Change of Hart(19)

The treadmills started moving and we started jogging. “It is a lot of work, man,” Deuce agreed. “I think you’ve got the right idea. If you’re thinking more about football than you are about the woman you’re dating, she isn’t the one.”

My phone beeped a text message alert right then. I paused my treadmill and pulled the phone out of my pocket. It was a reply from Addison.

Since I had forgotten to tell her about the next home game the night I had dinner at Lindsay’s, I had the perfect opening to call her again the other day. Once again, we had a fun, easy conversation. I really liked talking to her. But I couldn’t think of any important conversation starters so I had resorted to texting.

I would only send one piece of information at a time about the game, pretending the details were still being worked out. There wasn’t really much to it: parking, tickets, seats, that’s it. But she didn’t need to know that. Those details had led to a two-day long text conversation that we both participated in as we could.

One of the things we had talked about was how she was working out several days a week, but not seeing any results. She knew changing her eating habits would help, but admitted to liking food a little too much.

So when I happened to see one of those meme things I thought she’d like, I texted it to her. It was a picture of a cat eating lettuce and it said, “This salad tastes like I’d rather be fat.” I sent it a few hours ago. She was finally responding.

Addison: Exactly! LOL ;)

I smiled and started typing a reply.

Me: I thought you’d like that. Now eat something healthy while I get my ass kicked on the treadmill.

Addison: Deal. :)

I put my phone back in my pocket and reached over to press the start button again when I looked up and saw Deuce’s grinning face.

“What?” I asked.

“Aw shit,” he said smugly. “You’ve got the hots for someone.”

“What? No I don’t,” I argued.

“Man, I saw the look on your face when you were looking at your phone. You have the hots for someone and I wanna know who it is!”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” I said, staring straight ahead while jogging again.

He laughed one quick laugh. “You know exactly what I’m talking about. You were smiling like a damn love sick puss. Who is she? Who is the woman to finally catch Jason Hart’s eye?”

I sighed. When Deuce got an idea in his head, he wouldn’t relent. It was better to tell him now.

“I don’t have the hots for anyone. We’re just talking. Actually, we’re just texting.”

“Ohmygod, someone finally captured your attention. And during the season,” he ribbed. “This is big news, Jay! You stopped the treadmill during a workout to text her back! You never even bring your phone to the gym but you’ve done it twice now. Do I need to start singing about love being in the air?”

“NO!” I argued. “It’s not like that, ok? We just met not that long ago. We’re just texting and talking a little. I’m not asking her out or anything.”

“What? Why not?” he asked. “The season just started. You still have a few months to see if you like her more than football,” he joked.

I shot him the evil eye. “It’s complicated, okay?” I said, hoping he would drop it.

“What’s so complicated?” he asked. “You like her. She likes you. You go out. You get laid. She gets happy. The end.”

“It’s not that easy,” I said, feeling frustrated by the entire situation. “Her husband just died six months ago. She’s just not ready yet.” As soon as I said it, I knew I had opened up a new can of worms with him.

“Wait . . . she’s the kid’s mom?”

“Shut up, Deuce.”

He laughed so hard I thought for sure he would fall off the treadmill. In fact, he laughed so hard I hoped he would fall off the treadmill.

“First, you decide you really want to be the kid’s friend.”

“His name is Jaxon.”

“Jaxon, whatever. First you decide you want to be Jaxon’s friend. And now you have the hots for Jaxon’s mom?” he asked, still doubled over in a belly laugh. “What is it with this family?”

“I didn’t say I had the hots for his mom,” I said. “You did.”

“So you’re saying his mom isn’t hot.”

“No.”

“So she is hot.”

“No,” I said getting frustrated. “I already asked her out and she turned me down. Ok? She’s not ready yet after losing her husband. Are you happy now?”

“Oh,” Deuce said. We ran in silence for a few minutes, me trying to concentrate on my workout, although Addison kept coming back to the center of my thoughts. And Deuce, well who knows what Deuce was thinking about.