The Beard

- Five -

The car ride to the office was stifling. Y/N stared out the window, her mind racing. The sun was bright, the sky clear, but inside the car, it felt like a storm brewing.

Taylor sat beside her, scrolling through her phone, her face unreadable. Every now and then, she'd glance at Y/N, as if waiting for her to say something, but Y/N didn't. She couldn't. Not when everything inside her felt like a tangled knot she didn't know how to undo.

They pulled into the sleek office building, and Taylor placed a hand on Y/N's knee before getting out. The touch was light, hesitant, almost apologetic. Y/N didn't pull away, but she didn't respond either.

Inside, the office was cool and modern, sunlight streaming through the glass walls. Elizabeth Olsen was already there, perched stiffly in a chair with her team. She looked up as they walked in, her hands clasped tightly in her lap.

Taylor smiled warmly. "Morning."

Elizabeth stood, her movements careful, and offered a handshake. "Good morning." Her voice was soft but steady, though there was a nervous edge to it.

Y/N shook her hand too, noticing how cold it was. She gave Elizabeth a polite smile, but it felt forced, like everything else about this situation.

As they all sat down, the meeting began. Tree took the lead, her tone brisk and businesslike as she ran through the contract. "We'll need Y/N and Elizabeth to establish their public narrative as soon as possible. The sooner they're seen together, the easier it will be for Taylor and Travis to step into theirs without overlap."

Y/N barely processed the words. She felt like she was sitting outside her own body, watching this unfold from a distance. She glanced at Taylor, who was nodding along, her expression calm and focused. How did she do that? How did she sit here and agree to something so... transactional?

Elizabeth hadn't said much either. She sat quietly, her hands folded tightly in her lap, her gaze flicking between her team and Taylor's. There was a tension in her posture, like she was holding her breath.

"We'll also need to finalize the terms for media appearances," Tree continued. "Interviews, red carpets, social media posts. All of that will need to be coordinated. Elizabeth will also show up at a few of Y/N games, The NFL bought the Super Bowl in favour of Kansas City so Taylor will immediately be seen as a good luck charm, as long as Taylor is there or still Travis girlfriends, the Chiefs will win."

Y/N's jaw clenched. She didn't want to think about what that would look like—posing for fake date photos, pretending to be in love with someone else while the woman she actually loved played girlfriend to a football player.

But she had to think about it. Because this was her life now.

When the conversation turned to the logistics of the first public outing, Tree looked directly at Y/N. "We'll need something casual but impactful. Any ideas?"

Y/N hesitated, then turned to Elizabeth. "What do you like to do?"

Elizabeth blinked, clearly surprised to be addressed. "Oh, um..." She paused, her brow furrowing. "I like quieter things. Gardening, mostly. I'm not a big fan of public places or crowds."

Y/N nodded thoughtfully. "How about the botanical gardens? We could rent it out, keep it private. just us walking around. The Paps can spot us walk in and out of the place, but it will be just you and me with no people or problems and no cameras, so that you can relax and just look at all the plants."

Elizabeth seemed to relax a little, her shoulders dropping slightly. "That actually sounds... nice," she admitted.

Tree smiled, looking pleased. "Perfect. We'll set it up for tomorrow afternoon."