by Jessa Wayne
I looked at her when she didn't answer me right away. Tears streamed down her face, and she held a note toward me. Travis came up behind me, his hands on my shoulders.
When I opened the note, I gasped at what it said.
I'm sorry for everything. You don't have to worry anymore. I'm leaving. Julien.
I looked into the woman's face and saw years of pain in her eyes. A little boy sat next to her, a small plastic truck in his hands. He looked up at me with Julien's eyes and my heart fell.
"This is Iris," Travis said, his mouth close to my ear. "And this is their son."
The little boy looked up at me and smiled, oblivious to the fact his father just told him goodbye.
"When I heard he was back in town, I was adamant to stay away at first." Iris sipped on her coffee, her eyes glancing at her son as he shoved a piece of cookie into his mouth.
The coffee shop down the road from the club was a perfect place to escape to sort everything out. I watched, my heart still aching for her as she told her story.
"Then I got to thinking. He had no idea about Dillon." She whisked the little boy's hair out of his face. "I, at least, had to try to make it right."
"Were you able to talk to him before today?" I asked.
She nodded and looked away.
"I met up with him the other night for the first time in five years. Dillon stayed with my parents. I didn't want to just spring him on Julien, ya know?" Her eyes welled up with tears before spilling down her cheeks. "I thought he had changed. He was so sweet when we talked. We had a few drinks and stupid me…."
I handed her a napkin.
"It's okay. What happened?"
"I slept with him. He promised me a new start, a fresh beginning. He knows just what to say, and I fell for it, again."
"I'm so sorry, Iris."
"We were supposed to get together today to figure out our plans. He was so excited to meet his son. When he didn't show up at the park, I found out about the club, so I tracked him down. When I approached him with Dillon, he didn't give me the chance to introduce them. He just," she sobbed the words out "gave me the note. I don't know what I did wrong."
"You didn't do anything wrong," Travis said, taking her hand. "It is the way he is. He'll never change."
"Well, the good news is that I was able to get my savings back."
"You were?" Travis asked.
"So, see?" I smiled. "He isn't all bad. He gave your money back to you."
"Well, not all of it. But the majority of it," Iris said.
"And it wasn't out of his good graces and big heart," Travis said. "My lawyer called me yesterday and was able to recover it from the bank. He had given it to them to pay for the club. They froze the account with a court order."
"He must have found out this morning," said Iris, wiping her nose.
"That must be why he didn't show up to sing." I lowered my head.
Travis looked at me. "You okay?"
"Not really. I feel betrayed. I can't believe I fell for his stories. He probably had no intentions of anything he said he was going to do."
"He never does."
"Iris," I said, covering her hand with mine. "I'm so sorry he put you through everything."
"You live, and you learn, I guess. Good news is that I have Dillon. He is the one good thing I got out of this whole mess. And I finally get to go to college. Make something out of my life and raise my son the right way."
I gasped and looked at Travis. "This means that Desperado is back on the market!"
"Yes, it does. I already have a call into the bank. They are drawing paperwork up as we speak, and with the way this Battle of the Bands is going, I may be able to put down a much bigger deposit than I had expected."
"So, it looks like everything is working out for everyone." Iris straightened her back and held her head up.
I slipped my hand into Travis's and smiled. "Yes, it is. Where do you think he went?"
"Julien?" Travis shook his head. "Who knows? He's so unpredictable, no one will know for months, and that's only if he wants to be found."
"I say, let's go back to the club and celebrate our better lives." Travis stood up, tipping back his cup and finishing his coffee. "I've had enough caffeine. I think it's time for a little whiskey and a lot of dancing."
"Yes!"
I followed him out of the coffee shop, and we dropped little Dillon off at Iris's parents for the afternoon before heading back to the club.
Iris found good company with Buck, and it seemed they were quite taken by each other. We watched until Buck leaned into her and kissed her the way a woman should be kissed. I looked at Travis, and he looked back at me. It reminded me of the first time he kissed me. He took my hand and pulled me toward the dance floor.
After an evening of dancing, good food, drinks and friends, Travis led me out toward the back.
"I have a surprise for you."
"Me?" I asked, giddy with excitement. "What is it? Did you buy me something? What is it?"
"You are worse than a child on Christmas Eve.”
We walked to the bench, and he sat me down, his hands covering mine.
"This was a good day," I said, smiling.
"Yes, it was. It's about to get a little bit better."
I took a big breath and waited for his news.
"I invited a few people I know from the industry to be here today. They heard you sing."
"Who?"
"Ever hear of Ronald Pattenson?"
I covered my mouth and stared at him. "Ronald Pattenson from South Hill Records?"
"The one and only."
"You know him, Travis?"
"Well enough to convince him to hear you sing."
"Oh wow. What did he think? Did he say anything? Did he like me?"
"He did," he chuckled. "In fact, he liked your voice so much that he wants to talk about a record deal."
