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The pathway from the parking area to the Hive’s new building glistened with hundreds of solar lights. Kat waited near the Spa entrance. Her hand shot up, bursting in anticipation. She tucked her arms behind her back, striving for nonchalance and failing.
“I guess we’re not walking fast enough.” Flora giggled.
Lydia didn’t answer. She checked her watch slash fitness tracker. 5:20. Why was Kat beside herself? We’re not late. I got Flora here early. She held her thoughts in and continued her natural stride next to Flora. The paving stone path was gorgeous but not prenatally sound. Flora’s waddle worried Lydia. She didn’t want to leave her unattended and have her stumble onto the grass.
"Ivy is wigging out! She won't leave her alone. You've got to come to calm her down." Kat met them with only a third of the walk left.
Panic shoved up Lydia's throat and clogged her ability to ask questions. Flora understood and took the lead. "Is she hurt?"
“Hurt? No! Why would you think that? She’s just inside. Hurry, you’ll see.”
Flora grabbed the railing and ascended the porch steps. Lydia swallowed her worry and followed her.
Three tables held small water fountains at their center. A fireplace graced one corner of the room. It hosted a single crackling log. Sliding glass doors dressed in long flowing curtains created an entire wall of the room. The fabric fluttered on the breeze, dancing in and out of place. Lydia marinated in the ambiance.
“Gorgeous, isn’t it?” Kat clapped her hands. She led her friends to their table and held a chair out for her. A black-haired woman sat at another table. She was pretty but sullen. The woman noticed Lydia's gaze and returned it, unimpressed.
Lydia ignored the silent slight and draped her purse strap over the back of the chair next to Flora's. Beaming, Ivy circled into the room from the hallway. She was speaking so fast her words morphed into one. Lydia couldn't make it out. She followed Ivy's gaze to her listener. A tender smile rested on the woman's face. Ivy trembled as, Averie, Scout’s Quiet Lady, moved Ivy’s place card to the setting beside her own.
The dark-haired sulker shoved back her seat and hurried to the pair. She spoke quietly to Averie. Averie's smile faded. The pouter gestured to the cards and the chairs. Ivy's smile stuttered. She took her card and walked back to Lydia's table. Averie stayed chatting with woman number two.
“Can you believe it, Lyds? Averie Stardust is here. Here, in Honey Pot, at The Hive.” Joy pulsated from Ivy. "Oh, I wish Scout understood how cool this is?” Ivy melted into her chair. Lydia remembered that kind of buzz. She understood the adrenaline surge.
Once, when she was Ivy's age, she'd charged past a barricade and security guard to meet her favorite singer. She was so sure they were soul mates. However, when face to face with the celebrity, she couldn't form a sensible sentence.
Kat watched on, glad her gift hit its mark. Flora winked at her.
“So, who’s the other woman?” Lydia sipped her glass of cucumber water.
Ivy looked over toward Averie. The internet star hugged the woman of mystery. “Oh, that. That’s her cousin, Maven. She’s her assistant of sorts.”
“Was there an issue with their seats?” Kat watched over the girls talking.
“Oh no. Not really. Maven doesn’t think Averie should rearrange the tables for one fan. That’s all. She’s right. Anyway, she’s said she’ll say hi to Scout at the Festival. Won't that be awesome?" Ivy's thumbs went flying. She texted the news to Emily, her best friend.
Mrs. Berna entered the room with Thad close behind her. She greeted her small group of guests and introduced them to the guest of Honor. "This is Averie. She's an ASMR artist and yogi. Her videos are famous on the internet. Her fan base is growing every day." Averie glowed a smile at the group. “And this is her assistant, Maven. Maven is also a video artist.” Maven’s grin was too huge to pass as genuine but it passed as friendly enough.
“After a light dinner, Averie will lead us in an easy yoga session. I will serve dessert out on the lawn, and then these lovely ladies will treat us all to a private ASMR session." The room clapped and cheered.
Thaddeus ate his meal next to Kat. Lydia, Flora, and Ivy made up the rest of the table. Other than Thaddeus, all the guests were female. He was ill at ease with all the estrogen flooding the room.
