Page 60 of Tailored for Them

“Nicole, these are some of my best friends,” Taylor gestured toward the woman, “This is Courtney.”

“Nice to meet you.” The blonde woman adjusted the baby on her lap, sitting cross-legged, and held a hand toward me to shake.

“Nice to meet you, too.” I noticed an oddly shaped birthmark on the top of her hand, which felt familiar to me for some reason. Perhaps she and I had already met before?

“This is their daughter, Susie,” Taylor continued with introductions.

“Hi!” The little girl shuffled forward and threw both of her arms around my shoulders. She squeezed me tight as she spoke against my shoulder, “I’m so excited to finally meet you—even if you and T grossed me out.”

I laughed, before wrapping my arms around her little waist, “I’m so sorry about that.”

“I’m not.” Taylor laughed.

Susie pulled back and looked at my face for a moment. A dimpled grin appeared on her cheeks.

“T was right. You’re really pretty.” She nodded once and looked over at Taylor, “Good job.”

Taylor snorted, “Thanks,” and gently shoved Susie off me. The nine-year-old smiled mischievously as she started darting her gaze between her dad and me.

“And this,” Taylor scooted toward me, lowering their voice just a hair, as if they were letting me in on a secret, “Is Courtney’s husband, Josh.”

“Hello.” Josh reached forward and wrapped his much larger, fully tattooed hand in mine. It was a brief handshake, which I was grateful for. I was picking up on Susie’s excitement over meeting her dad, but I couldn’t figure out why.

I barely glanced up at his sunglasses before muttering, “Hi.” To him.

“…Madey,” Taylor added, after Josh released my hand.

Madey?

“Oh!” I turned toward Taylor with a smile at the coincidence, “Like Joshua Madey? That’s crazy! That’s just like—” I gasped after I turned back to face Josh, who had removed his sunglasses and pulled his hood down.

“Oh my god,” Signe muttered behind me.

“Well,” Josh lifted a shoulder while combing through his dark brown hair with his fingers, “Your girl definitely didn’t know who I was, T.”

Oh my god, I’m Taylor’s girl.

I just stared at him.

Frozen in shock, partially because I had just casually been introduced to the lead singer of Carbon Cut, and partially because the lead singer of Carbon Cut referred to me asTaylor’sgirl. That meant that Taylor had talked to him about our relationship. Positively, because no one would refer to me as their girl unless theywantedto claim me as their girl.

I also hadn’tmeta celebrity before.

I had seen random celebrities growing up in southern California, but usually, it was the celebrities I wasn’t excitedabout. The ones my friends were excited to meet. Not one I was a big fan of myself.

I silently reached over and clasped Taylor’s hand in mine.

Josh tilted his head back and laughed at the movement, while his wife—which I now realized was Courtney motherfucking Henderson, the woman Josh pulled onto his stage years and years ago—grinned at me.

“I’m sorry.” What was I apologizing for? I had no idea, “Just. Wow.”

“Hey, babe, breathe.” Taylor kissed my cheek right when Leo called out to them from the field.

“Oi!” He was cupping his hands around his mouth to amplify the sound, “We need our captain to start training!”

“Get off my dick!” Taylor called back.

“Don’t have too much fun without me. I’ll be back.” Their fingers trailed up my back, skimmed up my neck, and cupped the back of my head before tipping me back to gently brush their lips over mine.

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