To the guest who reviewed that they hoped I was doing okay, you almost made me cry with your sweetness. Bless your beautiful soul xD. Again, so sorry for the absence...please bear with me lol.
Anywho, here's the next chapter brought to you by the long road trip I'm on lol 3. For this chapter, you'll need 'Honey, Honey' from the film 'Mamma Mia'. As usual, an asterisk or three will indicate when to push the play button. Also, the song will move in between dates, so if the scene switches in the midst of lyrics, it's a different date. I may even have to release my 'descriptive version' in a separate chapter (yeah, looking at how risky this is, I just might have to). Instrumental breaks will be different appointments at work.
And….action.
"You look, amazing- I don't understand. What are you so worried about?" Nadia asked Taylor over a video call the night of Dylan and Taylor's date.
"Oh, I don't know, Nadia…" Taylor sighed, putting on a pair of earrings. "I haven't been on a date in years."
Nadia smirked, "Then it's probably a good thing that the person you're going on a date with, is literally the last person you dated."
"Yeah, six years ago." Taylor groaned. "Any date that I went on after that was just a one time thing. I decided to focus on work. Because...money." She stopped inserting the second earring for a moment in favor of giving her friend a playful pout.
"Oh, yes. Nothing can beat money." Nadia agreed with exaggerated passion, eliciting a laugh from Taylor. "Anyway," Nadia continued, "I'm sure he's going to take one look at you in those jeans, and that cute green v-neck shirt, and decide that you are everything he has been searching for. Then you'll get engaged, and live happily ever after."
"I think I'm fine with planning other people's weddings right now, Nadia." Taylor laughed nervously. "Though, I would love a break. A long, paid break out of the country!" She hinted at her fortunate coworker. "How did you get so lucky?"
"I have never taken a break since the day the company opened." Nadia grinned. "Not once."
"That's why you're always a shoo-in for employee of the month…" Taylor muttered. Nadia gave an 'evil cackle'. There was a knock at Taylor's door.
"Okay, showtime." Nadia smiled. "You'll be fine. Have fun!"
"I will." Taylor smiled weakly, grabbing her purse and phone. "Tell your family I said hi."
"Will do!" She chirped. "I'll see you soon. Bye!"
"Bye!" Taylor replied, ending the call and opening her front door to see Dylan, who wore jeans and a blue t-shirt.
Dylan arched an eyebrow. "Bye?"
Taylor blinked before realizing what he meant. "Oh! No, not you. I was on a phone call with a friend."
"I'm kidding." Dylan smiled brightly. "You look great, by the way! Are you ready to go?"
"Thank you, you do too! Yeah, let's go." Taylor smiled back. She forgot how nice Dylan's smile was. He was a ray of sunshine. She closed the door to her condo, and walked with Dylan to his car.
-Bella Notte-
"Eight years later and they still have the best food in the city." Taylor commented happily during dinner.
"It is really good!" Dylan agreed. "I can't believe you used to work here." He chuckled.
"I did." Taylor nodded with a fond smile, observing the diner. "All four years of high school."
"Did you stop for college?" Dylan asked.
"After my first year I decided to take a break to focus on school." Taylor nodded. "I still came in for lunch, though. At least once a month."
"I don't blame you." Dylan shook his head. "This burger is legendary."
"Right?" Taylor laughed.
Dylan smiled at her, "So, how are you? What's new?"
Taylor swallowed another bite of her food before replying, "I'm good. I managed to secure a venue for Shaylah and Chad today. They've decided on a November wedding, which will be interesting considering the colors that they chose...but I'm excited to make it work."
"Blue, yellow, and lilac, right?" Dylan asked. Taylor nodded. "It sounds beautiful. Seems more fitting for a spring or summer wedding, though."
"That's what I thought." Taylor agreed. "But it's up to them."
"Well, I'm sure it will turn out amazing regardless. You're a great planner." Dylan said honestly. "However, I actually wanted to know what's happening in your life...outside of work." He smirked.
Taylor blinked. "Outside of work?" Wow. She hadn't thought about things outside of work. Her friends were her coworkers...and her spare time was spent at home watching Netflix and planning weddings- oh goodness."I...don't know what to say, actually."
Dylan raised a brow. "Tay, you're kidding."
"I wish I was." She laughed nervously.
"You always did that in college!" Dylan laughed. "Always buried in your work. You know, sometimes I envied you. If I had the determination that you did- that you do- maybe I wouldn't have struggled so much in class."
"You still did great!" Taylor insisted with a laugh of her own.
