"You must be pretty desperate to see Taylor if you're willing to send her out with two other dudes in one day" says Brian as he rips the tv remote from my hand and starts flicking through the channels, so I reach for my guitar and mindlessly start strumming
"What do you mean?"
"Taylor, she was on a 'date' with Conor at lunch time and now she's on a 'date' with some guy in town" he uses his fingers to emphasise the word date
I put my guitar down and the look on my face must alert Brian to the fact that what he is telling me is news to me because he grimaces and then leans back and pretends I'm invisible and he's watching the most interesting tv show he's ever seen in his life"
"Bri?"
"Oh maybe it wasn't her, I didn't get a proper look"
"Brian?" I lean forward towards him and he closes his eyes in submission
"I was in Kennedy's having dinner with my mom and Taylor was there with some guy, I just assumed it was another fake date so you two could go out again"
"Maybe he was family, a cousin or something that's why she didn't tell me" I'm trying to keep my mind in check, to think logically and not let myself lose control of my rational thinking but that shit is hard for me at the best of times let alone when Taylor's involved "Blond?"
"Yeah she was on a date with a blond"
"Blond?!" I scrunch my face up in disgust
"Hey!" Brian shoots back, pointing to his own head
"Bri that is nowhere near being blond that my friend is red"
"My mom says I'm 'strawberry blond' and I love her more than I love you so..." he sticks his tongue out at me and I laugh, my mind calm for a moment but then images of Taylor with some blond guy on a dinner date I knew nothing about floods my brain and I can feel myself becoming antsy, like I want to react but I know fine well that when I react at times like this I have a tendency to over react, so I pick up my guitar, strum one chord and then set it down again.
"Was she dressed up?"
"It didn't look like it, she had a grey sweater on or something"
"Makeup?"
"Uh..."
"Hair down and curly like I like it or up somehow? ponytail? Bun?"
"Up! Definitely up! I know that one" he grins with pride
"I'm about to lose my mind" I rest my head in my hands and tap my foot viciously on the blue carpeted floor.
"So what are you going to do?"
"Nothing"
"What do you want to do?"
"Go over there and raise hell"
"What do you want me to do?"
"Stop me from going over there and raising hell"
"You know Travis, you have nothing to worry about, Taylor is so in to you it's sickening"
"But her mother hates me and she's doing everything she can to keep us apart. Am I red? I feel red" I place the back of my hand on my forehead
"You're a tad pink and slightly perspiring"
"I feel like I'm about to spontaneously combust"
I tap my foot harder trying to fight off the images of Taylor laughing and playing with her hair whilst that fuckwit thinks about getting her naked and I can't control myself anymore. I jump to my feet and grab my phone
"Trav!" Brian warms me but I just flip him off whilst pushing the button to call Taylor.
This is progress I tell myself, this is me being mature and not driving over there and knocking seven shades of shit out of the guy that's dared to take my girl to dinner without my permission
Mrs. Swift will be behind this, I know that but I need to speak to Taylor, I need to hear her tell me who he was and promise me we're okay
"Hey Trav"
She sounds happy to hear from me so that's one thing but she sounds tired
"You okay?"
"Yeah just a long day, this dating around really takes it out on you"
I know she's joking but something uncomfortable is sparking in my chest and I heave in a breathe and beg it to stay where it is, I don't need to be acting like my normal dick self and spoiling what Taylor and I are building just because I'm a jealous meathead
"What's going on? What are you up to?"
I know I should just tell her Brian saw her but I can't help but want to know if she will tell me herself
"My mom invited an old friend over and arranged for us to go to dinner. I'm so exhausted I couldn't eat a thing"
"Are you okay? Are you home now?"
"Just"
I look at my clock 9pm, it's a pretty shit date if you are home by 9pm
"So who was the guy? Did he treat you right?"
"Held the door, pulled out my seat"
"Sounds like a good one"
"It's a good job I'm not looking for a 'good one' then isn't it? I'm just looking for 'the one' and I'm pretty sure I already found him"
I grin like an idiot and I see Brian pretending to force his fingers down his throat
"Tay, what are we going to do about your mom?"
"I'll talk to her Travis, not tonight but I will, I promise"
"She doesn't seem to hear you though. Maybe it's time I spoke to her"
"You want to speak to my mother about us?"
"No, I'm going to speak to your mother about us and one way or another she's going to listen to me"
*Travis vs Mama Swift coming up
