delicate [1] | TAYLOR SWIFT

19

"I think she meant your girlfriend," Anna chuckled, raising an interested eyebrow at Kaia. "But yes, let's talk about this. Are you besties with Taylor Swift now?"

"Yeah, we're close. What's wrong with that?" Kaia replied a little too defensively.

"Nothing," Emilia said, giving Kaia the same look Anna had. "But why are you so on edge about it?"

"I'm— I'm not," Kaia shut her down, jumping away from the counter to grab an empty wine glass and open up a new bottle of red.

"So, when are you leaving again?" Jules asked, sliding the corkscrew over to Kaia's side.

"Next week, but it's only going to be for a couple of days," Kaia explained while stabbing the cork with the sharp end of the screw. "I can't take too long a break from work."

She didn't mean for the second bit to sound as bitter as it did. She really did love her job and it was a good distraction. But she couldn't help herself as she twisted the screw further into the bottle's cork.

"Beirut, was it?" Andrew inquired and Kaia nodded.

"Yeah. It's quite lovely this time of year," she responded, finally pulling out the cork and placing it on the counter. She grabbed her empty glass and started filling it with the red wine.

"Can you get me a Fez?" Emilia asked, holding her hands over her head in the shape of a hat.

"What do you need a fez for?" Anna scoffed, narrowing her eyes at Millie's head.

"I'll get you one of those stupid tourist shirts," Kaia compromised with a teasing grin.

"No, that's just lazy. A fez would be a thoughtful gift because I asked so nicely!" Emilia negotiated though that made no sense to Kaia.

"Annnnd this is the kitchen, slash tonight's bar. We've got a great selection of drinks, ranging from cheap beer to probably even cheaper vodka! The wine's good, though. Kibs was on wine duty and she knows her shit."

Kaia twirled around on her tiptoes when she heard Mica say her name, dropping her feet back down when she saw Taylor standing behind him. In her heels, she was just as tall as Mica. She wasn't wearing anything too extravagant, donning a simple burgundy blouse, tucked into a pair of black skinny jeans.

"Anyway, you've met some of these people, right?" Mica continued, waving his hand toward the small group crowding the kitchen. "Anna and Andrew, you met in New York. And Jules! We got pissed as fuck that night. That was fun."

"It was! Hello," Anna laughed, extending her hand which Taylor took with a polite smile.

"It's nice to meet you guys again, sober," Taylor said with a sheepish grin, before shaking Andrew's hand and waving to Jules who was standing a little farther away.

"You too," Andrew and Jules said in unison.

"And Millie, you met at the Gala, I think," Mica said, pointing at the raven-haired girl squished between Anna and Will.

"Right, you were all high as hell, too," Taylor remembered while shaking Emilia's hand.

"You can blame that on Mica," she defended herself. "And Kaia for not stopping us."

"What— I distinctly remember telling you not to smoke!" Kaia snapped, holding her glass of wine up to her mouth and taking a sip before adding, "and I'm the only one who remembers that night well so don't even try to deny it. I did my job but you were all idiots."

"You should have done a better job, then," Mica told her with a snort and a crooked grin.

"Oh, shut up, you twat. You won't be so happy when I hide your stash tonight," Kaia threatened Mica who rolled his eyes nonchalantly at her.