take the moment

I just may like to have a conversation

It's fucking rude to tease a man who put his heart on the line, Jason. I'm revoking your access to Arrowhead. 😑

Taylor stared confused at her phone before realizing Travis must think Jason was fucking with him. This might be harder than she thought. Unless....

She hit the contact name at the top of the message still labeled ***Maybe*** and pressed call before she could really even think about it.

A deep voice answered. "Sudeikis, I swear..."

Oh, he even sounded hot. She was so fucked...she might as well just jump all in.

"Hmmm...your heart is on the line?" She asked with a nonchalance she did not feel. "And you haven't even handed over the bracelet? Sounds fake."

She heard the phone clatter. And then someone scrambling to get back on the line.

"Shit. I mean, hi. Hi, this is Travis, who is this?" His voice went way higher pitched at the end of the question than he probably ever wanted.

"Depends, it sounds like you may now not want it to be who it is," she laughed.

"No! Nope, I one hundred percent want it to be you," he paused and took an audible breath. "Let me start over. Hi."

"Hi. It's Taylor"

"Taylor, I'm so glad you got in touch. Even if it means I just embarrassed myself beyond belief and that Jason Sudeikis is a major tattletale."

"Hey, cut him some slack. It was more he couldn't keep from telling me how his friend was very sweet and tried to go to great lengths to give me his number."

"Yes, well." He paused for an embarrassed chuckle. "Seems like you got it even without the bracelet."

There was a stretch of silence in which she had a split second of panic about what they were supposed to say next. What came after the initial burst of bravado on both of their parts. But then...

"So Taylor, tell me all about these cat breeds you can name off in 30 seconds."

There wasn't another moment of silence between them.

******

Somewhere about an hour in, they'd switched to FaceTime so Taylor could make herself a late breakfast. She was sure it would be awkward once he was face-to-face with her. But it wasn't awkward at all. He looked amused when she emphasized what she was talking about by waving around the spatula she was using.

She liked being able to see the corners of his eyes crinkle when he laughed.

******

"Okay, I'm going to need you to divulge all your secrets of how you run up and down a football field so many times more than me in one night and make it look so much easier."

"Don't forget, in heels."

He shook his head emphatically, "Trust me, my memory will never forget the heels."

******
"And then I just sat on the suitcase with him in it for like two hours watching Hey Arnold. I mean what older sibling wouldn't? Are you younger or older than your brother?"

"Ummm...younger."

She smirked at him. "So how many times did he sit on you?"

He pretend-glared at her, "Too many."

******

"I don't know," he said, shaking his head. "Sometimes I just close my eyes and there is the whole route, laid out in front of me. Maybe it's different than what Pat and I and the coach planned but this little crack splits open, and we're home. Does that make sense?"

She said up straighter in her seat, even more interested. "Wait, yes. That is exactly what it is like. Like when I write, sometimes I just focus in where I thought I was going...and it just splits into a whole new path that I wasn't planning on."

She blinked, remembering she was talking to someone she just met, and felt her cheeks turn red. "Fuck, sorry, I shouldn't make it about me, tell me more."

"No, I mean you're fine," he said and seemed to mean it. Travis leaned closer to the screen like they were sharing a secret between them. "I've never had someone tell me they do the same thing for what they do. Hell, I don't usually tell people about this because they think I am just the football guy who runs after a ball."

"People are stupid," she said, rolling her eyes at the thought. "What's the fastest you've ever come up with an alternate play?"

"Hmmm, I don't know, 15 seconds?

Taylor whistled. "Damn, Trav. You've got me beat by 9 minutes."

It took his face breaking out into a wide smile for her to realize the nickname that slipped out.

******

The reminder chime from her phone about her upcoming gym session startled her when it went off. At some point, they'd both headed outside at their respective places and she'd been enjoying listening to him talk about the foundation he worked with in Kansas City while soaking in the July sun.

"Shit, is it 3?" She felt like she was coming up from underwater, not in a bad way, but rather like from a warm, cozy bath. She wasn't ready to leave it.

"Oh man," he said, looking just as disoriented at the real world intruding as her. "I have a team meeting at 5. I should let you go."

"Yeah, I have a workout."

"Gotta go get ready for running those fields this weekend, yeah, Swift?"

She looked down at her hands, smiling. "Yeah."

"Can I text you later?" he asked hopefully.

She grinned, "For sure."

"Cool..." He matched her look and pressed further, "Can I call you later?"

"Even better."

But still, he stayed, peering at her closely. He had a brazen look on his face but behind it, she noticed the nerves.

"Can I take you out to dinner next Wednesday?"

She huffed out a laugh. This man...he was going to keep her on her toes. She liked it. Liked that he was pursuing her when most guys wouldn't even try or worse, pretend they were better than her.

"In New York?" she challenged.

"In New York," he replied without missing a beat.

She looked straight into his eyes. Remembered what he said in his text about putting his heart on the line. She knew just how he felt. Yet, she saw something in his face she wasn't willing to put down.

"I know just the place."