dancing with our hands tied | taylor swift

chapter 2

A/N: i know ppl didn't text like this is 2016... but just let me live my life😭

That Monday is my first day at Echo, and while it's a busy blur of new faces and assignments and meetings, the same electric blue eyes and sly smile drift into my mind at least four times.

My boss's name is Maria, associate editor of design. She's intense.

"You get one page this issue," Maria states plainly, dropping a stack of past magazines on my desk. "Reference the style guide. Don't try to impress anyone, just do your job."

I swallow. "Yes ma'am."

She seems to hold a permanent glare. "The contents of your page will be emailed to you. First draft on my desk at the end of the day Wednesday."

Good lord.

Maria stalks off, glaring at the other designers at their desks, and I sit down. It's a nice office, full of color and tasteful statement pieces, but it's also busy. The designers are hunched over their desks, drawing or staring unblinking at their computers; a few editors scurry about, looking over shoulders and confronting people about deadlines; the writers in the corner type feverishly and chug coffee by the mug. It's not even deadline week.

The day crawls by, the pressure of my first ever official print design drowning any and all inspiration I might've had. Eventually the clock ticks 5 and I pack my things.

On the subway ride home, Shannon texts me.

shannon🐌

first day rundown NOW

it was good😁😁

i have like 24 hours left to design a page for the next issue but it's good

they rlly threw u into the deep end wtf

yeah💀

guess what

what

chicken butt

blocking u rn

WAIT i actually had something to say lemme remember

OH

you know that bar we were at the other night??

you mean the one where i spent the whole night with taylor fucking swift??????

yes

that one

apparently it's literally exclusive

bye how did we get in

I HAVE NO IDEA😭😭😭 i think dalton knew the bouncer maybe???

jeez

dalton🤾‍♂️

did u know the bouncer at that bar

how did we get in

Yeah

Why

SHANNON SAYS ITS EXCLUSIVE

What does that mean

like celebrities only or something

Well

I mean like regular ppl aren't allowed in so

WHY DID YOU TAKE US THERE??