With dinner done, Berna led the ladies outside as the staff took down the tables and chairs and swept the room. Flora luxuriated in a porch swing, enjoying the breeze sweeping through her hair. Ivy hovered around Averie, who accepted her company with pleasure. Kat visited with Lydia as she trudged back to her car.
“I told you to dress casual,” Kat poked for the third time as Lydia hefted her gym bag out of the backseat.
“I know.” Lydia hurried to the spa locker room and changed into flexible clothing. She pulled her hair back into a bun and spritzed herself with lavender mint body spray.
“Do you mind?” A thick voice slipped from the neighboring stall.
“Sorry. What?”
“That spray! I’m allergic.”
“Oh, sorry.” Lydia tucked her bottle of body spritz into her bag and washed her hands.
Maven met her at the sink. Her eyes were red-rimmed and swollen. She wiped and wiped at her nose and splashed her face with cold water. Lydia folded a paper towel into thirds and ran it under the faucet. She rang out the excess and handed it to Maven. “Here, maybe this will help.”
“Thanks.” Maven took the offering and placed it on her forehead. “Getting away from all this nature would work best. It’s beautiful, but it’s not worth having your face close in on itself.”
“Do you have any antihistamines? Should I see if Berna has some?”
"Don't bother. Once I have tea, it'll wear off. My prescription just isn't strong enough for the middle of nowhere." Maven grinned. Her swelling nose was a hard contrast against her pale complexion. She held the door open for Lydia, and they joined the other guests.
Turquoise and tan yoga mats carpeted the hardwood floor. Ivy sat poised on the one in front of Averie. Averie chatted with the crowd. All the women mirrored her seated pose, except Flora.
Flora propped up her bum with multiple blankets and though she bent her knees her swollen toes barely met. Wedged between her thighs, two body pillows reinforced her belly. She curled around them enjoying the squishy support. Lydia took the mat beside her. Maven stood outside. Her silhouette shadowed the waving draperies.
Averie settled in for a time of relaxation. Kat's postures were spot on. Her angles bent or bowed at her whim. Flora stretched her neck, hips, and arms. After that she spooned with her pillows. She emitted the occasional murmur of happy sleep. Ivy, front and center, mimicked every pose, while Lydia struggled to get her limbs to obey her commands.
The yogi’s guidance was gentle and patient. She shuffled about aiding her students in their movements. With a free manner, she encouraged them to reach further while remaining easy and light in each posture.
After a few minutes, Lydia enjoyed the routine. She wasn't as graceful or flexible as her friends, but she liked the rhythmic breathing and wavy flow of each stretch. She even found her worn out thighs, knees, and calves welcomed the new arrangements. They soothed and stopped screaming at her for daring to move. Lydia wasn't sure they would ever submit to speed again. Just as long as they propelled her through tomorrow's race, she didn't mind if they never ran again.
Startling the group, Maven cleared her throat. Loud and aggressive with each accented scratch she stood beside Averie’s mat and continued snuffling and sniffing. Her tea hadn’t done the trick. Averie talked the group back into child’s pose and turned to her companion.
The two exchanged rapid whispers. Averie patted Maven on the shoulder. Maven gestured in aggravation. Allergies zapped a person’s patience, Lydia knew, but Maven was overdoing it a tad. Pacified, at last, Maven left the hall.
"Okay, friends," Averie’s voice held no inkling of tension or worry. "When you're able, return to your seated pose. We'll rest there, before enjoying fruit and dessert."
Every attendee, other than Flora, followed directions. Averie spotted the sleeping momma and brought another yoga blanket over. She draped it over Flora and winked at Lydia. “I don’t think we’ll disturb her yet.”
“Good call.” The celebrity’s thoughtfulness amazed Lydia. Sure, Averie's career depended on her staying tranquil and collected, but Lydia had not expected her to be as stalwart in real life. She was encouraging and kindhearted, from what the sheriff's wife could discern. Kat peeked over at their slumbering friend and back at Averie revealing she agreed with Lydia's assessment. Averie was sunshine and sweetness.
