Three weeks after my "date" in Taylor's hotel suite, I got a call from her dad.
"Scott, this is a nice surprise; are you finally going to take some time off and let me beat you at golf?"
"I wish I could, Will, but I can't, at least for a while."
"I'm sorry to hear that. What's up?"
"Taylor would like you to join her on the tour in London for a couple of days."
Taylor and I had agreed at our departure that I was not a good fit for her and that I would just remain a good family friend.
"Why? She knows I'm not really a fan of her music."
"Basically she wants you to babysit her cat, Benjamin Button."
"Excuse me? Babysit her cat? Why can't she hire someone to do it?"
"She could, Will, but she asked for you, sort of a bodyguard so he won't be kidnapped."
"Scott, I don't even LIKE cats, and this seems too far fetched so, I'm going to say no, sorry, but no."
"She takes turns taking one of her cats and since Benjamin was in one of her videos, Will, she's afraid someone will try to kidnap him for ransom."
"Then let her assign a bodyguard to protect the cat; it's out of my element, Scott."
"Okay, I'll tell her but she's going to be disappointed."
About a half hour after we hung up, I got another call but it was Taylor.
"Daddy said you won't come to be with me. It would only be for a couple of days."
"Sorry, Taylor, I am not going to be a babysitter for your cat, or anybody else's cat."
"We'll pay for your flight and hotel and we can visit during the day before I do my set on stage."
"I really don't want your money and I appreciate the offer, but no, I really don't want to come over there."
She was quiet on the line for almost a full minute and then she blurted this:
"Dammit, Will, this isn't about my cat, it's about me!"
"What do you mean?"
"When we were together the last time, you mentioned something that I want to try and I don't have a boyfriend right now."
"And you're willing to spend the money to bring me over there just for, um, whatever it is you want to do with me?"
"Exactly. Not many men would turn me down, Will."
"Okay, okay, then I will do it; I'll come babysit your cat, but you have to promise me something."
"Sure, what is it?" she asked.
"You have to promise to NEVER write a song about me and your cat."
She laughed and said "I promise, and thank you for agreeing to come over. I promise you won't regret it. Just call Daddy for the arrangements." And then she hung up.
I called Scott and he gave me the itinerary, flying from Nashville to New York and then to London on American Airlines.
"We couldn't use Taylor's plane for you because it's here with us," he said. "I'll meet you at Heathrow and take you to the hotel."
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I was given a room in part of Taylor's suite, but it was a long journey and I was relieved that I was able to just shower and go to bed. The next morning, once I was settled in my room, I called and asked Scott about the damn cat.
"Taylor knows you don't particularly care for her music, so she thought she would visit with you during the day and someone will bring Benjamin to your room later, while Taylor is on stage."
A few minutes later, Taylor opened the door of my room, stuck her head in and smiled.
"Oh, good, you're here. Just got out of the shower; I'll be right with you."
She came into my room barefoot, wearing one of the fluffy hotel robes. She stood in front of me in my overstuffed chair, flipped open the robe with a big grin and said, "TA - DA!" She was as naked as the day she was born, but with a beautiful young girl's body.