Billie advised, “Just reschedule your appointment with her lawyer. Maybe you’ll convince her to forget all about this foolish lawsuit. You deserve to be with your kids. Do you think she might be making all of this up because it's her being unfaithful?”
He objected, “I sincerely don’t believe she would do that. It’s hard to believe she’s doing what she’s done so far to me. I’ll make another call to her lawyer soon.”
Billie went back to her office. She had only been there half an hour when she got a call from Bobby. He told her that Kelly found out about him seeing his kids. Apparently, his son had said something to Kelly. The news was not good. He said that Kelly was planning on taking him to court. She wanted a divorce. He told Billie that he had even called Kelly to ask her why she was being so hard on him. Kelly told him that she had proof of his affair. He said she had some type of pictures of him and his supposed mistress together. He could only see the pictures in court. For all he knew, it could be a misunderstanding. It probably wouldn’t hold up as evidence anyway. Billie remarked, “Do you want a divorce? Would you settle for temporary custody of your kids?”
Bobby asserted, “I want this to be a terrible dream, that's what I want. What I have done to deserve this, God only knows. I’ve got to talk her out of this before it is decided for us by a judge.”
Being a reporter is hard enough work as it is without keeping up with everyone's social life. Billie was caught up in conflict with Bobby Douglas and Chris Brady. Chris was more in control than denial, so Billie was more wrapped up in Bobby’s divorce. She did some research for Bobby. It was for the trial that may or may not take place. They were looking for an ‘out clause’ or anything that would help. Billie wasn’t sure if it would help him. But, she didn’t mind doing it in her spare time. She was just glad that he wanted her involved.
A week had passed before she decided to try and call Bobby. He had accomplished more than she had. He had talked Kelly in to letting him see his kids. He wanted more than that, but had to settle for what she had given him. He told Billie he was planning on taking the kids and leaving the country, but she thought he was just kidding. Billie tried her best to talk him out of it. That’s when he told her he shouldn’t be discussing it further, because she may become an accomplice. Billie pretended to drop the whole thing. She left immediately and went to Bobby’s place, to try and talk some sense into him.
When Billie arrived at Bobby’s, he met her outside. He demanded, “Why did you come here? You can’t change my mind. It’s the only way I’ll have them with me for good. She’s wrong about me. I can’t let it happen.”
Billie informed, “Do you know what would happen if you go through with it? Your career would end and you would be constantly on the run. It will be harder to stay in hiding with 2 kids. Not only would you never be with your wife again, but if you are caught, you’ll never see your son and daughter again. Is that your idea of a great future for your family?”
Bobby was stubborn, not stupid. He cried, “What was I thinking? I didn’t care about all of that until just now.”
Billie added, “You are just confused and wanting everything to be all right again.”
Bobby dictated, “You're right. But, without my kids, nothing matters.”
Billie conveyed, “I wish I could relate, I only know that you're in pain.”
Bobby decided, “I’d better get back to my kids now. Every moment counts. I need to enjoy it while it lasts. I wish I had all of the time back that I have wasted, so that I could savor it all now. Thanks again for coming by and keeping me on track. I’m so used to Kelly doing that. If it weren’t for you, I don’t know what I might've done.” Billie hugged him goodbye.
When Billie arrived home, she thought about everything that had happened lately. She wondered if she had been spending too much time with Bobby. She knew nothing could happen between them, he was still a married man, and in love with Kelly. But he had lost sight of that fact due to the loss of his children. Billie was really in lust with Ricky Todd. She had only been having feelings for Bobby because she had always found him attractive. He was taller than the average guy, the perfect tan without being overdone, had dirty blonde hair, and looked sexy in a pair of tight jeans. He was charming and fun to be with most of the time. But, she decided to get him out of her head. She had to stop her crusading methods, or he would become dependent on her to always save him.
A major assignment was given to Billie the next week. She had to go to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The locations were various. She had to cover concert events there. This was just what Billie needed. While she was in Myrtle Beach, she could focus on her plans concerning Bobby. It had become clear to her that she should leave him alone. She could only be there for moral support, and not in his way. Billie was delayed in South Carolina a little longer than she and her boss had expected. She wasn’t in a hurry to go back, with all of the chaos brewing. But, she had to face it sometime.
She arrived in Nashville, only to discover some bad news. Kelly had changed her mind about Bobby being with the kids. Billie had not heard the news first hand. She had to keep the promise she made to herself, but also keep the one she had made to Bobby. She went to look for him. She was unsuccessful in the beginning. She had no idea where he could be. Then, she remembered one of his favorite hangouts. She found him in a pool hall. He saw her come in, and tried not to act surprised. He was playing a game of pool alone. Billie asked if she could join him. He uttered, “Sure…unless you plan on winning. I can’t stand to lose another thing.”
Billie expressed, “I leave town for a while and everything goes wrong. How did it all happen?”
He lectured, “Kelly shocked me. She did it for no reason at all. I guess she got scared that I may actually get custody of my own children. The only thing she happened to tell me was that she didn’t want the children getting confused. She wanted them used to me not being around, I guess. I told her that was unfair.”
