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    Viva la Difference, Love Knows No Boundaries
    Viva la Difference, Love Knows No Boundaries
    Viva la Difference, Love Knows No Boundaries
    Ebook251 pages4 hours

    Viva la Difference, Love Knows No Boundaries

    By B.L Wilson

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    About this ebook

    Roberta Hathaway is a Black woman who only dates woman of color. In her job as a New York City schoolteacher, she spends too much time in the classroom helping her students and not enough time outdoors, enjoying the world around her. Her friends convince her to join a yoga school so that Roberta can learn to relax and let go of some of her stress.

    The yoga teacher, Cheyenne Tucker, is a white woman that the class of twenty-five women finds attractive, patient, and an extraordinary instructor. Cheyenne’s newest student disagrees. Roberta does not find the yoga instructor at all intriguing. In fact, she finds Cheyenne’s attempts to date her very annoying. Cheyenne is persistent, though, but will she be able to convince Roberta to “Viva la Difference”?

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherB.L Wilson
    Release dateJul 25, 2016
    ISBN9781310217609
    Viva la Difference, Love Knows No Boundaries
    Author

    B.L Wilson

    B.L. has always been in love with books and the words in them. She never thought she could create something with the words she knew. When she read ‘To Kill A Mocking Bird,’ she realized everyday experiences could be written about in a powerful, memorable way. She wasn’t quite sure what to do with that knowledge so she kept on reading.Walter Mosley’s short stories about Easy Rawlins and his friends encouraged BL to start writing in earnest. She felt she had a story to tell...maybe several of them. She’d always kept a diary of some sort, scraps of paper, pocketsize, notepads, blank backs of agency forms, or in the margins of books. It was her habit to make these little notes to herself. She thought someday she’d make them into a book.She wrote a workplace memoir based on the people she met during her 20 years as a property manager of city-owned buildings. Writing the memoir, led her to consider writing books that were not job-related. Once again, she did...producing romance novels with African American lesbians as main characters. She wrote the novels because she couldn’t find stories that matched who she wanted to read about ...over forty, African American and female.

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      Viva la Difference, Love Knows No Boundaries - B.L Wilson

      CHAPTER ONE

      Cheyenne Tucker glanced at the large-dial watch with the wide black leather band on her wrist, stared at the wall and, finally, her eyes sought out the door. As usual, she was a tiny bit anxious the first night of her ladies’ only yoga class. She always wondered who would walk through the door first. What would the woman look like? Would she be Rubenesque, a full-bodied woman interested in losing weight to please some guy? Or could she be a modern-day version of Skinny Minnie, a misguided Western idea of the perfect woman.

      She didn’t like the term fat, or phat, because of all the negative connotations attached to it, no matter how it was spelled. She had similar feelings about the terms heavyset and plus-sized too. Calling a woman heavyset meant there was an alternative or opposite, such as a light-set woman. What the hell was a light-set woman? Did it mean the woman was anorexic and light-skinned or that she lit up like an electric bulb? With plus-sized women, did that mean there were minus-sized women too?

      Would the mystery first arrival be tall or short; shy or talkative; athletic or awkward; gay or straight? She frowned at her reflection in the bathroom mirror of the women’s locker room. Why did she make herself crazy like this every sixteen weeks? She watched her reflection shrug, then adjust the yoga outfit; an oatmeal-gray tank top tucked into black spandex pants and black swimming slippers that she’d remove when the exercises started.

      She’d better go to the bathroom before classes started. She always thought she had to pee the first night of classes just before they started. Nerves, she guessed, opening a stall and sitting down. Like always, nothing came out, but her body felt as though it was going to burst if she didn’t at least try.

      She left the stall and sighed as she studied her outfit in the mirror. The colors and the fit of the clothes weren’t her idea. She’d prefer baggy, colorful clothes that flowed as she moved. She’d love to wear something similar to the loose, pastel-colored pants men and women from the Middle East and desert dwellers wore. She’d still wear tank tops, but none of them would be the color of oatmeal or sweatshirt gray. She hated grays and beiges. They were such bland colors. Instead, she’d buy candy-apple red, peach, marigold, navel orange, cinnamon-bark brown, mint-tea green, sunshine yellow, sunset gold, bronze, Hershey’s chocolate brown, turquoise, baby blue, fuchsia, and deep coral.

      If she wanted to keep her job, she had to dress like the other instructors. That was what the company wanted in its employees. She did want to keep this job. It was the cleanest of her jobs. It didn’t involve lifting, carrying, or asking permission to lift or carry, or supervising anyone who lifted or carried. She had a chance to meet women and teach them how to do something she was crazy about. She glanced at her watch. Time to go, she muttered, walking down the hallway and making a slight left into the classroom.

