Page 59 of Viking Unchained

“I know most of you are here because of the naughty factor,” she teased.

They all laughed, even while they warmed up with knee extensions and waist bends, following her lead.

None of them disagreed.

“If you let loose, you can have fun with your sexual partner or just gain a little self-confidence about your body. The main reason I’m offering the pole-dancing workout, though, is to help you tone your bodies.”

She did a brief demonstration for the class first, dancing to “Private Dancer,” which she flicked on her CD player. As she danced and even pretended to make love with the pole, she narrated the various moves: the swing walk, leg hook, pole bend and slide, corkscrew, firefly, climb and spin, body inversion, pivot, and freeform arch. In the end, she showed them the “helicopter,” warning them that this was an advanced move that required upside-down spinning in a crunch position with legs and toes forming a vee with the pole.

“Wow!” Kirstin Magnusson said. “I think I’m way out of my league here.”

“You? I can scarce lift my leg that high, let alone do it in midair,” Madrene added.

“Now, now, I told you that was an advanced move for much later. Today, we’re going to learn the basic fireman, where you grip the pole, swing up as high as you can go, then spin downward like a . . . fireman.

Watch carefully and save the vamping for later, please.”

By the end of the hour, they were able to perform the move, clumsily on some parts and with curses from others. But they were all feeling good about the class as they walked out laughing and talking.

“Kirstin,” Lydia said, “do you have a minute? My next class doesn’t start for an hour.”

Kirstin stopped, telling her family members to go ahead, that she would catch up. After they left, Kirstin arched her brows at her.

“I wanted to ask you about . . . someone,” Lydia started hesitantly.

“I knew it! I knew there was something different about you.”

Kirstin slid down to the floor and grabbed for a towel to dab at the perspiration on her face and neck, the whole time smiling.

“Different how?”

“Well, my guess would be that you are gettin’ some, honey. Either that or you’re pregnant. You glow, girl.”

“No, I’m not pregnant, but I do want to ask you about your cousin Finn.”

Kirstin’s eyes went wide, and her jaw dropped for a moment. “You’ve been getting it on with Finn, the world’s biggest male chauvinist?”

An apt description. “The very one.” She sank down next to Kirstin.

“The family has been worried about him since he disappeared several days ago.”

“Four days.”

“Oh, my God! He’s been with you.”

She nodded.

“So what’s the problem?”

“Well, he tells the most outlandish story.”

“Uh-oh!”

The fine hairs stood out on the back of Lydia’s neck. “I know you’ll think this is crazy, but he claims to have time-traveled from the eleventh century. Ha, ha, ha.”

Kirstin was not laughing in return.

The fine hairs were practically doing the hula now. “What?”