This is inspired by Electric Touch (thank you, Yogurtfordinner) and a companion piece request to the first part of long night, with your hands up in my hair.
Mature content ahead 😉
Just breathe, just relax, it'll be okay
Just an hour 'til your car's in the driveway
Just the first time ever hangin' out with you tonight
I've got my money on things goin' badly
Got a history of stories ending sadly
Still hoping that the fire won't burn me
Just one time, just one time
Travis truly believes in the power of manifestation, almost to a startling degree. Manifesting, plus putting in the work proved time and time again to be a winning combination. Positive thinking and taking calculated risks (okay, sometimes stupid risks, if he were to be honest) worked for him so many times in his life, he could almost bank on it at this point.
Confidence in this method aside, never in a million years could he picture himself to be in this situation. Him shooting his shot and then "bitching" about the failure on the podcast had been more of a joke than anything else (the bracelet had been a hundred percent real) because he knew, manifesting aside, there was little chance of Taylor giving him the time of day.
But not only had she gotten his number (he's got a pretty good hunch going on who gave it to her, but she's keeping quiet about it for now), there was no ego, no pretension to be found. She was as real as they came and talking to her was effortless.
He found out fast how hysterically funny she is, cracking jokes, not taking herself too seriously and that made him instantly comfortable being that he enjoyed life, really loved the little things and he could see that she did, too.
That's not to say as he gets ready for their first date, to have dinner, that he's not nervous. He knows they can at least have a decent conversation, given the fact they've been FaceTiming and texting for nearly a week, but to see her in person...
He considers himself to be a pretty chill guy, especially when it comes to dating; no expectations on a first date is usually his mantra and as much as he's trying to keep the idea at forefront, not go into it expecting anything, but at the same time, he's really fucking excited to get to be in a room with her.
Nobody knows she reached out to him. His family and close friends are aware he's going to be in New York, but that's it as far as the details go. It's better to keep it close for now.
As he gets ready in his hotel room, showering, changing, choosing an outfit at the last minute (old habits died hard), he's hit with the drop...his stomach drops right out underneath him like he's on a fucking roller coaster at Cedar Point.
"Pull it together," he tells his reflection, seeing the hesitation in his own eyes. A stern enough warning, but it doesn't help.
He's not nervous just for the sake of it, he can admit that much. This is deeper, knowing that of anything comes of this, he's subject to opening up again, to getting to know someone, to exposing himself to the possibility of pain. It sucked that things hadn't worked out with Kayla. The simple knowledge they weren't meant for a future had been a hard pill to swallow and even though the decision to end things had been somewhat mutual, it'd hurt.
If the connection he felt with Taylor from just a few conversations was the real deal, there may be something else moving forward and as much as the idea excites him, he's intimidated, too. Not by her; she's just as warm and funny as people told him she'd be, but of the idea of starting all over again.
"Getting ahead of yourself, man." Travis sharply tells his mirror image. He's obviously losing it. Taylor doesn't need to see him tripping all over his big feet just because of some butterflies.
