Protecting Taylor

Chapter 15

When we arrived at the restaurant the hostess led us back to a private section. The band and back up singers were waiting as well as some crew members. They all greeted Taylor and her family warmly. I sat between Taylor and Austin. One of Taylor's backup singers sat on the other side while Scott and Andrea sat on the other side of Austin. One of Taylor's guitar players, Amos I believe his name was, sat across from Austin and they had already begun to chat it up.
"Alex, right?" An older guy with brown hair asked.
"Yeah."
"I'm Paul." He smiled warmly.
"Paul is one of my guitarist." Taylor said.
"Nice to meet you." I nodded.
Waitresses came and took our orders, Taylor helped me pick a dish that consisted of shrimp and noodles.
"Are you going to use your chopsticks?" The lady on the other side of Taylor asked.
"Sure, it doesn't bother me."
"I'm terrible at using chopsticks." She laughed.
"I can use chop sticks real well." Amos spoke up and pretended to stab a piece of food with his chop stick.
"That's clever, but how will you eat you're noddles or rice with that method?" I laughed.
"Very slowly." Amos joked.
"We'll come back and get you tomorrow." Taylor told him.
Everybody at the table was talking and laughing. They were all in happy moods. I had never been around a group so cheerful and full of good energy.
Taylor seemed as happy as she was with her friends around these people as well. It really showed her character when she interacted with people that work for her. I wasn't comparing Taylor to Director James, but all the agents work with him and never once did we all sit around a table with him. We were all just people who worked for him in his eyes, but he was the reason I got a better life.
The people all made me feel included and welcome. They would make conversation with me. It seemed as if there wasn't a rude soul around. I found myself enjoying everyone's company, which was strange for me.
The food came out and the talking and laughter toned down slightly. Taylor attempted to use her chopsticks, but failed miserably. Amos recorded the catastrophe on his phone.
"You know what I'm just gonna stab it." Taylor laughed.
She jabbed at a piece of chicken and when she successfully picked it up she put it in her mouth. Her eyes watered and her mouth fell open.
"Hot!" She whimpered.
The people around us were laughing.
"Ha-ha laugh it up while I've got 3rd degree burns in my mouth." Taylor joked taking a drink.
I made sure my meal was nice and cool before I took a bite. It looked like a one hundred dollar meal. I picked up a piece of shrimp with my chopsticks the correct way and Taylor had her phone put videoing.
"How to use chop sticks correctly with Alex!" she joked.
I put a piece of chicken in my chopsticks and waved it in front of her phone.
"I'll also be showing you how to let your food cool before eating it!"
"That's cold!" Austin laughed.
"Actually it was quite hot!" Scott said.
"Good one dad!" Taylor joked sarcastically.
After lunch we went to the Tokyo Dome where the show would be held. Taylor did some sound checking and looked around backstage. The place was huge! There were so many rows of seating and seating up really high. Crew members were setting up chairs on the floor as some worked on the stage. There were people in the rows of seating putting wrist bands on every chair. It was a huge operation.
"The show is at 8:00, we need to be here by at least 4:00 because I'll do another sound check and then I have meet and greets." Taylor explained.
I decided to look around some myself to get an idea on where to be during the show. There are going to be so many people in this building and I'll admit I felt intimidated by that. It was my biggest fear of having no control. I would stay with Taylor during meet and greets, then I would stay up by the stage and between the barricades. I hade to trust the other guards to ensure she was safe as well.
Last tour a man fog up on stage with her during 'We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together." It took a while before security could get to Taylor and he had already approached and talked to her. I would have to make sure nothing like that happened. If push came to shove I always had my gun on me. That would only be used in extreme cases however.
"Hey, Alex!" A voice called.
I turned around to see Austin walking over to me.
"There you are! Your mom wants you." Austin laughed.
I rolled my eyes and smirked.
"What does she need?" I asked. As we walked out of the huge room and down a hallway.
"I think she wants to show you the catering crew or something."
He pushed open a door and Taylor was talking to some people.
"Alex!" She said and turned to me.
I waved and she motioned for me to come here.
"We bring these people with us on tour. They supply food to the crew and everybody. You can have anything here that you want. They've got sandwiches, chicken, veggies, fruit, cookies, pizza, smoothies, really just everything." Taylor explained.
"Okay." I nodded.
"Do you want a smoothie. You can tell him what you want in it. I'm going to have one." She said.
"Um, sure." I agreed.
The man at the table asked what we would like.
"I've never had a smoothie before, I don't know."
"Well, we've got apples, strawberries, kiwi, bananas, oranges, grapefruit, mangos, coconuts..."
"I'll just have an orange smoothie." I said.
"Strawberries and bananas again, Taylor?" He laughed.
"Yes!" She said.
The man went to work blending the smoothies as Taylor showed me where all the different food was. Some crew members were getting some food and they exchanges greetings with Taylor.
Taylor grabbed a cookie off a tray and snacked on it.
"We're going to be going back to the hotel soon. We've got to rest up because tomorrow is going to be a big day." She said.
"I've got smoothies for two lovely ladies!" The man called.
"Thanks, Jerry!" Taylor said and took a swig of her drink.
I gave a small thanks and sipped the smoothie through the straw. It was sweet and citrusy. I've never had anything like it. I didn't eat a lot of fruit though. Maybe I had when I was little. Taylor had strawberries in her fridge that she's given me to snack on though and I likes them. At base, when we got fruit, it was always apples and bananas.
"Do you like it?" Taylor said as we went back to her dressing room.
"Yeah, it good."
"You've never had a smoothie before?"
"No."
"What did you eat at base?"
"I'm not sure what it was. It was a sloppy grey gunk, but it wasn't so bad."
"Sounds gross."
"It kind of looked like the oatmeal you make me."
"Did it taste like it?"
"No it was bland."
"Did you get anything to go with it?"
"Sometimes bread."
Taylor had an unreadable expression on her face as she looked down at her drink.
"What's wrong?" I asked.
"Nothing, it's just strange."
"What do you mean."
"Think about it. You don't see me or my friends eating things like that for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Don't you think that what they make you eat is weird?"
"No." I shrugged.
Taylor sighed.
Andrea came in.
"Hey girls. Are you ready to go back to the hotel?"
"Yeah." Taylor said standing up from her chair and walking to the door.
I followed them out to the back of the building where a car was waiting for us. It was dark and I hadn't realized how long we had been there.
"Do you want to go out to dinner or get room service?" Taylor asked her family.
"We can just get room service." Scott said.
"That sounds good to me." Taylor agreed and her mom and brother nodded. Taylor turned to me.
"Yeah, sounds good." I said.
Really all I wanted to do was go back to the hotel and sit alone in my room for the rest of the night, but I knew that would seem rude. I craved privacy though and felt like I wouldn't be getting much of it anymore.

