take the moment

Just grab my hand and don't ever drop it

The third pair of shoes she'd tried on in as many minutes went sailing across the room. She was standing in her closet possibly freaking out. Why did nothing look right? And what the hell were these nerves? She shook her hands out while reminding herself that she's been on like a hundred first dates. It didn't have to mean some big thing.

Or did it?

A ping came from her phone that was buried under discarded dresses and skirts.

Just confirming 8:30 at Zero Bond, yeah? I know it's my job to do that. And I'm making sure I get the wooing right after fumbling giving you my number.

That got her to laugh despite the nerves because they'd been texting all afternoon after his plane had landed. Her phone pinged again.

I'm ignoring the thought that your security has probably clocked my every move starting the minute I entered New York airspace.

Oh no, they at least waited until you were in Manhattan. Don't want to scare you off too early in the day.

Not going anywhere, Tay.

She'd deny the very girly noise that just came out of her mouth to everyone and turned back to the shelves of shoes and the few new pairs her stylist had dropped off this week. The perfect pair of sky-high open-toed Pradas caught her eye. Bingo.

*****

She fidgeted the whole ride to the restaurant—cracking her knuckles, tugging on her skirt, chipping at the Eras Tour nail polish still on her fingers. She looked at it now while waiting at the table. Maybe she should have done something with them. She was bad at this—out of practice.

Never mind that she was fifteen minutes early or that her outfit was finally perfect. She was trying, yet she was still so fucking nervous.

She glanced up from picking at the edge of the table and caught sight of him in the archway of the dining room. The thought, "Oh yeah, it's because of that face." came to her at the exact moment all the nerves left her body in a rush.

It was going to be fine. She'd learned this face over the past week. In goofy smile selfies and FaceTime movie dates. She'd experienced both how hilarious he seemed to be and also how dead serious he could be talking about the things that were most important to him like family, his career, and his foundation work.

He spotted her and beamed at her from across the room. He was somehow even taller in person. And where normally her brain would be firing off a bunch of descriptors about him and this point in time, it was suddenly quiet. Just here in this moment.

That was new.

"Hey, am I late? I'm sorry, I thought I left in time," he said as he reached her, tugging nervously on the sleeves of the black blazer he was wearing over a striped green shirt. He was even cuter when he was flustered.

"No not at all," she said sheepishly. "I'm early. Like really early."

She stood from the table and without an ounce of the awkwardness that usually occurred at first meetings, he leaned down and scooped her into a tight hug. His arms crossed behind her back.

"It's so nice to see you in person," he said close to her ear.

Taylor quickly realized two things as she hugged him back: his hand spanned the entirety of her shoulder and Travis was a VERY good hugger.

Travis released her and turned to pull her chair out for her (impressive) before heading to his own. They were tucked back into a corner, though no one here would bother them. The perks of being one of the highest dues-paying members of the club. The waiter noticed Travis had joined her and brought them menus and a wine list.