      She noted five or six women had already entered her classroom and were standing next to their gym bags talking to one another. Or they’d decided to sit on the floor mats they were told to bring with them to class. She nodded to the women and remembered to smile as well. Oh well, she’d never know who came in first, she thought, reading the class roster. There should be thirty-two women in attendance tonight. She frowned; make that thirty. Mallory told her that one woman canceled at the last minute. Another woman said she might not make tonight’s class because of a project at work she couldn’t cancel.

      Office manager Mallory Kendall was being bitchy as usual by not telling her about the cancelation until the last minute when the woman had called her earlier in the week to cancel. The only reason Cheyenne knew about the episode was that the woman stopped by today under the impression she’d get an immediate refund check. Mallory let her be the one to deliver the bad news to the woman. She’d get a check, but she’d have to wait several weeks for the accountant to cut a check and send it to her. The woman left pissed and threatening to sue, which Mallory seemed to find funny, watching the scene from the safety of the records storage room. Why did she ever think Mallory would let bygones be bygones?

      You look like you’ve been here before. How is the instructor? Bet she’s boot-camp tough, right? a short light-skinned Black woman in baggy gray sweats tapped Cheyenne on the shoulder, interrupting her thoughts to ask. The woman looked up at Cheyenne and winked.

      Cheyenne grinned at her boldness. She thinks I’m a student too. It might be fun to play along. Yeah, I heard she can be pretty tough on her students.

      I bet most of the women stop coming to class because of her. That sure doesn’t seem like a good way to run a business.

      Cheyenne shrugged and turned around to glance at the room. Somebody must like it. The classroom is starting to fill up. That’s a good sign, right?

      The short woman turned around and nodded. I hope so. I’m meeting some friends here. She frowned. Where are they? Class is ready to start in a few minutes. I don’t see them yet. She stared at the door, then waved at the two women who walked through it. There they are. She turned to smile at Cheyenne. Guess I’ll see you at break time. Maybe we can compare notes on the instructor then.

      Cheyenne smiled at her. Sure. I’d love to hear what you think of her. See you on break. She watched the two women greet the woman she’d just spoken with like they were old friends. They exchanged hugs, then talked shop, or at least Cheyenne assumed that was what they were discussing. More women walked through the door. She nodded at several familiar faces as the room filled up. She glanced at her watch.

      When Cheyenne looked up, two women she recognized from earlier classes stood in front of her. One was a tall, blue-eyed blond whose thick hair cascaded down her back in waves. She was several inches shorter than Cheyenne. Tonight, a single thick blond braid hung down her back. The woman with her was a big breasted, well-built redhead. The two women wore form-fitting Lycra tie-dyed leotards with splashes of vivid yellows, reds, purples, and greens on a black background. They carried rolled floor mats under an arm and gym bags in their hands.

      Hey, it’s good to see you two back. Ah, it’s Astrid and Ursula, right? Cheyenne remarked, pointing to the redhead and then the blond. She grinned at them. Right?

      Ursula, the redhead, sighed and shook her head sadly. As usual, you got us mixed up again, Cheyenne.

      Yeah, when will you learn, Honey? Ursula is the redhead. I’m the blond.

      Cheyenne smiled. I’m sorry about that, Ladies. I’ll try to do better with names next time. It’s nice to see you both back in my class. She studied the two women for a moment. I think your skills are way beyond beginners. Are you sure you want to be in this class?

      Ursula exchanged looks with Astrid and then spoke. We like your classes, Cheyenne, even if you can’t remember our names.

      Cheyenne chuckled. Okay, but if you decide this is too slow for you, let me know. I’ll arrange a transfer.

      Astrid sighed. Mallory will kill you for not charging us a transfer fee, Cheyenne.

      Hey, what she doesn’t know won’t hurt her, will it?

      I wouldn’t want to be you if she ever finds out.

      Cheyenne chuckled and then rubbed her neck. I wouldn’t either. She glanced at her watch. Talk to you two later. It’s time to start class.

      She strode to the front of the room. Welcome, Ladies. I’m Cheyenne Tucker. I’m your yoga instructor and this is Yoga for Beginners. She looked around the room full of women and smiled. I hope everyone is in the correct room tonight. If you signed up for Intermediate or Advanced Yoga, you should go to the last two rooms down the hallway. She paused, and when no one left the room, she continued, Well, good, we’re all in the right room and we’re all here to learn about yoga.

