Music City Dreamers

by Robyn Nyx

  Heather smiled. She liked when the smooth operator slipped and Louie showed herself as just a little nervous.

  “So why did you call?” Louie asked after a few moments of silence had passed. “It can’t have been to find out about the life cycle of a lazy male insect.”

  “I wanted to talk to you without everyone else there.”

  “About what?”

  “Nothing in particular. I just like hearing your voice,” said Heather.

  “Careful. You’ll get me thinking that you really like me, then when someone better comes along, I’ll have a broken heart.”

  “Maybe there is no one better.” Heather wondered if that might be too much too soon, but being around Louie made her feel so different, so free. What would it hurt to say it out loud?

  Louie laughed. “There’s always someone better.”

  Heather stiffened. “Are you always looking for the next best thing?” She had no unrealistic expectations of what they might be together, but she did need Louie to at least commit fully to seeing what might happen. If she was already moving on before they’d even begun, what was the point?

  “No. I’m looking for true love. I just think you’ll always be able to find someone better than me.”

  Heather heard no edge or humor in Louie’s voice. Nor did it sound like she was throwing in a line for compliments. Her vulnerability hooked into Heather’s heart and effortlessly caught more of her attention. “When I’m with someone, I’m not looking anywhere else, Louie.”

  “Do you want me to get a sandwich with your coffee or do you need a sugar hit doughnut?”

  Heather pulled into her parking space and cut the engine. The change of subject clearly wasn’t designed to be subtle, but she let it go. For now. Louie’s issue wouldn’t be addressed in a quick phone call, but Heather knew she would want to at some point. Louie should know how special she was. Their connection had grown with each day, and Heather couldn’t wait to explore Louie further. Her mind and her body.

  ***

  “Mom!” Louie was barely seated in her truck before she’d dialed the number and got through.

  “Louie!” her mom said, matching her tone.

  “I got it. I really got it.”

  “What, baby?” her mom asked. “What’s got you all riled up?”

  “The publishing contract with Hawthorne! They want my words, Mom.” Louie bounced up and down, unable to contain herself any more. When the team interviewing her offered her a contract, it was all Louie could do to stop herself from running around the table and giving each of them a hug.

  “I am so proud of you, sweetheart. I knew you’d do it. All of it.”

  Louie’s heart swelled at the pride in her mom’s words, and she struggled to hold back the tears. Her mom never stopped encouraging her, when everyone else did the opposite. Her mom struggled to send money when Louie was broke and never once suggested she come home and stop chasing her dreams. She owed her everything. “It won’t be long before I can buy you that house, Mom.”

  Her mom chuckled. “That’s my girl, always aiming high.”

  “It’s true. In the long run, the songwriter gets more than the artist. Combine this with Savana’s album, and we’ll finally be able to stop worrying about money.” Louie was already planning to visit the local Jeep dealership. That Wrangler Rubicon Recon would soon be in the driveway of her very own house. The nagging doubt trying to pull her down was hanging on, but where it used to be connected to her consciousness by steel wire, it was now a mere cotton thread. Her life was finally changing. She was really living her dream.

  “Slow down, baby girl. Make sure it’s in the bank before you start spending it,” her mom said.

  Her mom’s mind-reading skills never failed to impress Louie. “I promise.” She checked her watch. “Damn, I have to get to Rocky Top.”

  “Savana’s got you working the weekend?” her mom asked.

  Louie started her truck and pulled out of the Hawthorne parking lot, cradling her phone between her neck and cheek. “She sure does. But it’s all good. When we’ve finished the album, I’ve got a big date with an amazing woman.”

  “Heather hasn’t given in on her professional boundaries yet, then? Good for her. It won’t hurt you to wait for a good woman, for a change.”

  Louie let her mom’s veiled stab at Mia go without response. She deserved it anyway. “I’ll talk to you later, Mom. I want you to visit soon.”

  “Are you driving?”

  “Yeah, that’s why I’ve got to go!” Louie stopped at a red light and dropped her phone into her lap when she saw a cop on the corner. She looked down and pressed speaker. “Love you, Mom. Talk soon.”

