It's a Love Story | TNT Short Stories

Take Me Out and Take Me Home (Forever and Ever)

"I don't know what you're talking about, that's how I do it too. Flowers on the first date, and a house on the second," glint back in his eye.

"Fuck off" Travis mumbles, getting a raised eyebrow in return.

A few quiet seconds pass before, "You're really in love with her, huh?"

***

A week later, she's in the passenger seat of the Rolls, sunglasses on and coffee cup in hand. Trav is taking the long route out to Leawood, across the river and out of the city, over the state border and winding through suburban roads and country clubs.

Once they're out past prying eyes, she rolls the window down and lets her mind wander back to the previous weekend.

Travis had come back to New York from Philly late the night before, quietly climbing into her bed behind her and wrapping a giant arm around her waist. She was on the edge of sleep, overcome by a sudden wave warmth from Travis's body heat and the memory of the easy way their lives had started to knit together that weekend.

Spending time mostly together, but a little bit apart -- cozy dinner dates and SNL, Travis going to Jason's game then popping down to Philly to visit Kylie and the girls, picking tufts of cat fur off of Travis's tracksuit while they recounted the afterparty over a cup of coffee, Taylor running to the studio to add a few finishing bits for the new record. It had all woven together so easily in an effortless braid.

What a wonderful way to build a life, she'd allowed herself to dream, maybe a little too much too soon, as she fell back to sleep.

In the morning, she woke up to the smell of coffee and sunlight streaming through her bedroom window, Travis carrying two steaming mugs in one giant hand, and Benji cradled to his chest in the other.

"Can I at least be your second favorite in my own home, or do I have to worry about Olivia too?". Her eye roll gets only a tongue stuck out in reply.

"What time do you have to leave?"

"'bout an hour," he says, climbing back in bed. "So Tay," he draws out over a long sip. "There's something I wanted to run by you."

"Okay, shoot."

It wasn't their first serious talk, by any means. They'd never shied away from deep conversation, and it was one of the things that made her willing to open her heart back up in the first place. One of the things that gave her hope that she could let new love grow, even while she was still healing her heartbreak.

They'd talked about kids and dreams and fears, messy relationship pasts and old skeletons covered in cobwebs that they'd barely dared to speak aloud. But those conversations were all about the future or the past.

This, right here, was the present. The first talk about taking a big step for their relationship right here, right now. One of them making a change in their life on account of the other person, beyond just weekend plans. And somehow that made it feel much heavier than all those other conversations they'd had over drinks or between bedsheets.

"I've been thinking about it for a while. Really!" and she's not entirely sure if he's trying to convince her or himself. "But I want it to be a place where you feel safe. And maybe where you feel comfortable enough to relax and get away from all of the...city stuff" he gestures broadly with a frighteningly full cup of coffee still in his hand.

It wasn't even about the money, though that was nothing to scoff at. She was usually the one doling out big sums to try to maintain some illusion of normalcy for her partners. Keep the fishbowl from flooding their lives.

No, it was his willingness to uproot his life in the middle of a season. They both had a good feeling about where this relationship was headed, and had talked about it. But there had been no promises, no certainty.