A Swift Rescue

Chapter 11

Taylor Swift had finally done it.  She'd spilled the beans on her relationship with Damien to People Magazine after having been fed up with all the candid photos the paparazzi were taking.  Damien was all for it, even relieved.  He had just walked into a Starbucks and was about to order his coffee when the brunette barista gasped.

"Wow!" she said.  "Are you that guy from the pictures?"

"Yeah... I'm surprised Taylor let them be published."

"I read that article, she seems really happy!"

"If I could get a vanilla latte with a single shot of espresso...?"

"Sure!"  She started making the drink.  "So, is she gonna write a song about you?"

"Maybe, but I don't expect it."

"'Cause then that's the end... we don't want that."

Damien laughed.  "She doesn't only write breakup songs.  Haven't you heard Love Story?"

"Yes but it's about Romeo and Juliet... I'm serious, if she leaves..."

"Not a Swiftie, I take it?"

"She's got secrets."

"So does everyone else... what are you writing?"

"Just... jotting down a memo to myself here."  She handed him his receipt and smiled.

As Damien drank his coffee, he flipped his receipt over.  His blood ran cold.  "Taylor's gonna kill me..." he muttered.

He drove off, coffee in hand, arriving at his uncle's.  Quickly, he called Taylor,.

"Hey!" She said brightly.

"Uh... honey...?" Said Damien weakly.  "This is going to piss you off..."

"What happened?  You sound really nervous.  I'm not gonna break up with you, come on."

He took a picture of the receipt, sending it to Taylor.

"What's this?"  She paused.

"The barista at Starbucks... her name's Jennifer... decided I was cute..." he muttered.

"Violets are blue... Roses are red...". Her voice grew louder, and indignant.  "Forget about Taylor?!  Date me instead?!  Oh god... is that a phone number?!  And she dotted the 'I' with a heart!"  Taylor let out a huff.  "I shouldn't have gone public..."

"Can't un-ring a bell."

"No but I can take really good care of this!  You didn't do anything wrong.  I'm pissed off, but not at you."

Taylor hung up, calling the number on the back of the receipt.

"So you decided to call?" Jennifer purred on the other end.

"Damn right I did!"

"Who's this?"

"Taylor Swift."

Jennifer huffed.  "This is a prank."  She hung up.

Taylor drove to the Starbucks and walked in.  "Jennifer," she said angrily.  "That wasn't a prank."

The man behind the counter gasped.  "Woah, hey, take it easy... I'm Craig.  Jenny's out back on lunch."

"Oh... sorry.  Thanks."  Taylor went to the back of the building and cleared her throat.

"Yeah?  Hey, you're Taylor..."

"That wasn't a prank, Jennifer."  She leaned in.  "You listen to me.  There are lots of fish in the sea.  But this?"  She pulled up a picture of Damien on her phone.  "This is my fish."  She grabbed her shirt.  "Don't... fucking... touch... my... fish!" She said angrily, punctuating each word with a firm shake.

"He can do so much better... you're just gonna break up with him and then write a song about it."

Taylor just walked away.  "You touch him," she huffed, "and I'll sign your forehead with a fucking scalpel!"

She walked back to the counter.

"Sorry..." she said.  "She was flirting with my boyfriend.  I had to shake some sense into her."

She ordered a drink, leaving when she'd received it. 

When she got home, she found Damien.

All he could do was apologize over and over.

Taylor smiled.  "Hey, like I said... you didn't do anything.  Bringing something to my attention... being honest?  That's not something you need to be sorry for."

"I... I can leave if..."

"Honestly...". She sighed.  "I'd rather you stayed.  It's just so...". She growled.  "That bitch!"  She threw herself on her living room couch, and Damien comfortingly rubbed her back and shoulders.  "If there's anything you want..."

"I want to kill her..." she muttered.

"I know," Damien whispered.  "I know."