Dessert on the patio was plates of dark chocolate truffles, and juicy strawberries dipped in white chocolate. Kat abstained from treats. She was in training and expected Lydia to be. Lydia loved dark chocolate, and even though she feared the wrath of Kat Miller, she was not passing up truffles.
Under the guise of watching after Flora, Lydia retreated to the common room. She stuffed an entire treat into her mouth and let it melt slowly over her tongue. She giggled to herself and tried to hide her pleasure. A noise from the back patio startled Lydia. She gasped. Her last truffle flew out of her mouth and landed on Flora’s cheek. Lydia’s eyes bugged.
Maven returned to the room. She carried two pitchers, a large one filled with cucumber water and a smaller one sloshing with a light tea. Perhaps it was the allergy tea she needed to help stave off her hay fever? Maven set it on the buffet and stared at Flora. “You will clean her off, won’t you?”
Lydia reddened. Would she clean her up? What kind of friend did Maven think she was? She said nothing, only rose and retrieved a napkin from the buffet. Lydia returned to Flora without a word and wiped away any chocolate evidence.
Maven watched. Disapproval stamped on her face like a pockmark. She shuddered with disgust. "Tell Averie I brought her tea." It was a command, not a request. Maven left the room as quietly as she entered.
Flora jostled on her mat. Lydia jumped in surprise. This startled Flora who bolted to sitting and screeched. The outside ladies hurried inside, led by Averie, to see what was wrong.
Flora wiped a drool stream from her cheek, unaware of Lydia’s dark chocolate faux pas. Lydia wasn’t about to tell her, especially with Kat two feet away.
Averie's beautiful green eyes hunted the corners of the room. She spotted the tea Maven delivered moments before. Pouring her liquid solace into a clear glass Averie soaked in the scent and shut her eyes. Her lips moved without a sound, and she rolled a violet orb between her palms. Lydia had not noticed Averie pull the sphere from her bag, but she worried over Averie's sudden need to fondle it.
Lydia watched as Averie savored the first sip of tea and then, once it was no longer hot enough to scar her esophagus, she gulped it down in moments. Averie poured herself another glass and swirled her second helping around in its container. “Ladies, you may help yourselves to more water before we begin. Now is, also, a good time for everyone to visit the powder room.”
Flora lurched, trying to spring for the bathroom. With her center of gravity altered, she needed help to rise from the floor. Lydia and Ivy obliged. "Yum. That tea smells sensational and spicy." Flora waddled over to the half-empty teapot. She lifted the lid and fanned the steam toward her face. "I can't place it."
Averie smiled for the first time since Flora’s rude awakening. “It’s delicious and so healing. Maven makes it for me. She’s such a help.” Flora grinned and then rushed into the hall, presumably to the bathroom
Lydia fretted over Averie’s description of her cousin. Maven didn’t seem accommodating let alone helpful. Lydia wondered why she was accompanying Averie on her trip. Maven did not enjoy Honey Pot or the country. What would make a hay fever crazy woman journey out into the middle of farm and pasture land?
Averie caught Lydia's unspoken question and rested a hand on her shoulder. "Don't judge her. She's shy and isn't feeling herself today." Lydia remained unconvinced. "After our accident, she stopped being her outspoken and bubbly self. She's drawn inward. One day I know she'll snap out of it and be happy Maven, again. Until then, she's still a great encourager and friend." Averie spoke this to herself as she took a seat on her mat. She slurped on her tea and visited with Ivy and Kat as the group awaited Flora's return.
“Now,” her glass clinked as she set it on the floor beside her mat, “If you would all lie down and get as comfortable as possible, we’ll begin your ASMR experience.”
Ivy hopped over to her mat. Her ponytail bounced with every movement. She curled a blanket around her torso and settled down on her back. Kat laid face up on her mat while Flora, once again, spooned her pillows and draped a yoga blanket over her bum.
