Page 9 of Tailored for Them

Taylor wasn’t wrong, they were sweaty after playing rugby with Leo earlier this afternoon. But after smelling Colleen’s familiar perfume, I wanted nothing more than to be surrounded again by Taylor’s natural scent mixed with fresh-cut grass and whatever body spray they put on before the game.

It was citrusy, a smell I didn’t normally lean toward but found appealing on them.

I was about to take my seat again when Colleen’s hand wrapped around my wrist, keeping me standing with her and Sarah. Sarah looked more uncomfortable than Colleen did, but managed to pull her lips into a stiff, friendly smile.

“What have you been up to? Are you still working at…” Colleen snapped her fingers, unable to remember the name of the company she previously blamed for pushing her to cheat on me.

My hands balled into fists at my sides, but I did my best to maintain a friendly smile.

“Sun Steer. And yes, I’m still there,” I practically spoke through gritted teeth.

“Right!” Colleen’s eyes widened. “How’s that been going?”

“Good,” I nodded, “I still love it.”

Colleen’s smile wavered a little before she released my hand and looped her arm through Sarah’s, “I’m glad to hear it, we’ve—”

“—Taylor?” Sarah leaned around me, her green eyes widening as she addressed my fake partner, “Oh my god, I thought I recognized you.”

Back off, they’re mine.

Thankfully, I didn’t speak the impulsive thought out loud.

“Oh, hi!” The sound of metal scraping along the tile let me know Taylor was standing to properly greet the woman who swiftly stole Colleen from me. I stepped to the side, letting them wrap Sarah up in a quick hug, before they stepped back and took up space beside me.

“Do you come here often?” Sarah asked, squeezing Colleen’s arm against her side.

“It’s my first time, actually,” Taylor grinned casually at Sarah, and right when my eyeballs were darting between the two of them, wondering what their history was, there was a tug on one of the beltloops of my khaki shorts.

As soon as my side pressed up against Taylor’s again, I realized that they had just casually used their finger to pull me into their embrace.

Their hand rested on my opposite hip, and I found myself squeezing it against me in response. The flex of their fingers over my shirt both soothed and excited me.

“Nicole was telling me about their guac, so we decided to meet up here.” Taylor’s fingers accidentally dragged my shirt up a hair, exposing the smallest sliver of my midriff. Their pinkybrushed against my skin, and when my breath caught in my throat, they froze their movements.

“Oh, is this your partner?” Colleen asked, holding a hand toward Taylor for them to shake.

Sarah gave us both a sheepish grin before turning to her girlfriend, lowering her voice so only the four of us could hear, “Oh, no. Taylor doesn’t have partners. They have flings.”

I felt my heart sink low, low into my gut.

I wanted to die.

Taylor didn’thavepartners.

I wasn’t a fling kind of girl. I was a romantic once upon a time. I wanted the commitment. I was a big ol’ fan of monogamy.

Colleen knew this about me. There was no chance that I was suddenly okay with a casual situationship and based on the raised brow and sad smile she gave me, I had a feeling she was slowly realizing how fake this relationship with Taylor was.

Fucking fuck.

“That was true at one point, yes.” Taylor nodded, squeezing me to their side, “But that was before I met Nicole.”

I held my breath right when their soft, warm lips pressed firmly against the crown of my head. I could almost feel their septum ring nudge my head as well. I knew for a fact that my face was flaming.

Based on the way Sarah stiffened, her lips parting in visible shock from Taylor’s words, I wanted to point a finger in her face and yell, “HA-HA, Taylor picked me and not you! You can’t have them!”

But I didn’t.

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