backlogged dreams & day old teas

VIII - stars stole the night away

"That was..." she started.

"Taylor..." he whispered.

Their faces were both pink and they could not hide the shy grins on their faces. Joe checked his watch and realised they had spent longer than they intended to on the lake.

"Taylor, love, I think we should head back to the docks and grab a quick lunch then leave, or else we won't make it back before it gets dark out. Wanna go back to that cafe?"

"Is it a date?"

"You made me promise not to take you on one, so no."

"Oh my goodness,  Joseph. Clearly I want you to, you can break it."

"Nah, I don't wanna. The only way it's gonna be a date is if you ask me out." 

"Joey, will you go out with me?"

"Ah okay, I suppose."

As they were bickering playfully, just like back in their school days, they paddled back to the shore. They got out of the boat, which was coincidentally painted with a 13 on the side. They held hands and exchanged secret glances as they walked towards the restaurant.

After their lunch, they walked back to their cabin to grab their bags and check the room for any left behind belongings before heading to the car.

"I'm going to miss that cabin and all the cuddles we had in that bed," Taylor said.

"Ah don't worry m'love, we'll come back next year hm? I promise. I tend to keep my promises y'know."

"I know." she smiled, setting her back in the trunk of the car and grabbing her phone, her charger and the rose Joe picked for her out. She walked to the driver's seat and sat down, adjusting the chair to fit her height. Then, she placed the rose on the dashboard, giving Joe a fly kiss when he raised his eyebrows at her.

Taylor started the car and they both waved goodbye to the lake district, leaving behind the serene Windermere peaks wistfully.

Throughout the whole car ride, the two swapped places multiple times and stole secret photos of each other, blowing kisses and kissing knuckles. It was currently the last stretch of the journey, and Taylor was the one driving while Joe was asleep. She looked over at him smiling. A few days ago, she rejected him but now here she is so in love with him and her love is strongly reciprocated. She knew their jobs were demanding and she was only her for a few more weeks, but they would make it work. She would gladly jump into the ocean separating them for him. While she was lost in her thoughts, Joe's eyelids fluttered and he woke up, confused by his surroundings for a few seconds. Then he saw Taylor on his right, with her plump lips and electric blue eyes and soft blonde hair curled into a loose bun. The rose on the dashboard had slid onto the floor, so he picked it back up and returned it to its original spot.

Taylor drove the car back to her place, parking it in the driveway and walking into the house with Joe trailing behind, arms full of their bags.

"Babe, I'm not your servant."

Taylor didn't reply but instead headed towards the couch, flopping onto it dramatically.

"I'm so tired," she mumbled.

Joe walked upstairs to put the bags down and when he returned downstairs, Taylor was already asleep while still fully dressed. He chuckled at her state and grabbed a blanket from a cabinet, laying it over her and squeezing onto the couch with her. He placed a kiss on her cheek and fell asleep entangled with her.

25th Sep

Taylor was at work, sitting on her desk watching the minutes tick by on the clock, doodling on her notepad. She was currently going through a writer's block and couldn't think of any decent ideas for any collaborations that were coming up. She anxiously played with her ponytail, knowing the deadlines were inching closer and she would have to provide a rough draft for different projects soon. She also had a ton of work emails to catch up on. After coming back from vacation, it was hard to get back into the work mindset and focus. Her mind was constantly drifting off to Joe and what he would be doing at the very moment. Man, she was falling hard for him. He was so damn fit like a daydream. As she was musing over her ideas she had written down in the past, she felt a pair of hands cover her eyes. She was momentarily shocked and let out a short scream before turning around, laying her eyes on Joe.