      As she looked around the room, she took in the rainbow variety of complexions and female body types. She noted the beiges mixed with tints of yellow to coppery bronze tones to warm red-browns to cooking-chocolate brown. From petite-size ones to sturdy size twenties and from Kate Moss thin to healthy Amazon Xenas. She guessed the age range of her class went from Gen-X late twenties to baby boomers in their fifties. She smiled and thought that this was going to be a good class; she could feel it. She rubbed her hands together in anticipation.

      Okay, Ladies, I’ve told you my name. I’d like to know yours. I want you to describe yourself in one word. Let me show you. Pretend I’m a student. This is what I want you to say. Hi, everybody. I’m Cheyenne. If I had to use one word to describe me, it would be ‘persistent.’ She noted some anxiety in the front of the class. Tonight, I’m gonna do something different. I’m gonna start with the back row and work my way up front.

      Cheyenne waved to the rear of the room. Hello, Ladies in the back, the last row going left to right. Who are you and what word would you use?

      Hi, everybody. I’m Ericka, a young Gen-X declared. I want to learn all I can about things that interest me, so I guess my word is ‘sponge.’ You know, I want to absorb everything, so sponge.

      Cheyenne nodded. Next?

      Hello, I’m Inez. ‘Curious’ is my word.

      I’m Francine. Tonight, I’m tired. Her label drew a laugh from the crowd. Several of the women muttered, That’s me too.

      Let’s see, I’m supposed to say something first. Hello, everybody. My name is Paulette, but you can call me Paula. People say I take a long time to get the point. I don’t feel like I do. I think I’m direct. What do you think? I hope you agree with my opinion that I’m candid. Oh my, I forgot. What else was I supposed to say? Paula closed her eyes, then opened them. Oh yeah, one word to describe myself. How about ‘candidate’? she asked, looking at Cheyenne.

      Cheyenne grinned. Pity the woman didn’t know she was anything but direct. Meandering described her much better. Better be diplomatic about this. That sounds good. Next?

      Hey, everybody. I’m Karen. The short, light-skinned woman caught Cheyenne’s eye and chuckled in recognition. I must say, I’m enjoying the class so far. I’m a teacher. I’m all about learning, so my word is ‘education.’

      Good evening, everyone. I’m Delores. I’m also a teacher. My word is ‘informed.’

      Cheyenne nodded at Delores. Okay, who’s next?

      The woman standing next to Delores was nearly as tall as Cheyenne. She spoke in a voice barely above a whisper. I’m Bernice. My word is ‘quiet.’

      Cheyenne read the confusion on several faces and so she leaned in and cupped a hand around her ear. I heard the name Bernice. Sorry, but I didn’t catch the word. Could you please repeat it? she remarked, not wanting to embarrass the shy woman.

      Bernice cleared her throat and then spoke a little louder. I said, my word is ‘quiet.’

      Cheyenne nodded, then smiled. Ah, you said ‘quiet.’ I got it. Next?

      I’m next. I’m Xavier. She waved. Hello, Ladies. My word is ‘house’ because that’s what Xavier means in Spanish.

      My word is ‘strength.’

      Cheyenne grinned. Okay, Strength. Who are you?

      The Asian woman giggled behind her hand. Sorry, I forget. I’m called Yoko.

      Okay, it’s my turn. I’m Zoë. My Greek name means ‘life,’ so that’s the word to describe me tonight.

      Cheyenne nodded and continued the process until all the women in the class had given an introduction and given a one-word definition. She did this in every class, finding it worked to relax the students and let them get to know a little about each other without seeming to pry. It also provided some comic relief, as there was always at least one clown in the room. She figured it would be a tossup between the short, round teacher named Karen and the tired woman named Francine.

      Okay, I believe that’s everyone. You all made it through the first half of tonight’s class. Give yourselves a big hand. Cheyenne walked back and forth at the front of the classroom, clapping, and all the women joined her. She waited a few moments, then raised a hand for silence.

      "Whenever I teach a new class, I like to start with a definition of yoga. Yoga is a wonderful combination of deep breathing, exercise routines, and meditation meant relax your mind, strengthen your body, and touch your spirit. When we do yoga here at the school, we try to teach you new ways to breathe. This will increase your circulation. Because you’ll have more oxygen into various parts of your body, you’ll start to feel energized but relaxed.

      I know that sounds a little contradictory, but you’ll find after a few weeks, you’ll want to do more things, but you’ll also feel more relaxed. Yoga is one of the best ways to relieve stress that I know. Are there questions so far? Cheyenne asked as she eyed the room full of women wearing exercise gear, including sneakers, spandex, sweats, tank tops, and T-shirts.