Billie advised, “They will end up being a lot more than confused. The only thing that I can tell you is, wait and see what the judge decides. He could vote in your favor. There are a lot of single fathers these days.”
Bobby complained, “I came here to get my mind off of my problems. I guess that is useless, as well. Why can’t Kelly believe what she sees with her own eyes?”
Billie declared, “Funny how things turn out, I am supposed to be helping you to be optimistic. Some help.”
Bobby asserted, “Let’s finish the game. Whoever loses, buys the drinks.”
Billie grinned, “That’s a deal.”
Billie was close to winning, but decided she would let him win. It was the least she could do for him, to buy the drinks. After a few beers, Bobby started talking negatively again. She had to reassure him. She had to do it without getting his hopes too high. If he was to lose his children, he could blame Billie. She tried to change the subject to what she did in Myrtle Beach. It reminded her of the decision she made. She told him how she felt about the situation.
Bobby pleaded, “You can’t quit on me now. Who else could survive the whole heart wrenching story? They don’t know as many of the details of this as you do. Besides my kids, you have helped to keep me going. Could you reconsider?” Billie couldn’t say no after that. She went over to the jukebox and found a song that she thought would cheer him up some. He instructed, “Never mind the jukebox, there’s a song I want you to hear that I finished writing today. Come with me.” They left the pool hall.
Where they ended up, wasn’t that far from his ranch. He played the song for her. He articulated, “I have a good time performing. It’s a little strange singing to just one person. I couldn’t even do that for my wife. But, I never feel like I’m doing a job on stage. I tend to come alive and people get to know me from the stage. You are one of the fans that I can make an exception for, obviously. I just want to entertain people, to help them take a break for a while, to laugh, to cry, and rise above the big issues and little problems that t
hey want to forget about now and then. Except now, it’s me with all of the problems and controversies. All of that used to be important, but now I know it comes fourth in my life. Maybe I decided that too late.”
Billie knew he was having a major meltdown. She wondered what would happen next. He was very vulnerable and alone. She was not going to take advantage of the situation. Bobby thanked her for listening to all that he had to say, no matter how dull. He made sure to show her how much he had appreciated her sticking around. Billie spoke, “Are you sure that you want me to stay here a little longer?”
He indicated, “I would really be glad if you did.” He continued, “After you told me that you had planned on leaving me alone, and not hang out with me anymore, I finally realized how good you have been to me and for me. I don’t want you to disappear anytime soon.” While he was trying to convince her to stay, her mind began to wander. She created images in her mind. They were almost like daydreams. The picture in her thoughts was so clear; she discovered that it was coming true. What once was a fantasy was occurring at that exact moment. It was too late to turn back then. He may not have been hiding anything from Kelly, but he would be now. If anyone found out about what Bobby had really done, he would lose his chances for custody. Billie felt so guilty. She knew it was Bobby’s fault as well. But, she didn’t have to let anything happen. She wished that she had left him alone, and not went after him.
Bobby phoned her later on in the day. He asked her why she left without saying goodbye. She told him how she felt about their, or at least her mistake. He apologized for making her feel bad about it. He still wanted to see her. She told him that it wouldn’t be a good idea. They needed space. She had to give him the chance to understand why he had feelings for her. He was going after Billie because he figured it was over with Kelly. Bobby made it sound like he didn’t care about Kelly anymore. Billie knew his divorce could not be final. He was turning to her for all of the wrong reasons. Billie was as much at risk of being hurt as Bobby was. She couldn’t get involved in a scandal. It would ruin her career and his.
Once Bobby’s trial began, Billie decided to give in and attend. She had a dual role. She had a friendly concern for the outcome of the trial and an obligation to her readers. It was to be one of her most important reports. Things were turning out better than either Bobby or she had imagined. Kelly could not show just cause for Bobby not to see his kids. Nothing else could be determined by the court for at least a month. So, they were in limbo once again. Billie wanted it all to be over, as much as Bobby did. She was curious to see the circumstantial evidence against him.
Billie started screening her calls. She hated avoiding Bobby, but he was better off with one less temptation. He never showed up where she worked, but he managed to find out where she lived. He met her at her door one day, when she was off work. “I thought this would happen. Do you want to get in to deeper trouble? It’s not safe for you to show up here. You are being watched more closely now. Is it really worth it?” Billie asked him.
He answered, “I know the risks involved. I had no idea you would be so uncomfortable, after all, I thought it was something you wanted as well. Why can’t we still be friends?”
Billie argued, “That is scientifically impossible. Men and women that have been intimate cannot be just friends. It doesn’t work that way. The sexual side always resurfaces. Now you see why I had to get away from you. We are not meant to be, because you have a wife and should stay faithful to her…even though it’s a little too late for that.”
After that day, she didn’t hear from him. She only saw him in court. It really was for the best. One thing proved it. Bobby’s lawyer demanded to see the evidence Kelly had against him. They discovered that the picture was a fake. They had issued Kelly’s friend a subpoena. When she was questioned on the witness stand, she broke down. She confessed that it was a complete fabrication. She made it all up because she had a crush on Bobby. Kelly was shocked. The judge asked Kelly to reconsider her plans for a divorce. But, the question was, did Bobby want her back? Bobby could not deny that he was still in love with Kelly. He was just so upset with her for doing what she did, and all for nothing. How could she accuse him of something she had no real proof of, until now anyway, but Kelly didn't know that he really cheated on her. He couldn’t take it back now. He needed to talk to Billie about his infidelity.
