Bab 205: ### Chapter 203: MTV Awards
The ocean breeze wafted in through the open car window. Taylor, leaning in the passenger seat, had a charming flush on her cheeks. Her golden hair was tousled across her face, her lips exuding a faint scent of alcohol, and her blue eyes shone brightly under the moonlight.
"Feeling uncomfortable? You're not 21 yet, you shouldn't drink so much," Link said, gently touching her forehead.
Taylor tilted her head and shot him a playful look. "First of all, Mr. Link Beck, you're my boyfriend, not my parents. Even if my parents were here, they wouldn't tell me what to do with my alcohol intake."
"And secondly?"
Link asked with a light chuckle.
"Isn't that enough? Oh, and secondly, I'm only a few months away from 21. Even if the cops know, they won't care. Why should you?"
"And lastly? With 'first' and 'second,' there must be a 'last.' They are a trio, separating them is a logical error."
Link reminded her.
Bang!
Taylor punched him lightly. "You're so annoying! 'First' and 'second' are enough. There's no 'last.' And don't ask again."
"OK!"
Link shrugged.
Taylor leaned back in her seat, supporting her face with her hand, and after a moment of silence, she suddenly said, "Lastly, Kelly flew from Nashville to Los Angeles and invited me for drinks. It would be rude not to drink; it's a social obligation."
"Now I understand. You and Kelly had a gathering, so how did you run into Miley and Kesha?"
"Heh, you're curious about John, right?" Taylor tilted her head, teasing him. "You're such a petty man. Seeing me with other guys makes you imagine things. Aren't you a world boxing champion? Can't you be a bit more generous and confident?"
"Instinctively, attacking any male who dares to invade one's territory is a lion's nature."
Link replied nonchalantly.
"Hmph, I'm not your lioness."
Taylor swatted at him playfully and explained, "I was meeting Kelly, and along the way, I ran into Miley and Kesha. They also wanted to go out for drinks."
The four of them had gone to a nightclub to dance, and later John Mayer called to discuss music and also joined them.
"Why would John Mayer want to discuss music with you? He's pop-rock, and you're country. It doesn't fit. My first album is pop, and my second combines pop and rock. If he wants to talk music, he should come to me."
Link said.
Taylor rolled her eyes. "He wrote a new song and needs a good female singer for collaboration. He thinks I'm the best fit."
"Impossible! You're a beauty with talent, but your singing skills aren't in the top ten among female singers. Don't deny it; it's the truth. If he needs a powerful female vocalist, Katy, Joann, or P!nk would be suitable. The reason he chose you is because you're young, beautiful, and your album sales and popularity are high."
"Hmph, I don't want to talk to you anymore."
Taylor crossed her arms and looked out the window.
With both of them silent, the car was filled with a quiet ambiance, with only the ocean breeze rustling outside, making Taylor's hair slightly disheveled.
Concerned that the cool evening breeze might be too cold for Taylor, Link rolled up the car window, earning a disapproving glance from her, followed by a playful punch.
Woo woo woo!
A series of siren sounds approached from behind; an LA patrol car was nearby.
"Look, it's a police car."
Taylor pointed out the window.
"Is that surprising?"
"Not really. So, how about we do something exciting?"
Taylor leaned closer, cupping his face and kissing him. Her soft, wet lips, with a hint of alcohol, felt like a whiskey-soaked jelly.
Caught off guard, Link swerved slightly as the car veered off the road. He kissed Taylor, his eyes still on the car window as he slowly pulled over to the roadside.
"Stop it! This is dangerous!"
Link pushed Taylor's shoulders, pressing her back into the passenger seat, and buckled her seatbelt.
Taylor covered her mouth with laughter, acting like a tipsy fool.
Woo woo woo!
Before Link could restart the car, the police car approached from the side. A police officer got out and asked, "Good evening, sir. I noticed you suddenly braked. Is there a problem with your vehicle?"
"Good evening, officer. There's no problem; just a slight mistake in handling."
Link explained.
"Mr. Link Beck? Hello, Mr. Beck. I can smell alcohol. Have you been drinking?"
The officer recognized him.
"Yes, we just came from Venice Bar."
Taylor said with a laugh.
Link shook his head and told the officer, "I only had a third of a can of light beer. I'm fully aware and not driving under the influence."
"Mr. Beck, for your safety, please step out and take a test."
The officer politely requested.
Link had no choice but to step out and, under the officer's instructions, performed a straight-line walking test on the roadside.
Taylor took photos with her phone, laughing all the while.
After confirming he wasn't driving under the influence, the officer asked for an autograph and then drove away.
Once back in the car, Taylor continued to laugh uncontrollably.
Link squeezed her nose and drove back to their Santa Monica villa. Without giving Taylor a chance to escape, he carried her on his shoulder and took her to the bedroom, closing the door behind them, and gave her a thorough lecture.
---
The next day in Los Angeles was still sunny. By the morning, the temperature was already above 15°C, and it was expected to rise above 35°C in the afternoon.
It was anticipated that more people would visit Santa Monica and surrounding beaches today.
