Total pages in book: 101
Estimated words: 98255 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 491(@200wpm)___ 393(@250wpm)___ 328(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 98255 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 491(@200wpm)___ 393(@250wpm)___ 328(@300wpm)
“What?”
“Leave me alone,” Aria said. “If you couldn’t stand hanging out with me, you could have just said so. I do listen, and I’ve got no problem letting this go.”
Tears filled her eyes and she forced herself to walk around Lidia and head to the gym. Jase wasn’t on the front desk, so she showed the lady who was there her member card and proceeded to go to the changing room. She found a private cubicle to change out of her jeans and sweater, replacing them with a pair of shorts and a very large, oversized shirt.
Once her belongings were packed into a bag, she headed into the main changing room, found a locker, stuffed her bag inside, locked it, and then headed out to find Jase. He was in one of the private gym rooms. There was a member of staff waiting to direct her.
She stepped inside hoping to see Grant, but instead she saw Jase sitting on the mat, legs crossed, with his palms flat together. He opened his eyes and smiled.
“I didn’t mean to interrupt.” She had swiped at her eyes and she quickly sniffed up, trying to ignore the signs of impending tears.
“Aria, what’s wrong?” Jase asked.
“It’s nothing.” Grant wasn’t there, and she was somewhat relieved. “Can we just get started?” She wanted to lose the weight, not spend time fawning over a guy who’d just shown her the smallest amount of attention.
“Of course.” Jase got to his feet smoothly, and she watched him as he advanced toward her. “Before we start any physical training, the key is to warm up, so let’s see how much you’ve retained from our previous meetings.”
They hadn’t done much, but Aria started with her legs, stretching them out, working her muscles, getting her body into the right condition to work out.
Jase moved around her, touching her and changing her posture a couple of times.
“Very good. I’m impressed.”
She couldn’t help but smile.
“So, I’d like to get us warmed up first. We’re going to head out into the main part of the gym. I’m thinking we start with the treadmill first, get you used to momentum. What do you think?”
“You’re the boss.”
She followed him out to the main gym. There were a lot of people and Aria tuned them all out. Jase must have known how nervous she was as he chose a treadmill in the far corner, which she was thankful for. He waited for her to climb onto the treadmill and she held onto the side, per his instructions.
“We’re going to start with a gentle walk,” he said, keying some numbers into the treadmill.
She began to walk as soon as it started to move. One foot in front of the other. It wasn’t a fast walk and she didn’t know how long this one took before he pressed the numbers on the button. She wasn’t out of breath yet, but it wasn’t like they were going fast either.
By the third tempo change, Aria started to feel a little breathless but she kept up with the force of the treadmill. Jase stood, watching her. She couldn’t help but wonder what he was thinking. Did he find her disgusting too?
He increased the pace one more time, drawing her into a steady jog. She felt perspiration covering her body as she tried to keep up. There was a pain building in her side, and when she was about to ask him to stop, Jase slowed it down, giving her a chance to catch her breath, until he brought it to a stop.
“Very good. I think we can work on increasing your cardiovascular. How do you feel about using the bike?”
“You’re the master,” she said.
He chuckled. “I like to make sure my students are happy with their progress. Once we build up your fitness, we will then start to work on different personal stretches.”
“Where’s Grant, if you don’t mind me asking?” Aria asked, straddling the bike.
Jase bent down and helped her place her feet into the strap. This bike didn’t have a mechanism to start riding, so all she had to do was push and she was away, which is exactly what she did. She held onto the handles of the bike and started to work her legs. They already felt like jelly, but she pushed her body, forcing it to go forward.
“He’s not here, as you know. From what I’ve learned, Grant flits through life, going from job to job. There’s a good chance he won’t be here again.”
“Oh,” Aria said.
“It’s not my business to pry—”
“Then don’t,” she said with a smile.
He hoped she wasn’t upset. “Grant is not the kind—”
“Jase, I’d appreciate it if we didn’t go down that road.” She had no way of knowing what she and Grant were. They had gotten drunk, kissed, but other than that, nothing. He was everywhere she seemed to be, but it had been that way for the past couple of months. Grant always arrived at the veterinary practice, in passing, and then she’d go days without seeing him.