Lydia settled in with everyone else. She tucked a rolled blanket under the curve of her neck and another under the back of her knees. Her palms went clammy. She’d watched Averie’s videos with Scout but still did not understand what ASMR was or what to expect from a live treatment.
The lights dimmed. The single log fire, a few LED candles, and a sizeable Himalayan salt lamp lit the shadows with a warm glow. With the click of a remote, white noise hummed from the hidden speakers in the room.
On cue, Averie took a long soothing breath and stressed her exhale. She took her tea into her hands and tapped the glass with her long nails. It sounded like mechanical rain and tinkled through the quietness. A few patrons sighed contently on their mats. Others readjusted their positions on the floor.
With one more deep and satisfying breath Averie began her soft speech. “Hello, I’m Averie and welcome to our ASMR session. To get full benefits of our time together, you may enjoy closing your eyes. There will be nothing to see. You are perfectly safe here. So, shut your eyes and take three deep breaths with me.
Here's one deep breath" The crowd obeyed. “Now, two deep breaths.” Again, the crowd submitted to Averie's request, "and here are three deep breaths. Good. That's fantastic. Allow your shoulders to settle onto the hardwood floors. Let the ground absorb all your weight and feel every worry drift from your muscles, up into the air, and out into the breeze. There is absolutely nothing else you need to think about. Just keep breathing, keep your muscles soft, and listen to the surrounding sounds.
Can you hear the fabric of the tapestries as they wave on the night air? Swoosh.Swoosh.Swoosh. their swaying almost matches the rhythm of our quiet, gentle breathing.
As you continue to let go of your stress and worries let me explain what exactly ASMR is and why it can be so helpful in relieving anxiety and stress. I may even share my story with you if you don’t mind.”
Averie paused and ran her fingers through a wooden bowl filled with small pebbles and river rocks. The clattering of the stones was slight. Every muscle in Lydia's back and neck melted. From her mat, Lydia could hear Kat mumble ascent to the rhetorical question.
“ASMR stands for Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response, characterized by a tingling sensation on the skin. Sometimes it feels like tiny firework explosions along your scalp. Other times it's a pleasant chill that flows from your neck to your shoulders and sometimes down your spine. ASMR can be an excellent stress reliever and tame a bout of insomnia or even anxiety.
Not everyone is ASMR sensitive. However, for those who are, an ASMR artist will stir up ASMR sensations in their audience by the use of specific triggers. These triggers are different for everyone and what works best for one person may not for another.
A favorite trigger is a whispered, hushed tone." Averie's already soothing volume decreased as she purposefully made each word breathy and more lingering than the last. She continued, "Even certain syllables can trigger ASMR. Sounds like SKU... SKU... SKU... SKU can create tingles. Words like: so, so, so, so, so also can be enjoyable. "
Averie reached into a nearby satchel and drew out a hardback book. "Tapping is a favorite trigger." She took her long nails and scratched and tapped the surface of the massive tome. Lydia cracked one eye open to check on Ivy. She was resting, glee smeared across her young face.
When the tapping ended, Averie turned the pages of the large volume. Lydia opened both eyes and watched over her friends.
Averie lighted beside each guest and whispered an affirmation over their heads. She purposefully planted every step to create just the right sound. Flora squirmed and seemed unsettled when Averie paced the floor.
Averie carried her jug of tea along with her. She swished the drink around in the container. The sloshing sound made Flora jump. Once the artist noticed her participant’s discomfort, she ceased the sloshing and took a heavy drink, emptying the cup. Averie returned to flicking the rim of her glass with her nails.
Tapping was Scout's favorite sound. She stopped wailing to listen to the gentle tapping. Lydia tried to imitate the taps with her nails and her favorite coffee mug. It wasn't the same. Even Averie's live demonstration wasn't as powerful as her videos. Must be her microphones, Lydia thought. She shut her eyes when she noticed Averie was only one person away from her.
She smelled Averie's patchouli and ylang-ylang oil before she felt her breath by her hair. The aroma of her tea hung thickly in her whisper. It was pleasant and earthy. Averie swept a stray strand of hair away from Lydia's face, without making skin to skin contact and whispered, "You sparkle. You are stardust. You are magnificent." Lydia exhaled deeply as Averie's bare feet returned to her yoga mat.