  “Love you, Noodle. I’m super proud of you.”

  Louie blinked away the light burning sensation in her eyes. “Thanks, Mom.”

  Louie made short work of the distance between Hawthorne and Rocky Top. She made a quick stop at Anti Bean for Heather’s coffee. She couldn’t wait to share her news with her. If Louie’s career took off the way it could, maybe Louie could help finance Heather’s label and get her out of the closet sooner than either of them had planned.

  Chapter Twenty-nine

  “Savana’s kept you so busy over the past three weeks, I’ve barely seen you.”

  Guilt tore at Louie’s conscience like piranhas on a steer. She had neglected Gabe, but she’d had little choice. Savana had insisted on working eighteen-hour days seven days a week. Her regime had been brutal but resulted in fourteen tracks, any of which Savana was convinced could be the next number one on the Billboard country charts. “Tell me how things are with you.” She flopped onto the couch and enjoyed the way it greeted her like an old friend, giving way to her weight and hugging her body. It felt like she hadn’t sat in it for months, and she’d missed the comfort. The sofa in the Rocky Top writing room was nice, but this couch was hers, and somehow that made it better.

  “Let me grab us a couple of beers and I’ll get you up to speed.”

  Louie leaned her head back and closed her eyes. This was how good she’d dreamed life could be. With the way things were going, it didn’t look like she’d be getting a wake-up call any time soon. Her part in writing Savana’s album was almost complete, and her text flirtations with Heather had kept her going. There was a certain amount of waiting for the other shoe to drop, but she’d been visualizing a rainbow-painted future for herself to stave away those darker thoughts. So far it had been working.

  Gabe returned and placed a bottle in her hand. “Mia keeps coming by work. She seems to think I have some influence over you.”

  “What does she want you to do?” Louie asked the question but had no real interest in the answer. She liked the feeling of disinterest, but she didn’t care for Mia pestering Gabe.

  He dropped into the sofa opposite her and shrugged. “She says she wants you back and she’ll do anything to make it up to you.”

  Louie laughed before taking a long draw on her beer. “Yeah, sure. As long as I get her an audience with Savana Hayes and Donny Taylor.”

  “I’m glad you’ve cut her loose. I get a bad feeling every time she walks into the restaurant. It’s like she sweeps the good vibes away with every swishy step.” He looked at her seriously. “You’re not going to change your mind, are you? I’m not sure we could go on living together if you did.”

  Louie raised her eyebrows. “Wow, why don’t you tell me how you really feel?”

  “I’m not kidding, Louie. I couldn’t be around that kind of bad energy.”

  “I get it.” She hadn’t realized Gabe was into “woo-woo,” as her mom called it, but it wasn’t as if she knew everything about him. “And no, I’m not changing my mind. Mom would kill me and you’d kick me out onto the streets. She’s not worth that, for sure.” She’d felt her mom’s disappointment creep through the phone connection when she’d told her about meeting Mia, but her mom hadn’t gone as far as to give verbal judgment. She didn’t have to. She’d made her feelings clear in
the silences.

  “Good. But I’ve got a great feeling about you and Heather. You can’t mess that up.”

  Louie couldn’t help but laugh at Gabe’s extreme seriousness. It was a side to him she hadn’t experienced until now. “Is this a one-man intervention?”

  Gabe stroked his chin and smiled. “Sorry. I just worry about you, and we haven’t been connecting much while you’ve been working with Savana.”

  Louie took a long drink of her beer, not wanting to waste its chill in the warm evening air coming into the living room through the open patio. She’d gotten used to her mom being the only person who worried about her, and she was hundreds of miles away. It was taking some getting used to having someone so close being concerned for her day-to-day existence. The past year in Chicago had left her emotionally isolated, but Gabe’s little brother role was slowly breaking through. And as for Heather, Louie’s heart simply wasn’t allowing any walls to think about constructing themselves.