Just as he figured, Billie recommended he not tell Kelly. She didn’t advocate keeping secrets, but she had seen firsthand how cruel Kelly could be. Bobby would never be with them if he told the truth now. He thought his marriage was over at the time. Billie tried to make that clear to him, if he had doubts. He was only trying to get Billie to understand how upset he was with Kelly. Billie told him to wait and see if Kelly still planned on taking him back. Kelly may have made some changes in her life. The whole messy trial may have been all for nothing. She might have wanted a divorce all along, and the fabricated pictures were just an excuse.
They rescheduled a court hearing for Kelly to determine if she wanted to drop the suit. Kelly had the chance to talk to Bobby a few hours before the hearing. She sounded as sincere as she possibly could in the situation. It was an apology long overdue. He made sure that she knew how hurt he had been, especially about being away from his kids. Kelly promised to make it up to him somehow. She really missed Bobby and truly wanted him back. He told her it wouldn’t be that simple. Starting over wasn’t exactly easy, but it was worth a try, for the family’s sake. After Kelly told the judge what she wanted, she and Bobby decided to go out and celebrate. They invited Billie along. Kelly acknowledged, “Thanks for helping us get back together. I don’t know how or why you did it, but I am very grateful.”
Billie responded, “You are welcome. Bobby is a great guy. But, it was not all of my doing. If that lady had not confessed, you would still be fighting a custody battle. Remember, I am just a reporter, trying to get a story.”
Bobby added, “Don’t sell yourself short. You know that is not the reason you helped me. You are my number one fan. You should be my fan club president.” After that statement, Billie knew things would be back to normal for them very soon.
They went to a popular Nashville hangout, that had a dance floor. Bobby and Kelly danced to a few songs. Then, he asked Billie for a dance. Billie proclaimed, “I guess our mystery is solved. Case closed. That was all she wrote.”
Bobby assured, “We will see each other on occasion. I am sure you will be at all of the major country music functions and spots. We just won’t be spending as much time together as we have been. I will miss you.” They continued dancing. Then, Billie heard a familiar voice singing from the stage. She looked up and saw Chris Brady. Bobby wondered, “What is he doing here?”
Billie remarked, “No telling. Are you going to go talk to him?”
He decided, “Maybe. We don’t have that much in common anymore. He might not want to talk to me. By the sound of the way he is singing, he is pretty strung out.”
Chapter 4
The lyrics to the song Chris was singing were so sad, yet Billie felt like he was saying them to her. Bobby asked, “Would you like me to introduce you to him?”
Billie laughed, “We have already met. I didn’t make a great first impression. He probably hates me. I still feel sorry for him though.” Bobby and Kelly decided it was time for them to go home. Billie sat at a table and tried to gather some thoughts on the Douglas’ situation, how they resolved their dilemma. It would be front page material. She had talked it over with Bobby beforehand, about her upcoming article. She was so happy for him and glad it was all over. Words could almost not express how she felt. While she was thinking about it all, that was when Chris tried to get her attention. She wondered what he could possibly want from her. He knew that Billie was a reporter. Maybe he wanted to find out if she was there to interview him. She was tired of speculating, so she just went over to talk to him.
Billie began, “I love that song. What made you chose that particular one?�
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Chris stated, “It matched the mood. What is the deal with you and Bobby Douglas?”
She smiled and said, “Oh nothing, I was just pivotal for getting his marriage back on track. Kelly almost divorced him.”
Chris grunted, “Too bad you weren’t able to help me and Lana. But, that would have been a miracle. The men in Nashville should have some sort of fund raiser for guys like me. It’s in the air, like some kind of plague.”
Billie commented, “A funny thing about miracles, that is just what they are.”
Chris maintained, “Like I was saying, don’t bother my non-existent marriage. It is over and done. I don’t want her back.”
Billie thought he and Lana used to be one of America’s hottest couples and the most romantic. Then she said, “So, what brings you to this fine establishment?” He admitted, “I might not be touring for a long time. I’m considering an early retirement.”
Billie babbled, “I don’t think that is a good idea. No way. Are you out of your mind? Do you know how many fans care about you?”
Chris asserted, “Lana was first in my life. Any reporter would know that and all of my fans know that, too. It’s my decision. To answer your question, yes. I am out of my mind. I’m close to untangling it though.”
Billie complained, “I don’t see how. If you want to end your career so soon, what will you do with your life?” Chris didn’t respond, just went back to do a few more songs.
Billie tried to work on her report. She couldn’t concentrate after talking to Chris. She had to leave. She exited from the side door. Chris called out to her from the tour bus. She went over to him to see what he wanted. He shouted, “Well, don’t you want to be the first?”
Billie inquired, “The first to do what?”
He announced, “The first to get my exclusive interview, about my retirement.”
The Right Side of Memphis Page 3