Taylor's POV
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The snow picks up and I smirk over at Matthew and his extremely sensible driving. He progresses through the roads at a very sensible pace, our vision through the windshield not nearly as clear as one could hope for.
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"Think we may have to keep everybody in the house tonight, bbq on the porch" I laugh and he chuckles.
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"I agree" he smiles over at me. It's important that I tell him about Ross' coffee proposition and so keeping my tone light and easy I bring it up.
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"Oh, Ross suggested I get coffee with him on Sunday by the way, just to chat" I add glancing out at the snow.
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"Okay, he wants to take you out for coffee" he sighs rolling his eyes.
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"Not as in a date. We need to clear things up. He knows that I'm engaged and I think it would be a great opportunity for me to clarify that with him" I look over at Matthew and he nods, focusing on the flurries of snow.
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"Taylor you're not asking me for permission are you?" He laughs and I smirk over at him.
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"I'm running it by you, because you're my fiancé" I tell him.
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"Sure consider me warned that I will not have access to you all of Sunday. Get him to buy you the most expensive coffee and cake too" he chuckles. Indicating onto the freeway, as I grasp his knee, gazing back out at the snow and how it's collecting on the tops of the trees, leaving the floor covered in a soft white blanket.
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Thinking about our conversation this morning. The notion of having a sleeping baby in the back of our car pops into my head. I try to squash it. If I have a baby with him now will I feel as though I have missed out on my twenties entirely? When that baby becomes a child and is ten years old I'll only be approaching thirty years old. Is that a sufficient age to be a good mum I question myself trying to think logically. And mainly trying to stem my enthusiasm about the whole thing.
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"What are you thinking about" he asks interested as I blush bright crimson.
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"I was thinking about babies, and how old I would be when they are growing up if we had one" I say gently, looking out of the window. Anywhere but in his kind eyes.
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"It's not implausible, lots of people have kids younger. You just both have to be sure that's what you want. And have a solid plan" he chuckles.
I think about that for a while. What would a solid plan include?
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Swiftly exiting the motorway, I realise I'm looking around for clues. He drives into town and parks up in a large car park. When we get out he makes sure that he's got everything which isn't something he typical does, that tells me he may have booked something.
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"You should most definitely be making a note of where you would like to eat after" he smiles down at me as he guides me through the snowy streets. I gaze into the different outlets and eatery's. An Italian with an open fire catching my eye. He smiles looking down at me as he holds me near.
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"I hope you like it" he says smiling as he pulls me into him. We arrive outside a theatre with arches and sweeping marble posts holding up the building. Banners on the side advertising the shows.
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"Matty, that's so thoughtful" I say turning to him.
He kisses me.
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"You like it?" He smiles down at me and I smile broadly at him.
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"I love it" I tell him as he kisses me pulling me in.
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Guiding me up the steps to the entrance he holds onto my hand. Happy that I wore my heeled boots as we walk in instead of my normal trainers. The marble floor shines in the foyer as an attendant glances at our tickets and guides us over to the main auditorium.
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We are seated a few rows from the front, after getting me settled he heads over to the bar and returns presenting me with a glass of Prosecco and holding a beer. I glance up from the programme, realising that we're seeing the ABT.
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"This is the American ballet theatre." I sigh looking up at him and his gorgeous green eyes.
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"Mhmmm" he smiles happily.
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"This is going to be inspired" I smile at him and he chuckles holding onto my hand. I can't wait to see the choreography, the lighting, stage effects, everything. Matty smiles watching me peruse the programme as I realise I've been looking at it for ages. I flush pink and his eyes glimmer.
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"This is amazing" I tell him.
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"Awesome seats too" I say huddling up to him. We have the perfect view, not too high up but at the perfect distance from the stage to take the whole performance in as a whole. The auditorium lights dip and eventually the audience hushes as I hold Matty's hand to be close to him.
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The performance is perfect, visually stunning. The costumes are magical, soft white dresses which remind me of the glistening snow outside. I sip my Prosecco holding onto Matthew as he watches along with me. Choreographically it gives me a whole host of ideas, and I decide to take some notes later to inspire my own practise at university. I'm in awe of all of the performers abilities and technical proficiency. I can't wait to bore Matthew silly, talking about it all over some food and wine. I imagine how he will smile and nod at my observations.