  “I’ve got a great feeling about me and Heather, too. It’s so easy being around her. I don’t feel like I have to try to be anything or anyone else.” Not so with Mia. No matter what Louie did, it had never been good enough. She’d always wanted more or different. As she’d spent time getting to know Heather over the past couple of weeks, Louie had really analyzed her relationship with Mia. She’d come to realize that Mia had never truly loved her or who she was. She had only loved what Louie could do or get for her. There was simply no comparison between Heather and Mia. Heather was everything Mia had never been; open, kind, and generous. She was everything Louie had ever hoped she could find.

  Gabe grinned. “Is it love?”

  “Don’t be an asshole,” Louie said. “We haven’t even kissed or been on a proper date yet. This isn’t some beach romance novel. It’s my life.” Gabe looked away and Louie cursed herself for being so harsh. “Ignore me. I’m just tired and cranky…and desperate to kiss her.” And I want her to do a whole lot more than kiss me. “I’ve got one more session with Savana on Friday, and then we’re free to see each other. I’ve got an eight o’clock reservation for a private dining room at the Birdcat Bench for Saturday.”

  Gabe whistled. “You’re going all out. I hear that’s the best restaurant in town right now.”

  Louie tilted her head and nodded, thinking of the prices on the menu and the money she’d paid to have the private dining experience. She wouldn’t usually be so extravagant and showy, but she was determined to impress Heather, so she’d used a chunk of her advance on Savana’s album to bankroll the date. She might have been a gutter rat, but now she had a promising career as a songwriter, and it was only a matter of time before she was going to have plenty of money. She didn’t want Heather ever thinking she’d made a mistake. “That’s why I had to book three weeks in advance. I’ve gone for the whole private dining room.”

  Gabe looked like he was about to say something but didn’t. Instead, he took another drink of his beer.

  “What?” Louie asked. It wasn’t like Gabe to keep anything to himself, even the stuff he really should.

  “I don’t know. It’s none of my business.”

  Now Louie was intrigued. He usually thought everything was his business. “Spit it out. No secrets except the dirty ones.”

  “Okay, you did ask…Have you gone for the private room because you’re being romantic or because Heather doesn’t want to be seen with you?”

  Louie nearly choked on her beer. “Jesus, Gabe. That’s harsh.”

  “I’m sorry, Louie. I didn’t know how else to put it.”

  “It’s for both reasons.” The blunt way Gabe had phrased his question stabbed at Louie’s heart, but she wasn’t about to show it. And it wasn’t that Heather was ashamed to be seen with her…was it? “I promised I’d be okay with being discreet.”

  “And are you?”

  Gabe’s question was fair, but it was too early to tell. Louie hadn’t even given it a go yet. She had no idea how okay with it she’d be. “I’ll be fine.”

  Gabe straightened up on the sofa and looked even more serious. “Next offensive question—and I ask because it’s an important date—do you own any clothes other than jeans and T-shirts? Because that place is seriously upmarket and I’ve only ever seen you in casual gear.”

  “Fair question, and if you’d asked that on Monday you would’ve caught me out.” Louie smiled at Gabe’s attempt at tact. “But now I have a very elegant suit, shirt, and tie. And I even bought a pair of fancy British brogues.”

  “She’ll be impressed. Where’d you get your suit?”

  “Indo something or other at the mall, but I’m having it tailored to fit. Tim recommended a great little alteration shop called Black Butterfly in Green Hills run by a cute straight couple. They rushed it through and I’m picking it all up tomorrow.” Louie had spent more on this outfit and its alterations than she’d spent on clothes in two years, but this was for a dream girl.

  “I’ve got a late-night gig on Saturday, and then I’m going to a club with Terri from work so you won’t have to worry about me disturbing you.”

  Louie didn’t know whether or not her date would end in the bedroom. She hoped it would, but she didn’t want to jinx it by planning anything. Louie didn’t know if Heather would rush into sex anyway. She’d had her share of fast and loose women when she was trying to get over Mia. Heather was special and worth the wait.

  “Terri, huh? Terri boy or Terri girl?”

