Playing The Field

Chapter 2

Taylor Swift

Merideth climbs onto my lap as I click on the link my publicist, Tree, sent me. The video plays loudly as two bearded men talk into their microphones, recording their podcast. I recognise one of them from the Eagles, my favourite football team, as he opens up the episode, talking smoothly into the microphone.

"Speaking of Taylor Swift," a cut out of my head appears below the subtitles. God, I hate it when they do that, it's so freaky. "I know you went to the Taylor Swift concert, how was it?" Jason asks. My eyes flick to the top of the video. "New Hights Podcast. Travis Goes to a Taylor Swift Concert"

Who I assume is Travis starts talking. Good god, he's attractive. His chiselled face sprinkled with a thin beard engulfed my screen. His broad, muscular frame darts off-screen as his piercing green eyes look at me.

He starts talking. "Yeah, well I was... Disappointed," my heart sank. Why was he disappointed? Did I do something wrong? I always try to put on the best show possible for everyone to enjoy. Travis continues talking, dragging my thoughts away when his husky voice fills my ears. My heart beats faster as I await what he says next "that she doesn't talk before or after the show because she has to save her voice for the 44 songs that she sings" Oh. Wait. What? Now I'm just confused. Meredith perks up on my lap as if she's intrigued now as well. I pat her head as we both continue to listen. "So I was a little butthurt that I didn't get to hand her one of the bracelets I made for her." Merideth purrs in my lap as I let out an awww of my own.

Now I wish I didn't have to save my voice before my show. My security had told me that someone wanted to meet me before the show but it was the Speak Now release show and I was busy figuring out the chords for "When Emma Falls In Love"  surprise song and adding "Long Live" to the setlist and showing the music video and... anyway the point is, I was busy and didn't have time to see anyone. After the show, I was so tired and just wanted to sleep. Seeing this incredibly attractive man saying that he wanted to see me and give me a bracelet sends a heap of regret to my stomach. The thought of his large frame leaning over a table as he fidgets to put beads onto a bracelet just for me makes me laugh. I couldn't even make them. Every time I tried to make a bracelet for a show the beads would always fall off. It was frustrating (and this is coming from a girl who bejewelled her own guitar).

The podcast continues to play and the brothers keep talking about the bracelet. "You made her a bracelet?" Jason asks Travis.

"Yeah, if you're up on Taylor Swift's concerts, there are friendship bracelets and I received a bunch of them being there but I wanted to give Taylor Swift one," Travis smirks "with my number on it"

My stomach flutters with butterflies. "Your number as in 87 or your phone number?" Jason asks

Travis hesitates for a second before his cheeky smirk returns "You know which one."

I giggle with giddiness. Travis continues "She doesn't want to meet anybody or at least she didn't want to meet me so I took it personally."

"She probably just hasn't gotten over the Superbowl yet, she's a big Eagles fan" Jason responds. I let out a large laugh and Merideth jumps off my lap, disappointed that her makeshift bed is moving too much. "Or maybe she just made something up and didn't want to talk to you"

"Danm it" Travis whispers into the microphone.

The video ends. I can't remember the last time someone put in that much effort just to try and get my phone number. My heart swoons thinking about his adorable attempt and I go back to the chat thread with Tree on my phone.

Taylor: What's his number?