Chapter 55: Little Girl's Thoughts

It was the night after the game, and Andrew was discussing tomorrow's three-point contest with Novak.

In his previous life, Novak had always been stellar at shooting three-pointers, but Andrew knew he never won the contest. Now that he had the chance to guide him, Andrew hoped to rewrite history.

"Accuracy is key, but you need to pick up speed too," Andrew explained, showing Novak a quicker technique for his release. Their conversation was cut short when Andrew's phone buzzed. It was Swift. She had just landed in Las Vegas.

Despite her fame skyrocketing, Swift had been running from one major event to another, barely stopping to catch her breath.

"I thought you weren't arriving until tomorrow?" Andrew asked.

"I wanted to see you earlier," Swift's voice was soft, brimming with anticipation. "It feels like forever since we last saw each other."

After hanging up, Andrew gave Novak a few last tips and then headed out to pick Swift up from the airport.

Technically, there was a car arranged to pick her up, but Swift had specifically asked Andrew to be the one. That's just how she was—direct, stubborn, and sweet.

When Andrew arrived at the airport, it was already packed with fans holding signs and cameras. He stepped out of his car, lighting a cigarette as he scanned the crowd. The excitement grew as Swift appeared, shielded by security, though she still took time to sign autographs and take selfies with fans.

Her eyes constantly scanned the crowd. When they landed on Andrew, her face lit up, and she quickly wrapped up her fan meeting, hurrying toward him.

"You know, you could lose some fans doing that," Andrew teased when she reached him, though he couldn't help but smile.

"Relax," Swift replied with a playful pout. "I'm always patient with them."

She slid into the front passenger seat, flashing him a grin. Andrew shook his head, amused, before noticing a few paparazzi lingering nearby. They were always around these days, hungry for gossip.

"We need to get out of here fast," Andrew muttered, starting the car. "Next time, let the company send someone. You don't want to give those photographers anything to work with."

Swift shrugged, unfazed. "I'm not afraid of them."

"You should be. You're famous now. The media can spin anything, and if some scandal breaks out, you could lose a lot of your fanbase. Male fans, especially. They don't want to see their idol caught up in rumors," Andrew said, shooting her a serious look.

Swift leaned back, looking at him mischievously. "Well, I'm not worried. I'm just spending time with my boss."

"The media doesn't care about that," Andrew said, rolling his eyes. "They'll make up whatever they want."

"Well, let them talk," Swift replied with a smile, pulling out a small wooden box from her bag. "I got something for you."

Andrew glanced at the box, surprised. Swift had gone out of her way to get him some Chinese desserts from San Francisco's Chinatown. Despite her packed schedule, she had still thought of him.

"You got these for me?" Andrew asked, a little touched.

"Of course! I know you've been working hard, so I thought you could use something sweet," Swift said as she opened the box, revealing delicate, freshly made desserts. She picked one up and held it to his lips. "Try it!"

Andrew took a bite, savoring the taste. "It's good," he admitted.

Her face lit up as if she'd won some kind of prize, and she continued feeding him dessert as they drove through the night. By the time they reached the hotel, Swift had fallen asleep in the passenger seat, her features softened by exhaustion but still radiant.

Andrew parked the car and quietly observed her. Despite her growing fame, Swift was still just an 18-year-old girl, juggling an insane amount of pressure. He let her rest for a while, listening to the soothing country music playing from her album in the background.

After an hour, Swift stirred, rubbing her eyes. "Are we at the hotel?"

"Yeah, we just arrived," Andrew said gently. He got out of the car and grabbed her luggage from the trunk.

At the hotel entrance, there were more fans and paparazzi waiting. Andrew pulled a hoodie over Swift's head and led her through the side entrance to avoid the crowd.

Once they were in her room, Andrew set down her bags. "You should get some rest. You've been working yourself to the bone."

Swift, still rubbing her eyes, looked up at him. "What about you?"

"I have to be at the three-point contest tomorrow," Andrew said, tucking the luggage away.

Swift's tiredness seemed to vanish in an instant. "I'm coming with you!"

Andrew raised an eyebrow. "Why? You should be resting."

"I want to watch! I love seeing the three-point contests and the dunks. It'll be boring to stay in the hotel," Swift said with determination, her eyes wide with excitement.

Andrew shook his head but couldn't suppress a smile. "Fine, fine. Just make sure you sleep early tonight."

"Deal!" Swift threw her hands up in victory.

"Well, that's settled. Now, go to bed," Andrew said, making his way toward the door.

As he reached for the handle, he heard her voice again. "Andrew."

"Hm?" He turned around, only to find Swift standing just a foot away.

Before he could react, she leaned up and pressed a soft kiss against his cheek, then darted back into the room, closing the door behind her.

Andrew stood there for a moment, stunned. The closed door stared back at him as he processed what just happened.

"This kid…" he muttered under his breath with a half-smile before walking down the hallway.

Swift, meanwhile, peeked through the peephole, watching as Andrew left. She smiled to herself, her face still warm from the kiss. Hugging her pillow tightly, she drifted off to sleep, her mind filled with thoughts of him.