"Are you kidding me?"
My head felt dizzy. I took a deep breath and worked on soaking in the meaning of what he just said.
"He's responsible for some of the biggest names in Nashville, and he's interested in me?"
"I believe his exact words were 'wow, she has a big voice, possibly another Carrie Sherwood.'"
"I don't know what to say. This is all so surreal."
"Just say you'll meet with him, Monday morning at ten."
"Yes!" I giggled, throwing my arms around him.
Chapter Eleven
Travis
I adjusted my tie for the third time, my stomach tied up in a ball of nerves.
"The door is open!" I called out to the knock on my front door.
I heard the door open and close.
"Are you ready to go?"
I walked out of my bedroom and into the living room.
"You look lovely, Mother."
"Thank you, dear."
I kissed her cheek and took a big breath.
"I'm as ready as I’ll ever be."
"You make it sound like we’re going to a funeral."
"If this doesn't go as planned, I will have wished it was my funeral."
"Oh, stop it. You'll be fine. It will work out, trust me."
"How do you know? You saw what happened before."
"I have a sixth sense about these things. Now, come on. Let's get going. I'm famished."
I walked out with her and opened the car door for her as she gracefully climbed in. We drove to the restaurant where my friends and family were waiting for us to arrive. Walking into the back room, I hesitated before walking through the door.
"Same room?" I asked raising an eyebrow. "Was this planned?"
"No dear."
"This is worse than a bad deja vu."
I walked in and took the chair at the head of the table. Looking down the long table, the same faces looking back at me, I forced a smile and sat down. My eyes kept glancing at the door, expecting Julien to crash the party again.
Maddie reached over and squeezed my hand, a reassuring smile on her
face.
I stood back up after the waitress had delivered drinks to everyone.
"I want to thank you all for coming tonight. I know the last time we got together like this, we were all somewhat surprised at our unexpected guest. Things didn't work out as planned, but I'm hoping this time will be different."
I glanced at the door as I took a sip of my whiskey.
"The last time we were all here in this very room, I was under the assumption that I would be investing in a new night club. As you all know, it took a little longer to get there, but I am happy to report that as of last Wednesday, Buck along with Madeline, and myself... you are now looking at the proud owners of Desperado."
The others applauded, and a few hoots and hollers filled the small room.
"We're changing the name to Bourbon Rock and will be opening the doors by the end of the month." I raised my glass and smiled. "Here's to a successful opening night."
I sipped and lowered my glass as the others cheered and applauded. "Another wonderful piece of news to those of you not yet aware. My beautiful girlfriend, Maddie, has been signed to South Hill Records and will be working on her first album in the next few months.“
"Woo!"
"Congratulations, Maddie."
"That's so great. Congrats!"
"So, here's to Maddie and her career. May big things be down your path and super stardom in your eyes." I raised my glass again and sipped as I watched the others do the same.
I put my glass down and felt the lump in my jacket pocket, a new series of butterflies resounding in my stomach. I glanced at the door and swallowed my heart back down where it belonged.
"One more small thought that has been rattling around in my brain for a few months now."
Everyone's eyes were on me. This was it. This was my moment. It was do or die. I glanced at the door again.
"Excuse me for one second."
I walked to the door and opened it, poking my head out into the restaurant until I saw our waitress. I motioned for her to come toward the room before taking my seat again. By the looks of the others, no one knew what the hell I was up to.
When the waitress entered the room, I asked everyone if they needed refills and they all seemed good at the moment.
"Can you do me this one favor?" I asked the waitress.
"Yes, sir. What is it?"
"Lock that door for me? Just for a couple of minutes. You can stay if you wish."
Chuckles came from the table, and I took another sip as I heard the door click.
I reached into my pocket and wrapped my hand around the small black velvet box. I took a breath, trying to control the trembling in my hands as I turned toward Maddie and walked to her chair. She looked up at me, her eyes growing wide. I knelt before her and took her hand in mine.
"Maddie Cole. Since the day I met you, my life changed for the better. You are the first thought I have when I wake in the morning and the last thought I have when I close my eyes at night. Even when we were apart, I kept my hope that we would work through it and become one again."
She covered her mouth and looked around the room with tears in her eyes. My mother teared up as well, as I removed the small box from my pocket and held it up in front of her.
"Maddie Cole, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife? I can't see my life without you."
Tears escaped her eyes, and she slowly nodded. I took the ring and slid it onto her finger, mesmerized at how beautiful she looked with it on.
"You have made me the happiest man in the world."
We both stood up, and she flung her arms around my neck.
"I love you so much, Travis Gage," she sobbed.
The rest of the evening, I couldn't take my eyes off her. Maddie was going to be my wife, and we were finally going to be able to start a family together.
When the waitress asked if anyone wanted dessert, I looked at Maddie like she was the only thing on the menu.
"Nothing for me," she said, her eyes glued to mine. As the conversation flowed between everyone, she stood up and slipped out of the room, glancing my way before disappearing out the door.