  Gabe blushed. “Terri’s a girl. She’s cute. I think you’ll like her.”

  “You want me to meet her?” Gabe nodded. The way he’d said it sounded like he wanted her approval. “If you like her, I’m sure she’s perfect,” said Louie.

  Gabe smiled, and it was easy to see he was in the first flushes of love from the innocent, dreamy look he got in his eyes. Louie had every intention of making sure she was good enough for Gabe. She couldn’t help but laugh at her protective instincts kicking in.

  “What’s funny?”

  “Me. You.” Louie shrugged. “If you’d said six months ago that I’d be sharing a house with a guy in his twenties and that he’d be my brother from another mother…” She shook her head and smiled. “Fate has a weird sense of humor.”

  Gabe raised his bottle. “Here’s to fate and family.”

  Louie joined his toast and took a swig of the beer that was already too warm. “I’m honored to call you family.” She got the sentence out but felt her chest tighten in the way it always did before she cried. “Tell me how your music’s going. How many likes has your Facebook page got now?” She knew the change of subject was far from subtle, but Gabe nodded, seemingly recognizing her discomfort at the emotional exchange. Opening herself up again was proving scary, but it also felt damn good.

  Chapter Thirty

  “Why is it we only ever have Thai food?” Heather asked between bites of a vegetarian spring roll.

  “Because we’re hidebound about the food we like. But that’s okay. We both need some homogeny in our lives to balance the craziness.” Emma raised a forked chicken piece and popped it into her mouth. “Besides, we had Italian last month. And Tim doesn’t eat tasty food. He’s an American burger boy all the way, which probably explains his struggle to keep trim.”

  Heather laughed. “I thought he was working hard in the gym trying to get you a six-pack?”

  Emma wrinkled her nose and shook her head. “The only six-pack that boy’s ever going to bring me comes from a liquor store.”

  “I’m glad to hear it’s going well with you guys.” Emma had regaled Heather with tales of the fun they’d been having rebuilding their relationship. She’d only seen Emma this happy when she was with Tim on their first trip around the love train. If Heather had been in a fairy tale, she would’ve already turned green and wicked. But it felt like she and Louie were finding that same connection. Heather was already feeling like she wanted to keep Louie all to herself for at least the first few months while they explored each other in the
bedroom.

  “Louie?”

  The mention of Louie’s name yanked Heather from her musings. “Huh?”

  “Were you thinking about Louie?” Emma nudged her and winked. “You went all far away. Were you thinking dirty thoughts?”

  Heather shoved her back a little harder. “No! We’re not all obsessed with sex, you know.”

  “Well, you should be. Especially at the beginning of a new relationship. The only difference between you and Louie and you and me will be sex.”

  “I think that’s an over-simplification of intimate relationships, but I get your thinking.”

  Emma lifted her chin. “So…were you?”

  Heather’s shoulders sank and she focused her concentration on her plate as if might hold the key to eternal life. “Busted.”

  “Ha. I knew it. It’s been too long since we talked. Spill. How have you kept your hands off each other every day at work for the past two weeks?”

  Heather closed her eyes and sighed. “To say it’s been hard would be putting it mildly.” She thought about all their furtive glances while everyone was around. Heather had spent late nights devouring lesbian fiction books to get some inspiration. She could barely wait to try doing some of the things she’d read about. Taking the lead in bed wasn’t something she was used to, but she was damn sure she’d give it a go. “It’s a romance 101 cliché, I know, but I really haven’t felt this way before. It’s like there’s an electromagnetic field around her, and I…buzz whenever I’m near her. She makes me feel like a horny teenager, and all I want to do is get my hands on her.” Heather ran her hand through her hair and thought of how it might feel to wrap her hand around the back of Louie’s neck. She kept her hair nice and short, and Heather imagined it would feel nice to run her hand across it. And there was just enough on top to grab a handful of while they—

  “Earth to Feathers. Come in, Feathers.”

  Heather held up her hands. “See? I’m a hormonal hot mess of a woman.”