"Now, ladies, I will turn on some quiet music, and the lights will return to normal. When you're ready, sit up and stretch. Bring your attention back to the room. Please, take your time. I'm in no rush. Thank you so much for allowing me to treat you to this session. It's been my pleasure to serve you."
Lydia felt the light increase through her eyelids. She braced for the glaring brightness and shielded her eyes with her hand before sitting up. Flora teetered on all fours. She untangled herself from her pillow and blankets and blinked at Lydia. Ivy stretched and yawned while Kat shot to sitting the instant the electricity hummed to life.
Maven, suddenly in the room, perched on a chair behind Lydia. Her voice, still scratchy, erased the stillness. "That was wonderful, Averie." She cracked her knuckles before walking over to her cousin. Maven hugged her. Averie returned the embrace with joy.
“Her allergy meds kicked in,” Lydia whispered without thinking. Flora followed her gaze to the cousins.
“Isn’t that sweet,” she responded, “It’s nice to see families acting like families.”
Maven graced Ivy with an apology. “I’m so sorry for my rudeness, earlier. I don’t know what was wrong with me.” Averie gave Maven’s back a forgiving and gentle pat.
“Oh, okay,” Ivy spouted, “thanks. It’s no big deal.”
“I think it’s a huge deal,” Maven said. “We’re all on the same journey. We’re all just trying to live our lives to the fullest. Who am I to get bossy and all up in your aura?” Ivy’s brows knitted, confused yet sympathetic. “And to prove to you how sorry I am, and how much I’d like us to be friends, I brought you a present.”
“You didn’t need...” Ivy started. Maven hugged her mid-sentence.
"I like you all the more for saying so, but I insist." She escorted Ivy over to a large basket of goodies. Ivy chuckled with joy. "I had to beg Berna to open the spa shop, but I think this makes a decent peace offering." Ivy nodded with her mouth open. She pulled out DVDs of Averie's sessions.
“These aren't released yet!”
"I know. But we had a few copies with us, and I wanted to share them with you and your little girl." Maven's eyes popped in surprise at Ivy’s hug. Ivy squeezed her before she dug through the gift basket.
“Well that was nice,” Kat smoothed her hair back into place.
“I’ll say,” Flora said.
Maven and Averie hugged Ivy farewell. “Ready to go?” Lydia waved to her hostess and led the way to Ethan’s truck. “You sure you’re okay riding in the back?”
Ivy was too happy to care that she’d be squished. The teen nodded, swinging her basket as she walked. Solar lights dimmed as the darkness sucked at their power supply. Flora tripped. Lydia's stomach lurched in response. She was ready to dive to the ground and act as a landing pad for Flora's nesting belly.
"We're good," Flora assured her protector. She held the truck door open, and Ivy slid her basket into the narrow back seat. Lydia had one leg in the car and one toe on the gravel drive when the screaming started. Flora echoed the yell and held her tummy. Ivy, trapped in the back, flipped her head from side to side, trying to assess the situation from an impossible angle.
Quick thinking Lydia retreated from the truck cab and shut the door. She snatched her cell phone through the open window and barked orders.
"Ivy, get ready to drive away if the need arises. Flora, call Ethan. Tell him not to panic but to stay on the line, just in case. I forbid either of you to freak out. Roll up the windows and lock the doors. Ivy, I'll call your phone if I need anything. Stay in the car! Both of you!”
With that Lydia ran back towards the spa cottage. The screaming intensified. At the door, she paused and listened. It wouldn't be wise to charge into a room, blind and clueless. She remained calm even as Berna slid up behind her shoulder.
“What’s going on,” Lydia asked.
“I don’t have the foggiest. I ran up to the Inn to set down a bundle. I heard the shouting on my way back.” Berna’s hand wrapped around Lydia’s elbow. “Don’t you think we should go inside?”
