Free It Takes Two by Erin Nicholas

downtime. She likes the quiet, likes doing something all by herself, likes just zoning out.”
    Yeah, that could be a problem. Where glue and yarn might be something he could get used to, the quiet alone-time thing was going to be a much bigger challenge. Shane was nearly phobic about quiet and downtime. He was aware of it, he had good reason for it, but he couldn’t get over it. If he was completely honest, he didn’t want to get over it. The people-party-public thing worked for him. He liked it, craved it even.
    He lived alone, but didn’t spend any more time in his condo than he needed to. Otherwise, he liked to work out at the gym with other people around, he liked to be out with friends, he liked to be at big public events where even if the other people were strangers, there were a lot of them.
    “Why hasn’t she ever told me about all of this before?” More precisely, why did she put on the act of loving the same stuff he did?
    They moved into the Plank Pose. All the guys did fine with it since it was essentially the top of a push-up.
    “Because she didn’t think you’d want her if you knew she was…knitting.”
    Emma effortlessly moved into the Side Plank as Ryan did it. Dooley was right there with them. Once Mac got balanced on one arm, with one leg bent, one extended and his opposite arm up toward the ceiling he crowed, “Ha!”
    “Well, this is a variation of the Side Plank,” Dooley said smugly. “Right, Ryan?”
    “I think this is enough for tonight,” Ryan said.
    Sam frowned. “Come on. Mac sucks but the rest of us are doing okay for our first time.”
    Mac clearly didn’t care about their opinions on his yoga technique.
    “I think the full Side Plank is a bit much for tonight,” Ryan said again, moving into hands and knees again.
    “Dammit, I want to be as relaxed as possible,” Sam said. “Show us.”
    Ryan sighed. “I think that maybe the relaxation thing is going to take a few more sessions.”
    “Show us.”
    Ryan moved into the position, balancing on one hand and one foot only with the other leg and arm both extended up to the ceiling.
    Sam fell to the mat without even trying. Mac growled again. Kevin laughed. Even Dooley couldn’t get it. “I did it the other night at home,” Dooley told them.
    “Don’t even think I’m not asking Morgan about that,” Mac said.
    “You want to try another position?” Ryan asked.
    “No,” they all said in unison.
    “You guys are pathetic.” But Ryan slumped onto the mat, then lay back flat on the mat, arms and legs extended. “In case any of you care, this is the Resting Pose.”
    “This I can totally do.” Mac rolled to his back.
    “Love this,” Kevin agreed.
    They all assumed the position and were, miraculously, quiet for thirty seconds.
    Until Dooley said, “And I guess we can move onto the part of the night where we all give Shane relationship advice.”
    “Flavored body powder,” Sam said.
    “You finally tried the powder?” Mac asked.
    “Yeah, it’s awesome.”
    “Told you.”
    “What’s flavored body powder the answer for, exactly?” Emma asked. “And where do I get some?”
    “I’ll have Sara text you,” Mac said. “And it’s the answer for how to get on a woman’s good side. Works like a charm.”
    Emma nodded. “Sure, relationships are just that easy.”
    “That’s it?” Ryan asked, sat up and looked around. “The sum of all of your advice is flavored body powder?”
    Dooley nodded. “Yep. Women are like…” He trailed off and frowned, as if thinking hard. Then he shrugged. “I got nothing. I’m too mellow after all the yoga.”
    Ryan flopped back onto his mat. “Okay, how about everyone just breathe,” he said. “Quietly.”
    Shane stared up at the wooden beams that crossed the ceiling for a few minutes.
    Finally he said, “I love her, Em.”
    Emma lay beside him and turned her head to look at him. “But?”
    “I don’t love jigsaw puzzles.”
    “Jigsaw puzzles?”
    “I’m not a