I took the hint and excused myself. I followed her as she went back to the bathrooms and held the ladies room door open for me.
"Are you serious?" I whispered. "I can't go in there."
"Yes, you can. No one else is in here. Come on."
She pulled me in and locked the door, checking the three stalls. The room was laced with pink flowers and frilly curtains. A long couch took up the back wall of the room.
"I've always wanted to fuck in a public bathroom," she said, greedily pulling at my shirt.
"Wait a minute," I chuckled. "You want to do it in here? What if someone tries to come in?"
"They'll have to wait. Have you sat on this couch? It's comfy as hell."
She pulled my shirt from my pants and pulled my jacket down over my arms, yanking it off and letting it fall to the floor. Before I could protest any more, her mouth pressed against me and her tongue was searching for mine.
She reached up underneath her dress and pulled her panties down her legs. Stepping out of them, she kissed me repeatedly, begging me between kisses.
"I want you, Travis. Right here, right now. Please, don’t deny me.”
She unbuckled my pants and pulled them down to free me from my clothing. Her hand stroked me sending sensations through my body.
"I could never deny you, Maddie.”
I picked her up and her legs fed around my waist. Her kisses were powerful as her fingers buried themselves in my hair. I moved her around until I pushed my hips forward, opening her up with my cock.
She froze for a moment, a wispy exhale coming from her parted lips. I moved slowly savoring her, loving her, falling harder for her.
We moved to the wall by the couch, her back pressed against it as I moved a little more, my hips rocking back and forth. Her head went back to rest against the wall, her breathing a little more predominant.
I took her in, the way she gasped with her gorgeous mouth, the way her neck moved as she opened her mouth to moan, the motion of her hands across the back of my neck, the feel of her body against mine.
We moved in perfect motion with each other, increasing our speed as our arousal climbed like a mountain man determined to reach the top.
The doorknob rattled and then stopped, and the idea of a stranger walking in on us was enough to take our sex to the next level. I grabbed her wrists and pinned them to the wall as I thrust into her repeatedly, grunting and slamming her against the wall.
An unknown woman knocked on the door.
"Is someone in there? Why is the door locked?"
"One… minute," Maddie said, breathlessly. "Sorry."
"Are you okay in there?"
"Oh, yes! I'm more than fine. Thank you. Be out in just… a minute."
The silence at the door made our moans and grunts a little more potent. I tried stifling them by shushing her and trying to control my own, but it got out of control, and we were making more noise than we expected.
"I love the way you fuck me," she said, grabbing the back of the couch. We rocked together until our bodies were riddled with an orgasm that crashed around the both of us. She let out a wild moan before molding around me. I carried her back to the couch and sat with her for a few more moments.
"Now that was incredible."
She nuzzled her face into the crook of my neck, and I was happier than I though I ever could be.
"I can't wait to start our life together, Travis. Everything is going so well for us."
"I could stay like this forever with you, Maddie."
A loud pounding on the door startled us both, and we jumped up off the couch.
"Ma'am, are you okay in there? This is the manager of the restaurant."
"Maybe we should start forever someplace else," I whispered.
She giggled and buttoned her top back up as I jumped around to get my legs into my pants, almost falling over.
The next knock on the door was louder than the last. "Ma'am, if you do not open this door, I'm afraid I will be forced to do so.
"Okay, okay. I'm sorry," Maddie called out. "I'm coming." She burst out into a fit of laughter, scooping up her panties and hiding them under her top as I opened the door.
"Ahem." I cleared my throat and looked back at Maddie. "I'm sorry, ma'am. I thought I was in the men's room. I'm very sorry."
"That's okay. I can see the honest mistake."
We pretended to part our separate ways until we got closer to the room, then we grabbed each other's hand and ran into the room, giggling like children.
When we were back inside and sat at the table, my mother gave us an all-knowing look. Buck had a pretty good idea what we were up to but wasn't entirely sure. I knew I would be hit with twenty questions as soon as I was alone with him, and Maddie was simply glowing.
I watched her. She was perfect, and I couldn't stop smiling.
When her eyes connected with mine, she gave me a look.
It was perfect.
And it was right there, right then that our life together began.
The End.
About the Author
After moving, working, and playing all around the USA, Jessa has finally settled down to write about her adventures and passions.
Gathering stories for decades, now it’s time to put pen to paper. Escape for a while through stories that entertain… some a little naughty & some a little nice… ; )
Jessa currently lives in California with her husband and pack of large puppies.
You can receive more information about Jessa’s upcoming books, book release dates, and author news by subscribing to her newsletter.
If you’d like to become a Jessa Wayne ARC Team member, email [email protected] and put “ARC Team” in the subject line. Your comments and suggestions are always welcome too… Jessa loves to hear from her readers!
Other Books & Previews
REBEL Boss (prequel to the REBEL book series)