Lydia shook her head. “Are you armed?” Berna lifted a cattle prod to Lydia’s eye line. “Well, that makes me nervous.”
There was no reason to ask if Berna knew how to wield a cattle prod. Berna, raised on ranches, often chased wandering livestock from her fields. Still, a long stick charged with electricity made a clumsy weapon.
“Is the slider locked?”
“No, it’s open.”
“It sounds like the scuffle is happening near the fireplace. We might sneak in through the slider.”
The terrified screeching slowed. Hurried words and frantic pleading replaced the screaming. Someone was in trouble. The ladies snuck around the porch.
From the cover of the flowing curtains, Lydia could see a man gesturing in controlled frustration in the face of a shivering Averie. His sentences rode the breeze but only hit Lydia’s ears in chunks.
“... you know... it’s me... how many... don’t listen... she’s not... just run... with me.”
“Must be a crazed fan,” Berna noted, as she charged her prod. “I guess even internet celebrities have them. Just tell me when you’re ready to storm in.”
Lydia quick texted Ivy and asked her to tell Ethan to hurry to the Hive. She hoped the girl was wise enough not to respond to the text but follow the directive. Even a vibrating notification might attract unwanted attention. Lydia secured the phone under her bra strap, since her yoga pants didn’t have pockets and slipped off her sandals.
“Wait here. Come in swinging if things get hairy.” She instructed Berna and took one soft footfall into the room.
From inside the door frame, she noticed Averie’s eyes try to understand the situation. Her pupils were wild with fear and unbelief. Her so-called attacker had his hands on her shoulders but wasn't shaking her. His knuckles weren't even white with strain. Averie's sobs were gut-churning.
Lydia stood dead center in the room, vulnerable from every side. Even Berna's wand of electric power was a threat. Ethan would be on his way.
From the station, it was a 30-minute drive at a decent speed. From their home, it was 35 minutes. Ethan would need to find a sitter for Scout. Flora and Kat were here, with Lydia, and thus unable to help with the baby. Taking the time to find a reliable sitter would slow his progress.
Where is Kat? Lydia didn’t want to get anyone hurt, but she’d love more back up. Berna was spry and determined, but Kat was agile and angry. Kat would make an excellent sidekick, in this situation. Lydia pondered all these things in less than half a second as she swallowed her fear and opened her mouth in a warning.
Before her voice found the air, Maven charged in from the hallway. She launched on the man's back and buffeted at his ribs. Her thighs secured him, and she ripped into him with foul language and threats.
Averie sunk to the floor, sobbing. Lydia flew onto the scene. She knelt beside Averie and held her head in her lap. "Are you hurt? Who is he? What does he want?" Her questions went unanswered.
Berna hurled in from the slider, cattle prod waving in the air, warrior cry shredding through the surrounding voices. Maven stopped her assault and watched the formidable Berna approach. The man whimpered and cursed. He flung Maven from his back. She collided with a chair, but not before sweeping the stranger's feet out from under him. He crashed into a pounce position. Berna overshot her swing in the clamoring kerfuffle and grazed Lydia with the tip of her wand.
Lydia hollered, and Averie screeched as the shock ran through them, however briefly. Averie's crying stopped, and she lay stunned, gazing up to the ceiling. Lydia grabbed her wound in reflex. Through watering eyes, she watched the assailant scramble away and escape into the darkness.
"The shadow man always finds me," Averie whispered before passing out.
Maven crawled to Averie's side. She stroked Averie's pink hair with a battle-bruised hand. Her knuckles were cracked and bleeding. She'd blasted into the man. Lydia's heart softened toward the cold Maven. She did love her cousin.
“What happened in here?” Kat spat as she entered the room from the front door. Lydia snickered and let her head loll against the wall. She’d talk later.
✽✽✽
Flora and Ivy were praying when the truck rattled beneath them. A crashing thud quaked the cab. They both looked up, as a bedraggled man pushed himself from the hood. He bounced back into a run and fled farther into the night. They had just calmed themselves when Ethan's car slid up behind the truck. It splattered the vehicle with gravel, and the ladies returned to their startled squealing.