"Not as great as you!" Dylan pointed playfully. "Every professor just- adored you. I could swear, I could hear most of them bawling when they called out 'Taylor Nicole McKessie' at graduation."
"Liar." Taylor teased.
"I am not." Dylan smirked. "They were absolutely miserable."
"Mhmm. Now, if you had told me that you heard Mrs. Peabody crying…" Taylor hummed.
"Oh she definitely cried." Dylan nodded with wide brown eyes. "She cried at everything."
"Everything!" Taylor laughed. "Remember when we secretly made that 'number of days without tears' chart in class?"
"We had to stop halfway through the semester because we realized that we couldn't go two weeks without some form of waterworks." Dylan recalled.
"Bless her soul." Taylor shook her head as they both laughed at the memory.
Dylan looked at the girl across the booth from him fondly. "I hated when you left New York." He shook his head with a smile. "Things were so dull."
"I would still text the group chat every now and then?" Taylor reminded him.
Dylan shrugged. "It wasn't the same."
Taylor blushed softly, turning her attention back to her food. "Well, the 'lawful bunch' seems to have reunited." She commented after a moment.
Dylan gasped, "I forgot that was our group name…" Taylor couldn't help but giggle at the awe on his face.
Nadia was right, there was nothing to be worried about. This was the best date she'd been on in a while.
-CSCSCSCS-
"I wonder how Taylor's date is going…" Shaylah sighed as she fluffed the comforter on her bed, she had forgotten to make it that morning, so she was making up for it now.
Chad sighed as well, only, to himself. He had been distracting himself by reading reviews for the week on the show. "Do you, now?" He turned around to give his fiancée a small smile, "And why is that?"
She sighed with a dreamy look on her face, holding a pillow to her chest, "Oh, I don't know. I just think it's cute."
Chad playfully quirked an eyebrow at her, "Cute," he repeated, "You think it's cute when other people go on dates?"
"Yeah!" Shaylah said cheerfully, putting the pillow in its rightful spot on her bed. "I think it's cute when people fall in love and live happily ever after." She said with a puppy pout that made him melt, "Remember when we fell in love?"
He smiled at her and entered her room, leaning against the doorframe. "How could I forget? It was pretty much the moment I saw you. It was definitely the first time I heard you sing."
She laughed softly at that. "Really? Then why did it take you so long to tell me?" She smiled at him lovingly.
"The stars weren't aligned just yet." Chad joked, moving to sit next to her on the bed.
"Well...are they aligned now?" She asked, lowering her voice.
Were those same stars still aligned for him and Shaylah, even today?
"Mhm." Chad smiled before accepting the kiss she gave him shortly after.
"I think I agree with you on that one." Shaylah lightly tapped his nose. He hugged her close to him in response and she sighed happily into his neck. "I hope Taylor feels that the stars are aligned for her tonight. I know that I'm a bit hard on her and that I'm a total bridezilla, but she deserves to be as happy as we've been. Don't you think?"
She deserves to be just as happy as you are.
"Yeah." Chad replied, "Of course she does. And I hope the same- for tonight, I mean. I hope that she finds Mr. Right." No you don't.
"You're such a good friend." Shaylah sighed softly, running her hands up and down his shoulders.
"Thanks, babe." Chad replied quietly, kissing her hair. After a moment, he spoke again, "Though, to be fair, he might not be. So we shouldn't get too excited for her so soon. Besides, Taylor hasn't dated in a while. I don't think. That Dylan guy made it sound like he was the last person. To his knowledge, anyway. She's very uptight. I doubt anything will happen right away."
"Really?" Shaylah frowned, "That sucks. Well...maybe this guy will help her loosen up a bit. You know? Let go."
Chad scoffed and smiled at her. "My adorable romantic, I highly doubt that."
***((Time it however you like, pause when you need to, but this is the ideal starting point. And...GO))***
2 weeks later, Taylor happily breezed into her condo with Gabriella and Nadia on a video call.
"Woah. Someone looks happy." Nadia smirked.
"I take it date number three went well?" Gabriella said at the same time, laughing at Taylor's giddy attitude as she set them on her phone stand and began to reply,
"Honey, honey, how he thrills me, uh-huh, honey, honey. Taylor sang with a grin, "Honey, honey, nearly kills me, uh-huh, honey, honey." Nadia playfully arched a brow in interest and Gabriella looked eager for more details.
"I've heard about him before.. I wanted to know some more…" Taylor shrugged nonchalantly before giving them a sly look, "And now I know what they mean, he's a love machine…! Oh, he makes me dizzy!" She giggled, spinning around in her chair before flopping onto her bed.
