Then You Came in Wearing a Football Helmet

4

Taylor's POV

I looked at the clock, it was 4:36, Travis was coming to pick me up for our date at 6. But I was already ready. I continued to stare at my reflection trying to find an imperfection but I had been doing this for an hour.

Eventually I decided to go sit on my couch and scroll through my phone. I found myself listening to the newest episode of New Heights, the time flew by. 

There was a knock on the door so I absentmindedly opened it expecting to see my security team instead I saw Travis. When he saw me his jaw dropped and I blushed, "Wow, your beautiful" I immediately shut the door  hand on my mouth. "Tay? Everything alright?"  I could tell he was smiling "Umm no, everything okay, I'm not ready, I lost track of time I'm so sorry..." he interrupted me by knocking " I'm not ready Trav" he knocked again "Travis sto..." he knocked again and this time I opened the door in exasperation. He was wearing velvet brown pants and a green and white striped long sleeve, he was Hot. He smiled gently as I found myself staring at him "Tay, you are the most beautiful person I have ever seen." I started smiling like a lunatic "Oh, you don't need to say that I got distracted" I absentmindedly held up my phone as an excuse but his eyes lite up when he saw it. "Is that my podcast?" I glanced at my phone to see the title screen for the show and gave him a dejected look "yah" he gave me a small smile before offering me his hand "Well,  if I could drag you away  I would love to finally take you on that date." 

After a little more convincing Trav got me out of my apartment. We walked into the parking garage where somehow there were no paparazzi "how...why is nobody here?" he smiled as he opened the door to the car to let us in. "Wow, ego much" I tried to glare at him but his playful smile was contagious so I started to laugh. "Well, I called in a few favors and I might have convinced Steve to put on blonde wig and make people think you went to Walmart" The look I gave him must have been good because he cracked up and I followed "Steve, as in my security guard, how did you get his number?" He smiled "I have my ways" "Tell me" we both smiled as we kept eye contact. "I'll tell you next time" I recognized the implication and blushed "promise?" he held out his pinky "pinky swearsies" without thinking I intertwined our fingers without thinking and this time got him to blush. 

Soon enough we got to our mysterious destination and I was bouncing with excitement. "You ready?" He had kept our pinkies together so he gently squeezed my finger and lead me out of the car. I was prepared to run into the building but instead he lead me through an empty backstreet and into the restaurant calmly, never dropping my hand and by the time we sat down  I was blushing and speechless, well, not quite speechless because songs were swirling around my mind as I tried to soak in everything at once.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" I was surprised by my own voice and I noticed he really was staring at me now with a blush because I called him on it. "I'm sorry, your just so...I can't find the words" He seemed sincere and sure that scared me a bit, but it made me...well, he was rubbing of on me. "Your very so... your self". Throughout dinner I had the best conversations of my life, for one he was smarter than people gave him credit for, he was funny and sweet, after a few minutes with him I had forgotten this was our first date, with I'm I felt like he was this missing piece of my life. And I had finally found him.

Turns out he had rented out this little family owned restaurant. It had a cozy feel for New York, I had never been here before "This place is awesome, how did you know about it?" The broke out into his playful grin "Ah, an ancient time honored community called the  BNFL"  he grinned and raised his eyebrows but continued when I didn't get it "you know, the Bachelors of the National Football League,"  This time I raised an eyebrow "I asked a group of Jets players where to take someone on a first date" I started to laugh as he just shrugged.

He ordered a pizza and I got a steak but after having our food for only a moment we both simultaneously attempted to steal each others food and this resulted in us changing seats so that instead of sitting across from each other we were sitting side by side feasting on the food we had ordered. This didn't feel like first date at all and my ribs were sore from laughing by dessert.

"So what do you want  to eat Tay" He held out the menu pretending to struggle to see it. "Eat, Trav we just ate half of the kitchen, how could you possibly still be hungry?" He started to pout "Oh come on you ate like all of my food"  I did my best to look outraged at him "Me! You ate everything, I'm practically starving over here" "Ah Ha you are hungry!" My mouth dropped open "So, what do you want."  I gave up and leaned on him so I could read the menu over his shoulder "I'll have the raspberry gelato." He signaled to the waiter and ordered two. Even after they took the menu from us I didn't move from his chest and seeing this he wrapped his arm around me.

I had a great dinner with him but soon enough we had finished and payed the check. It was already 10 o clock but I didn't want to leave his company. As we went to leave he once again  intertwined our pinkies and lead me to the car. We sat in a comfortable silence on the way to my apartment, when we go to the building he lead me out of the car, I panicked momentarily assuming he expected to sleep at my place tonight, and I briefly considered doing him but I didn't want to rush things with us. He seemed to notice because he blushed and held up his hands "Oh, no Im not, can I walk you to your door?" I smiled and grabbed his finger "let's start walking Romeo" He chuckled and followed me up the stairs. When we got to my hallway I stopped walking "hey, something wrong, did you forget something?" I stopped chewing my lip, "Nothings wrong...I just don't want you to go back to Kansas City, cause.. then I don't know when I'll see you again." I looked at the floor but he wrapped me in his arms and lifted my chin towards him and I felt my face flush "I am so glad you said that" he pulled away so he could look me in the eye "If it isn't to forward I would love to take you out for coffee tomorrow. You know, like a date." I didn't know how my smile fit on my face at this point "pick me up at 10?" "Perfect." We both smiled and I went to open my door but he grabbed my waist and pulled me to him "Oh, one more thing" he leaned down so our lips were nearly touching. I noticed how he hesitated slightly, letting me pull away if I wanted to, I didn't. And I kissed him.

The kiss was magic it was short yet somehow the best kiss I had ever had. He eventually pulled away and I leaned onto him trying to keep our lips connected at my eyes fluttered. I loved how I was wearing 6inch heels and he still towers over me as he held me. "Good night Tay, I'll see you tomorrow beautiful." 

I stumbled though my door but as soon as I closed it I looked through the peep hole and saw him fist pump when the door closed and I couldn't help but smile as my guy walked out of my sight leaving my to lay on my bed and dream of our kiss