The record store is small, packed to the brim with old records, new CDs and music magazines. The bell above the store entrance chimes as two women step in. They're laughing, clinging to each other as they put their umbrellas by the door. One of them runs her hand through her blonde hair, petals of water falling onto the carpet.
The store owner sits behind the counter and only briefly looks up. The two women start browsing and the store falls silent again save for the humming and buzzing of the computer and the occasional, heavy typing sound of the keyboard.
"Look!" The silence is broken after a few minutes when Taylor nudges Karlie.
Karlie's gaze follows Taylor's pointed finger towards the opposite wall. When she sees it, her breath hitches in her throat. Taylor beams at her discovery, but it makes Karlie feel nervous all of a sudden. Taylor seems to sense it, because she takes her hand and runs a soothing thumb along her palm.
It's a tour poster that has Taylor excited, but it's not any tour poster. It's theirs, of their first and last world tour. Their only world tour, but they didn't know that at the time. They were still at the height of their career, before everything changed so drastically. The close-ups of their smiling faces, and the bold letters "Taylor Swift and The New Romantics – 1989 World Tour" tell the story of a life that Taylor and Karlie have long left behind, but never forgotten.
Protected from the wear and tear of time, unlike the people pictured, the poster is behind a glass frame, hanging high on the wall and out of reach from curious customers. Karlie can only stare at it. Next to her, Taylor stands still, all the while holding her hand.
The store clerk seems to notice their interest in the poster, because he gets up from his desk and approaches them.
"Is there anything I can help you with? I'm afraid that poster is not for sale, it's from my personal collection." He looks up at it with a wistful glint in his eyes.
"It was the first concert I went to, when I was a teenager. My older brother took me when they played down the street at the Bowery Ballroom. It's one of my favorite memories of him. He loved that band. He passed away the same year as their keyboard player, from the same disease, and-"
He stops abruptly as if only now remembering he is talking to strangers. He wipes at his eyes and clears his throat. "I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me, I will let you browse in peace."
"No, you have nothing to apologize for." Taylor says softly and steps forward, turning towards the man.
His eyes go wide in recognition, and he stumbles back. "I- ... you're- ..."
Karlie turns around too, and the man recognizes her instantly as well. He glances between them for a split-second, and something like understanding briefly crosses his face before he regains his composure.
His voice trembles. "Oh my God."
Karlie gulps. She is unsure what to say. She wants to express her sympathy towards the store clerk whom she doesn't know but who shares her grief, but all she can do is stay rooted to her spot.
Taylor speaks up again. She has always been better at handling situations like this, even back in the day when fans would be waiting by their tour busses and hotels. This situation is vastly different, of course, but Karlie feels grateful nonetheless that she has Taylor to rely on.
"I'm sorry to hear about your brother. It was a difficult time for so many of us. Thank you for keeping the poster all these years. It means a lot to us." Her voice is calm, but Karlie doesn't miss how her chin quivers.
The man takes a deep breath. "Thank you. I ... it means a lot to me, too."
Taylor gives him a smile, then walks up to him and gives him a hug. The store owner tenses up at first but then visibly relaxes, hugging Taylor back. When they separate, Karlie walks up to him.
"Thank you for keeping our memory alive," she whispers and squeezes his shoulder in what she hopes is a comforting gesture. He nods and gives her a grateful smile, not making an attempt to hug her as if he knows that it's not her thing.
Taylor asks him about the store, and he tells them about his life and the music he likes and the kind of people who frequent his store. Karlie only listens, but is intrigued nonetheless. A couple of years ago a customer seems to have bid a lot of money on their tour poster, but he refused to sell it. It makes Karlie feel warm, knowing there is still someone out there who loves their old band, who listens to their music.
"Actually, I hope you don't mind, but would you sign something for me? It won't be for sale, I promise." The store owner asks and goes behind his desk, fishing out an old record from a drawer.
It's their 1989 LP, the cardboard all worn out and taped together, and it looks like an original pressing. Karlie has to bite the inside of her cheek to keep herself from tearing up. When the man opens the case, something falls out and onto the floor. He is quick to pick it up.
It's a polaroid – a picture of the band in their practice room. It's too dark and Austin is only half in the frame, but it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter because this is one of only a handful of special edition LPs that contained a unique polaroid of the band, and somehow this store owner has held onto it for well over a decade like it's the most priceless item in the world.
Taylor has gone quiet as well. She takes the marker the man gives her and signs the polaroid, then hands it over to Karlie. Karlie stares at the picture in awe, her hands trembling.
"Thank you", the man whispers again.
Karlie looks up again, and their eyes meet. She hands him back the polaroid. "Thank you for keeping it all those years. I never thought I would see this picture again. It was my favorite out of the ones we picked for the album." She smiles.
The store owner only nods, seemingly at a loss for words.
"My brother will be in the city next month, I will tell him to stop by" Taylor offers and the man stammers a surprised 'thank you'.
They talk for a while more. Taylor tells the store owner about the fundraiser they attended the night before and asks him about the coffee shop they passed down the street. He assures them it's worth a visit if they're ever in the area again.
When they leave, Karlie takes Taylor's hand as they walk out. She feels at peace, somehow. She tends to forget that they left a legacy, that even today people find comfort in their music. Taylor places her hand on the small of Karlie's back. It's warm and comforting, the way it's been all these years. The way it will be for many years to come, no matter how much the world around them changes. The doorbell chimes and they pop up their umbrellas, then the two women get swallowed up again by the low-hanging clouds and the pouring rain of the bustling city.
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A/N: Thank you for reading and you votes and comments! I hope you liked it. I had a lot of fun writing this story and creating the playlist.
Disclaimer: This story is a work of fiction. The words, thoughts and actions of characters based on real-life people in this story are purely fictional and are not meant to imply any real-life resemblance. The other characters are original characters, any resemblance towards real-life people is purely coincidental and unintentional. Places, businesses, incidents and events are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Characters based on real persons: Taylor Swift, Karlie Kloss, Derek Blasberg, Todrick Hall, Brendon Urie, Austin Swift, Toni Garrn, Cara Delevingne, Jack Antonoff, Lily Aldridge.
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THE END