After we are at the hotel I decided to tell them I was tired and going to bed.
"Hey, Taylor. I'm going to bed its been a long day." I said.
"Okay, sleep well. We don't have to be up early so try to sleep in." She said.
I nodded and said, "good night, Taylor."
I walked down the hall to my room and Austin was coming out of his.
"Hey you going to bed?" He asked.
"Yeah, good night."
"I figured bad asses like you stayed up past ten. Did Taylor give you a bed time?" He laughed.
"Ha-ha you're a comedian."
"I know right."
I rolled my eyes teasingly and walked passed him.
"Goodnight!" He called.
I shut the door behind me and sighed in relief. They are great people I just needed to be alone. I changed into some pajamas and sat on the bed. My phone buzzed to let me know a call was coming it.
"Agent 113." I answered almost robotically.
"Agent, I have a mission for you."
"When sir?"
"May seventh. We'll have a jet waiting when you get back from Tokyo."
"What is my mission? How long will it take?"
"We need you to get us the global weaponry flash drive from the FBI quarters in California."
"Aren't we partnered with them? Can't we just ask for it?"
"Agent what have I told you about asking questions."
"My apologies. I'll do it."
"Super. You'll only be gone from your current mission for three days."
"Okay, sir."
"You'll be given the file when you arrive at base. You'll be given the rest of the night to review the file then leave the next day. You'll have back up, then you'll report back to base and review the mission. You'll be returned to New York the day after. Are we clear?"
"Yes, sir."
And with that he hung up. I was somewhat eager to get back into the field again, however I knew Taylor would over react about it. I decided to try to get some sleep. I would have to tell Taylor tomorrow, but I would wait until after the show incase she got freaked out about it. This is going to be interesting.