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"I love you babe" he tells me, guiding me up the steps back into the foyer once the performance has ended.
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"That was pretty" I smile up at him and he grins.
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"You're pretty" he chuckles.
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"I love you, thank you" I smile over at him and he grasps my hand as we head back out into the snow. Pulling my Barbour jacket over me and my knitted beanie back on as he asks me where I would like to eat.
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"I saw you eyeing up that Italian" he smiles down at me as the white snow covers his brunette curls.
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"It looked nice and there was a fire" I smirk as he laughs.
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"I think you have a thing for Italian food" he smiles, hand in mine as we walk back down towards the restaurant.
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"Pasta is life" I tell him and he laughs.
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"You do love your pasta" he smirks guiding me, his leather jacket pulled around him as we walk.
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"I actually enjoyed that show too, it was very artistic. The stage design" he smiles and I nod to him.
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"It was, I can imagine you making stage sets" I say to him, imagining him painting large landscapes.
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We arrive at the Italian restaurant, it's not a chain, it's not massive it's just a quiet restaurant where each table has a single rose and a candle. It's perfect. Matthew requests that we are seated by the fire and the friendly manager takes us over and sets us up with menus.
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Before eyeing up the menu, I take a look around the place. The kitchen is open plan, rows of mixed organic produce like peppers and vines of tomatoes are placed in front of kitchen where the chef is busily preparing food. The smell of garlic and tomatoes filling the room.
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Matthew orders a bottle of wine and some water for the table.
"What's caught your eye now?" He asks settling his gaze on me.
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"I'm just looking at the print on the walls" I laugh feeling like a five year old.
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"This one here" he points above my chair, hung proudly over the fireplace is a portrait. Matthew leans into me and I sigh looking into his eyes before gazing up at the art above my head.
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"Is Michelangelo, well a copy" he says indicating the cherubs in one of the pictures. It's a very famous one, and I've definitely seen it before.
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"It's so detailed, it captures the innocence. It's ethereal." I say.
I look back at him and he's smiling at me, the expression he wears when he's looking at only me.
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"Exactly. He painted a lot of stuff like that one" he says softly.
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Soft harmonious music fills the dining hall and I find myself being warmed nicely by the fire. The waiter brings our wine over in a bucket of ice, asking if we like to test the wine. I chuckle and give it a try.
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With the wine successfully tested, I smirk, and we order our starters and mains. Asking for bruschetta and rigatoni carbonara as Matthew smiles at me before ordering bruschetta, olives for the table and spaghetti Bolognese.
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Matthew has half a glass of wine with me, smirking and telling me that they are big glasses and that he's got to drive. I sip my large glass of red and appraise him in the glow of the firelight. The snow flurrying outside.
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"The show was so good, when did you come up with that idea?" I ask him softly looking up through my lashes.
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"Well I wanted to take you somewhere a bit different and I thought that it made sense. I knew or I hoped you'd enjoy it" he tells me resting his hands on the oak dining table and moving the candle over just slightly.
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"I loved it, it also gave me some ideas for university." I tell him and he grins.He just waits knowing that there is more.
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"The stage direction and choreography were amazing. And I loved the use of colour and lighting" I say to him.
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"It was great, I was thinking it's kind of like art, it's like a series of artistic pictures that move." He says and I'd never thought of it like that.
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"That's such a good way of thinking about it." I smile. I realise that I love that we can have conversations about creative things and how our different passions relate to one another.
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“This food is like art” I smile over at him eyeing up my main and feeling the fire warm me.
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“It tastes great too” he smiles and I chuckle along with him.
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The pasta melts in your mouth and I find myself unable to leave any. It’s truly delicious and I make a note to ask the chef for the recipe.
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"Please tell me you want a desert" Matthew laughs once we are done with our mains. We end up sharing a tiramisu, he feeds me and I feed him. I’m sure we look like the biggest love birds.
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Once the wine has gone, Matthew retrieves the bill settling it before putting his arms around me as we leave. Strolling back through the snow, feeling his arm wrapped around my waist, I know that the wine has made me tipsy. Watching as the snow flurries before us and we trudge through it leaving our own footprints. Having texted our friends to tell them we’ll be cooking them dinner, in the house and not in the yard, we pick up some steaks from a local butchers on the way to the car. It's getting darker, as we start up the car and head back in the direction of home. Our home.
