t & j [one shots]

paris is for lovers (I)

AN: as a token of appreciation for all your patience for the RA update, I decided to post this story that I've been lazily cooking up. I was looking at Paris hotels for shits and giggles and I got inspired and one thing led to another and well...this happened....

Taylor stirs the remaining drops of her diet coke with her straw. Stupid London and their lack of free refills. She's been in the city for almost a year now and that's the one thing that she still can't shake. That and left-standers on the Tube escalators. How they drive her mad.

"God, I needed this chicken wrap. I'm getting sick of the company catering," Adam laments in between mouthfuls. 

Taylor takes another sip and nods. "Yeah. This lunch was a nice treat. We should do this more often." She's smiling as she says this. The first time she's smiled all day. It's been a tough morning with three of her clients breaching their contracts. 

Taylor hesitates for a moment, thinks about bringing up how much she's missed these little dates, but then decides against it. She knows he's trying. He really is. She can tell. 

"Well, the reason I took you to lunch is because I have some news," Adam boasts, finally taking a break from shoveling food down his throat. 

"Oh?"

"I got picked for the Paris trip. My project manager wants me to oversee the Steel Waters conference in late July." 

Taylor sets her fork down and immediately breaks into a round of applause. "Oh my god," she grins. "This is amazing! I'm so proud of you. You've earned it, working all of those insane hours."

She's squealing now as she reaches across the table and puts her hands in his. "We've got to see the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre and eat real macaroons and take a ride down the Seine River and-"

Taylor's on the verge of bubbling over with excitement. She can hardly contain herself so much that she's stumbling on her words.

"I- wait...slow down," Adam swallows, his chiseled face suddenly stricken with embarrassment. "Did you think you were coming with me?"

Taylor feels her shoulders tense up. "No," she stutters. "Of course not. I was just giving you tourist suggestions. That's all." 

She suddenly feels dumb for thinking Adam invited her on a European getaway and even dumber for lying about it. Why does she have to make these excuses? 

Taylor thinks of the pain in her chest and shudders. It's stupid to let yourself get disappointed by a holiday that you made up in your head. 

"Oh, baby, shit, I'm sorry," Adam says quickly, keen to save himself from the shallow grave he's just dug. "I should have been more clear. Well, umm, tell you what, how about you and I go for a nice romantic dinner at Villa Bianca tonight and then I can run you a bath, eh? Would that be nice? And I can call David and see if I can take you on the trip with me, okay?"