"Taylor!" Gabriella gasped in mock horror. Nadia laughed at her antics.
Taylor just winked at her best friend and grabbed a hairbrush to use as a microphone. "Honey, honey, let me feel it, uh-huh, honey, honey." Gabriella and Nadia played along, grabbing brushes of their own.
"Honey, honey, don't conceal it, uh-huh, honey, honey!" Taylor laughed at her new backup singers before grabbing a pillow in her other hand. "The way that you kiss goodnight…" (the way that you kiss me goodnight)
"The way that you hold me tight…" She hugged the pillow.
(the way that you're holding me tight)
"I feel like I wanna sing when you do your…" Nadia's eyes widened at her friend's pause. "Thing!" Taylor blushed and hid her face in the pillow.
"Awww!" Gabriella laughed.
-The Next Day-
"So we have your wedding venue set for the chapel at Medieval Express." Taylor began, checking it off of her list before turning around to face her clients, "Now all we need is a definite date. Have you two decided yet?" She smiled.
"We were thinking of November 15th." Chad replied. "We know it's slightly close to Thanksgiving, but we're sure that it'll work out."
"Awesome." Taylor said, writing the date down. "Our goal is...Saturday...November 15th...2014." She finished writing. "Perfect! Great job you guys."
"Taylor, honey, you're glowing." Shaylah commented with a smile of her own. "Have things been going well with Dylan?"
At hearing his name, Taylor's smile softened and she felt warm inside. "Better than I ever expected."
"I'm so happy for you." Shaylah clapped quietly.
"Yeah...good for you, Taylor." Chad said with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.
Taylor blinked before capping her marker and moving back to her desk. "Moving on, then!" she chirped.
-Next date, Target run for a movie night-
"Honey, honey, touch me baby, uh-huh, honey, honey." Taylor sang happily inside of the shopping cart as Dylan raced down an empty aisle. "Honey, honey, hold me baby, uh-huh, honey, honey." Dylan stopped for a moment and observed a box of popcorn.
"You look like a movie star…" Taylor smiled up at Dylan in admiration. He looked so handsome when he was thinking.
(look like a movie star)
"But I love just who you are…" He stopped browsing the shelf for a moment to look back at her. His heart melted at her cute face and he smiled back.
(I love just who you are)
"And honey, to say the least, you're a doggone-" Taylor gasped when Dylan threw a box of popcorn at her. "Beast!" She laughed with him, smacking his arm lightly when he returned to the cart.
-1 Week Later-
Chad knocked on the open door to Taylor's office, papers in hand. "Hey, Taylor. I thought I'd stop by before work to drop these off. Can I come in?"
"Good morning, Chad. Of course." She smiled. "Oh! Are those your and Shaylah's final choices for entertainment and catering?"
"Yes, indeed." He smiled back, placing them in her hand. "We really liked the filet mignon that Zeke prepared. He's really done well in his profession."
"Right?" Taylor laughed, reviewing the paperwork. "I'm glad that you enjoyed it. Well, it looks like everything is set here. You're good to go."
"Thanks, Taylor. For everything. You...you've really made this process easier for us." Chad said, honestly.
Taylor nodded softly, grateful for the kind acknowledgement, "Of course. It's my job." Chad nodded.
He motioned his thumb to the door. "Okay, I'll get out of your hair now. I don't want to be late." he joked with a chuckle and moved towards the door. Taylor fiddled with her fingers quietly.
"Hey, Chad?" She called after a moment.
He stopped walking and turned back to face her, "Yeah?"
"Um... Well, I just wanted to say that," Taylor shrugged lightly. "I'm happy you're doing well." She smiled kindly at him, "Honestly."
Chad blinked at her before smiling back. "Thanks, Tay. You too." He gave her a wave before taking his leave.
Taylor sighed. Maybe they could get along after all.
-Next Date, Carnival-
"Honey, honey, how you thrill me, uh-huh, honey, honey." Taylor sang with her hands gently resting on Dylan's shoulders as he played a carnival game. He concentrated on the stream of water coming out of his water gun, and she excitedly watched his toy boat race to the top of his section of the game before the other racers. "Honey, honey, nearly kill me, uh-huh, honey, honey." She high fived him on his win.
-Condo-
"I'd heard about you before…" Taylor sang softly as she entered her condo after the date, turning the light on and setting the bear Dylan had won for her on the counter. "I wanted to know some more… Now I'm about to see, what you mean to me…" She smiled at her gift and went to get ready for bed.
-
And it's done! Thanks for reading guys! More importantly thanks for helping to keep me motivated with your sweet reviews/reminders. It means a lot.