In the morning, Link, wearing sports gear and carrying a 10-pound weight, ran along the breezy, lush bay road south to the Pier, covering more than 18 kilometers.
The Pier was one of Santa Monica Beach's famous attractions.
A guitar-shaped pier extended west into the Pacific Ocean. Seeing many yachts docked there, he considered bringing his Miami yacht over but decided against it, given his limited time for sailing.
On the way back, he picked up breakfast from a Mexican and an Italian restaurant that Taylor liked and returned to the villa.
Taylor was still in bed, having locked the bedroom door, claiming she had inspiration and needed to write songs in her room all day without being disturbed.
Link complied, leaving breakfast outside her door. He then went downstairs with Olivia and Meredith, the cats, for breakfast. He hoped they wouldn't follow Taylor's example of being neurotic and antisocial, like a witch from a magical forest in the past.
After he and the kittens finished eating and took a walk on the lawn, Mandy called, asking if he had been caught drinking and driving last night.
Link was surprised and asked if she had seen the news in the paper.
Mandy said no; Taylor had sent her a photo of him walking in a straight line on the road with a police officer.
Link calmly explained the situation.
Mandy found it amusing and then discussed the MTV Music Video Awards with him.
MTV is the largest global music television network, primarily playing music videos across various genres, including pop, hip-hop, and rock, and features music-related programs and events.
MTV serves as a promotional platform for music products, enhancing artists' visibility and generating commercial profit, similar to TV commercials for music videos.
After releasing new albums, Link and Taylor would also shoot multiple music videos for MTV to promote their new songs and increase their visibility.
Since 1984, MTV has been awarding annual music video awards, known as MTV Music Video Awards, considered one of the most prestigious awards in American music, alongside the Grammy Awards and American Music Awards.
This year, Link received two nominations: Best Male Artist Video and Best New Artist, for "Unstoppable" and "Despacito" remix.
Taylor, who had a Best New Artist nomination last year, received a Best Female Artist Video nomination this year.
The most nominated artists this year are Beyoncé and Lady Gaga, each with nine nominations.
Britney Spears received six nominations.
Kanye West, Eminem, and Coldplay each received four nominations.
Green Day received three nominations.
Katy Perry, Jay-Z, T.I., Lil Wayne, Rihanna, and others also received nominations.
Historically, MTV tends to favor hip-hop and rap music, with black artists winning the most awards each year.
With such strong competition, Link's chances of winning were low.
Taylor was expected to win, but her chances might be affected by his presence, and whether Kanye West's infamous stage interruption would occur again was uncertain.
Everything was up in the air before the MTV Awards ceremony.
Link and Mandy discussed the arrangements and outfits for the award ceremony.
After hanging up, he continued walking the kittens.
Olivia and Meredith, only a year old with short legs, walked slowly. Olivia, in particular, was very particular about her walking posture, carefully avoiding grass blades and stones, like a noble lady, always lagging behind.
Beep beep!
A pair of honks sounded from the villa's main driveway. Link and the kittens walked over, and a black Mercedes sedan slowly stopped. Andrea, the lady, stepped out with a bag.
"Link, how could you drive after drinking? It's too dangerous. Please be more careful next time."
Andrea scolded.
Link was speechless, suspecting that Taylor might have sent out the photo of him walking straight to everyone, seeking to make him look foolish as
revenge for last night's antics.
"Annie, you know I can't handle alcohol well. Just a sip and I'm done. Here's what happened."
To reassure Andrea, Link explained the situation from last night.
When Andrea heard that Taylor had been causing trouble while he was driving, she was furious and stormed into the villa.
"Annie, Taylor locked herself in the bedroom. The key is on the counter."
Link called out.
A few minutes later, he walked into the living room with the kittens and saw Taylor coming down the stairs, frowning and rubbing her arms. She was wearing a white spaghetti strap dress, her long hair disheveled, with several handprints on her fair, slender arms.
Andrea followed her, scolding, "How could you act up while he's driving? What if something had happened? You're in your twenties now. Can't you stop being so childish?"
"I know. I was drunk; it wasn't intentional."
Taylor, seeing Link downstairs watching the commotion, narrowed her blue fox eyes and gave him a dangerous look, snorting and bumping into him, heading to the dressing room to change clothes.
"Link, Taylor can be quite childish. If she acts up again, don't hesitate to scold her or even discipline her. I support you in doing so."
Andrea said.
"Understood, Annie. I will."
Link smiled.
"If you dare do that, you're in big trouble! I swear!"
Taylor shouted from the dressing room.
"Shut up! Hurry up and get changed and made up. We need to design a new dress for you."
Andrea urged.
"Link? Why is he still petting the cats?"
"I'm a guy; a black suit is enough for 99% of events."
Link laughed.
"Not acceptable! You must wear a new outfit too, or I won't walk the red carpet with you."
"Stop shouting. Just get dressed quickly."
Andrea hurried.
Link chuckled, holding the kittens and turned on the TV.
---
**(End of Chapter)**
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