      A voice at the back of the room, maybe Ericka, called out, Will we be able to do these exercises at home too?

      Yeah, how hard are they to do?

      I don’t do anything but sit at a desk during the day. The only walking I do is to and from the subway a block away.

      Am I gonna hurt when I get up tomorrow morning?

      Cheyenne raised a hand to ward off more questions. Don’t feel bad if you can’t do some of the poses. This is your first night, so just do the best you can, okay? I’ve discovered over the years that our bodies have varying degrees of readiness. That means some of you will be more flexible than others tonight. You’ll be able to bend, flex, and move with ease, while others of you can’t. In the next class, it may be different. If you were flexible tonight, you might not be as flexible next time, but don’t worry. As we continue to teach our bodies through yoga, you’ll be surprised to discover that your body will be able move into positions that you couldn’t dream of doing before.

      She rubbed her hands together as she looked at her students. Okay, Ladies, let’s get started. We’ll do some warm-up exercises first. The first thing we want to do is learn how to breathe properly. She scanned the classroom, noticing the puzzled looks on faces, and raised a hand. I know, you’re saying, ‘Is this woman crazy? What is she talking about? I’ve been breathing since I was born.’ She grinned at her audience. That’s true, but why don’t I show you what I mean? Those of you in the back rows should move to where you can see me.

      She sat down on her mat and crossed her legs. This pose is called a pranayama. You can do it sitting cross-legged or while lying flat on your back. If you’re sitting up, rest your hands on your knees, then close your eyes and feel yourself breathing.

      Cheyenne stood up. Let’s stop right here for a minute. Ladies, let’s all sit down on our mats or lie down on them. She watched everyone spread their mats out on the floor. Some students sat cross-legged on the mats, while other students chose to lie down on them. "That’s good. For those of you sitting up, rest your hands on your knees. If you are lying down, keep your hands at your sides. Everyone relax your body and close your eyes. Feel the air moving through your body as you relax your face and your body. Concentrate on the way you inhale and exhale the air inside you; erase all thoughts from your mind.

      "Sometimes, your mind won’t allow you to relax, but try not to engage in thoughts. Notice them but just let them fly away. Concentrate on inhaling and exhaling. That’s right; just inhale and exhale. I want you to inhale through your nose. On every inhale, fill up your tummy with your breath, then expand your belly like a big balloon.

      When you exhale, get rid of all the air from your tummy through your nose. Draw your belly button backwards to your spine, emptying all the air out of your tummy. Let’s do it five times. I mean, for five breaths. She slowly counted out the breaths.

      "One.

      "Two.

      "Three.

      "Four.

      "Five.

      Let’s do another breath, but this time, I want you to fill up your tummy, then suck in a little more air. Let the air expand into your chest and make your ribs widen apart. She watched the students take deep breaths. Then suck in more air, causing your chests to expand. That’s it. Hold the air in your ribcage, she instructed, walking around the room.

      Okay, exhale and let the air leave your chest, ribcage first. You’ll feel your ribs sliding closer together. Then release the air from your tummy, drawing the belly button backwards toward your spine. Let’s do this five times.

      "One, release the air.

      "Two.

      "Three.

      "Four.

      Five. That’s good, Ladies. Remember how we inhaled? Cheyenne scanned the room, watching the students nod in response to her question. "We’re going to do it again, but make it even deeper up to your collarbone and combine it with our deep exhale. Here we go. Fill your tummy and chest with air. Then draw in just a little more air and let it fill your upper chest, all the way up to your collarbone. This time, you’ll be expanding the area around your heart, called the heart center, causing it to rise.

      Exhale and release the air from your upper chest. This allows your heart center to sink back down. From your rib cage, let your ribs slide closer together. Then release the air from your tummy, drawing the navel backwards to your spine. Bet you didn’t think breathing could be this difficult did you? Guess what? We’re going to do this exercise ten more times. Cheyenne grinned, noting the groans as she walked around the room. I know this is hard, but let’s do it.

      Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed one late arrival with friends among the room full of women. The latecomer nodded to three Black women in the last row, then dropped the gym bag she was carrying in a corner. She noticed the woman because she still wore street clothes: a fitted gray business suit over a pale pink blouse and matching gray suede pumps and stockings that completed the picture. The three friends she joined were dressed in exercise gear.

      The women were having an animated discussion conducted in a series of loud whispers that ended with all four women quickly walking

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