see you …"
The rest of whatever it was, died on his lips as Jen moved over to him and in a soft undertone urged him to start again and perform the Sun Salutation. Unable to resist her breath-taking smile, and not to mention lithe figure, Buck forgot about Ezra and bent down, happy to have Jen’s gentle hands guide him through the whole series of postures. His smile faded somewhat as she corrected his ‘Downward Dog’ by pressing into his hips to lay his feet flat on the ground.
"Excellent everyone, now lets do that a few more times until it’s becomes one easy movement and then we’ll move onto variation B."
Nathan and Josiah looked like they were really trying to get the postures correct, while JD and Buck were alternating between cheating and moving quickly into each posture. Variation B was even harder and by the time Jen had moved onto the triangle postures, JD was wreaking havoc. Having to balance with one hand in the air, and another reaching for his big toe, the young man continually bumped into Josiah or Buck, who then bumped into Nathan.
The blonde man, sitting next to Ezra was laughing quietly as his four friends fought each other and the postures to stay upright and in the process completely destroying the quiet atmosphere Jen was trying to maintain. Ezra’s companion was dressed in long dark shorts and a dark grey shirt although his was not buttoned up at all. Tantalisingly, Anita could see some very well-defined, hard, tanned abdomen muscles in the narrow slit of open shirt. If it hadn’t been for the seventh member of the group, she would have been staring at the blonde, trying to get a better look at those muscles.
Happily, there was a more visible, open display of well-toned muscle for her to ogle. The seventh and final object of her attention was in the yoga class with Buck, JD, Nathan and Josiah. Unlike Nathan, he ‘had’ managed to situate himself as far away from the dynamic but balanced-challenged duo as possible. His long, sun-bleached hair was tied aback in a pony-tail at the nape of his neck, which led to all the more exciting views. Muscles rippled across his shoulders and back as he moved into each posture with a seamless, effortless gesture. Flexible to the point of incredibility, he seemed to be able to follow any of Jen’s instructions, her own eyes drawn more and more frequently to this particular pupil.
As the lesson progressed, and the positions became more complicated, Anita found herself torn. She really wanted to watch the long-haired man as he worked up a healthy sweat, making those tantalising muscles gleam. However, Buck and JD were causing a near riot with their antics. Buck, meant to be trying to hold his feet in a seated stretch, was enthralled by the view of the young lady in front of him, particularly her finely toned behind. JD, stuck looking at a much older, but no less firm behind was not enjoying himself. His legs were screaming at him and he was not feeling relaxed – at all!
Sneaking a quick look at Wilmington, JD noticed his friend’s preoccupation and hissed loudly, "Buck, quit staring at that lady’s butt!"
The young woman in question gasped in indignation, turned around to see Buck’s nose inches from her own, and proceeded to shove Wilmington, who toppled over like a stack of bricks. JD burst out laughing, which drew Jen’s attention. JD Dunne turned bright red under her stern gaze and hurriedly returned to his stretching.
Chris and Ezra couldn’t help laughing out loud when the pair of jokers had to push themselves up off the floor, bent over backwards. Once again, Wilmington hit the mat with a groan and exclaimed, "Come on, lady, a body just ain’t meant to bend like that." Jen’s lifted eyebrow questioned that statement as she looked around. It was Buck’s turn to blush crimson when he saw everyone else struggling but succeeding to do it, even the old folks in front of him. Only Vin was holding the position with ease and Buck swore he would pay the Texan back later – just for being a show off.
"Try it again please, Buck."
Anita, happily watching everything she could, eventually settled for gazing at the supple agent. She didn’t know his name and didn’t care – he was a pleasure to watch. Bronzed arms and legs stretched and eased themselves into the most fascinating positions Anita had ever seen. What made Buck look ridiculous, made Vin look incredible.
All too soon the lesson was over and a grateful Jen ended the session with a meditation and relaxation period. Quietly the minutes ticked by, as Jen created a peaceful atmosphere with her soft monotonous voice, accompanied by the gentle sounds of the ocean. The serene calm was shattered by an enormous snort as a sleepy Buck tried to turn over and cuddle and came face to face with a startled JD.
"What the …"
"ARGH!"
Shaking her head in despair, Jen ended the class on that note and dismissed her students. Whilst everyone got up, Buck and JD very quickly, Josiah remained on his back snoring gently. Dunne, thoroughly disgruntled with the entire experience and in particular with Buck, stormed off the mat by stepping right onto Sanchez’s chest and then over him. Josiah barely noticed the additional weight and snored on.
A few of the young women clustered around Jen asking questions, while Buck and Nathan followed JD off the matt-covered area towards Chris and Ezra. Anita buried her head in her book, hoping that none of them had noticed her staring at them.
Watching the three men from the corner of her eye, Anita saw Nathan help Ezra to his feet, while Buck offered a hand to Chris, who declined and pulled himself out of the chair slowly. It was only when they were standing that Anita could see why Larabee and Standish had not joined in with the class. Ezra was holding onto his ribs, while Nathan helped him up and Chris had a brace on his left knee. JD handed Larabee a pair of crutches and together the five men set off for the hotel.
Suddenly wondering where her favourite spectacle was, Anita looked up from her book to find Vin Tanner standing in front of her. Caught completely off guard, she stared open mouthed at the handsome man whose face broke out into a dazzling smile. Absently, Anita noted Josiah shuffling behind Tanner, holding his back and muttering but her attention was fixed on the man before her.
Gulping, Anita was about to ask why he was just standing there, smiling at her, when he spoke, his Texas drawl sending a shiver up her spine. "I think it might help if you had it the right way round."
With that, Tanner gently plucked the book from her nerveless fingers, turned it around and handed it back, the right side up. Blushing furiously, Anita wished for the earth to open up below and swallow her whole. Instead she practically slid down the deck chair, mortified beyond belief. Tipping an imaginary hat, Vin Tanner winked at her and then walked away.
Still bright red, Anita watched him leave, her heart racing with a combination of excitement and embarrassment. ‘Anita‘, she thought to herself, ‘we might just have to take up yoga.’
The end ; D
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