before throwing himself completely back into the life of a professional athlete and surrendering every spare second to training camps, game schedules and endless commitments, travis wanted to make the most of the few months of freedom he still had left. his life was still busy, of course, between recording podcasts, attending events and handling countless obligations, there was rarely such a thing as a truly empty day, but none of that stopped him from making time for the people who made him happy. after his engagement had fallen apart and he and his former fiancée had gone their separate ways, he had allowed himself a brief period of disappointment, but not for long. travis had quickly realised that life was far too short to spend it dwelling on things that hadn't worked out. there was no point in constantly looking back at closed doors when there were still so many opportunities waiting ahead of him. instead, he chose to focus on the things that brought him joy, challenged him to become a better version of himself or simply allowed him to be who he truly was without expectations. somewhere along the way, those thoughts led him back to dua. she had always been a good friend, someone he respected immensely, but their schedules rarely aligned. between her world tours, studio sessions, award shows, and spontaneous holidays with friends, she always seemed to be moving from one side of the world to the other. travis never wanted to be the person constantly demanding her attention when he knew how busy she was. yet over the past few days, something had changed. their casual text messages had turned into long conversations that stretched late into the night, filled with jokes, stories and the kind of effortless banter that made hours pass in what felt like minutes. there was something comforting about talking to her. she seemed to understand him in ways most people didn't and somehow he found himself understanding her just as easily. that was exactly why, after one particularly entertaining exchange, he had made the decision to fly to new york and see her in person. if their conversations were this enjoyable over text, he could only imagine how much fun they would have spending actual time together.
stepping out of his private jet and onto the tarmac, travis slipped a hand into the pocket of his jacket and pulled out his phone, checking the time. a small shrug followed as he saw the numbers on the screen. perfect. it was still early enough that he wouldn't be interrupting anything important. after grabbing a taxi, he gave the driver the address dua had sent him earlier and settled back into his seat, watching the city slowly come alive through the window as they drove. as the minutes passed, he couldn't ignore the slight nervousness beginning to settle in his chest. it wasn't overwhelming, but it was there, a rare feeling for someone usually so confident in almost every situation. maybe it was because he cared about this friendship or maybe it was because seeing someone face to face after weeks of conversations always felt different from exchanging messages through a screen. whatever the reason, he found himself smiling at the thought. the ride was shorter than expected and before long the taxi pulled up outside the recording studio where dua had told him she'd be spending the afternoon. after paying the driver, travis stepped onto the sidewalk and glanced up at the building before making his way inside. the reception area buzzed quietly with activity, staff members moving from room to room while music drifted faintly through the walls. approaching the front desk, he introduced himself and explained that he was there to see dua. the receptionist's eyes widened slightly in recognition before she offered a polite smile and disappeared down a hallway to let her know he had arrived. left alone in the lobby, travis slipped his hands into his pockets and looked around the room, trying to appear relaxed despite the anticipation growing with every passing second. a small grin tugged at the corner of his lips as he waited, wondering what kind of trouble the two of them would end up getting into once she finally walked through that door.
