“Jane is here too?” I ask, suddenly even more nervous.
I’ve only met his PR rep once and she didn’t seem all that happy to see me. I can only imagine how she’s going to feel knowing Hudson dragged me to a meeting that I have no business being a part of.
“Relax, Len. It’s only an informal meeting to go over scheduling and PR for the tour. Nothing you can’t sit in on.”
“Easy for you to say,” I grumble under my breath as Hudson drags me behind him through the open conference room door.
My eyes hit Jane first. She looks almost exactly as she did the day I met her at the Travis Travers concert, except even more annoyed. Next to her is a man I can only assume is Jerry. He’s middle aged with dark hair that has gray peppered around his temples.
“There he is,” Jerry booms, pushing away from the table as we enter. “How are you, Hudson?” He steps in front of us, shaking Hudson’s hand before his eyes land on my face. “And who is this beautiful creature?” He reaches for my hand, lifting it to his lips to lay a light kiss on the back. His reaction to me helps my nervousness to dissipate, but not completely.
“Jerry, this is Lennon. Lennon, my manager Jerry.”
“So nice to meet you, Lennon,” Jerry says, releasing my hand as he steps back and gives me a once over.
“It’s nice to meet you as well.”
“You remember J.” Hudson gestures to Jane who gives me a tense nod but makes no attempt to stand.
“Nice to see you again, Jane,” I offer.
“You too.” She gives me a forced smile before looking down at the folder in front of her.
I know Hudson claims that once you get to know her she’s not so bad, but I have a hard time envisioning her as anything other than the high strung wench she comes across as.
“And this.” He gestures toward the end of the table where I take in the other person in the room. Only it’s not just any other person... “This is Annabelle. Anna, this is Lennon.”
“Hello, Lennon,” she purrs in a southern accent that instantly makes my stomach bottom out.
Awesome, so not only is she drop dead gorgeous but she also has quite possibly the cutest voice I’ve ever heard. Fucking great.
“Hi,” I squeak, offering an awkward wave and instantly feeling stupid for doing so.
“If you guys wanna have a seat we can get this done and you all can be on your way,” Jerry offers, gesturing to the two chairs across the table from where he and Jane are sitting and caddy corner from Annabelle at the head of the table.
I try to keep up with the conversation but a lot of it I don’t really know what they’re referring to. I get the gist of it but I don’t know the specifics of what everything entails like everyone else clearly does.
I listen to Jane explain a radio contest that the label is going to host at nearly every stop of the tour. Apparently some very lucky fans will be treated to an intimate twenty person show with Hudson, then be able to take pictures with him and get his autograph after.
I try my best to keep my eyes on Jane as she speaks but every now and then I find my gaze jumping to Annabelle who seems to smile and nod at all the appropriate places but doesn’t really offer much else.
There’s something about her I don’t like. I can’t explain it. I mean, I wish I could say it has nothing to do with how pretty she is or famous for that matter, but I’m not sure that would be true. Honestly I think any woman in my position would feel threatened by someone like Annabelle.
She’s a couple years younger than me. Talented. Driven. And much to my dismay, extremely beautiful. Tan skin, dark wavy hair, bright red lips, green eyes that rival Emma’s. Not one part of her isn’t complete perfection and the longer I sit in this room with her the more inadequate I feel.
I’ve always been pretty confident and comfortable in my own skin but Annabelle, or Anna as Hudson called her, makes me question everything I’ve ever thought about myself. I know it has more to do with Hudson than it does me but I can’t stop myself from feeling the way I’m feeling. I hate it. I hate every single second of it.
So much so that when Jane announces they’re finished, I practically run out of the room with no more than a quick wave behind me.
“Lennon.” Hudson laughs behind me as I make a bee line for the elevator. “Where’s the fire?” He steps next to me as we wait for the doors to open, dropping his arm around my shoulder.
“I just need some air. I’m feeling a little nauseous,” I say, not bothering to tell him that the way I feel has everything to do with the woman he will be touring with and nothing to do with actually feeling ill.
“Everything okay?” He cocks his head as he looks down at me.
“Yeah. I’m fine. My stomach just feels off.”
“Okay, well we can head back to the hotel and rest for a while if you want,” he offers, leading me into the elevator when the car finally arrives.
“No, that’s okay. We leave tomorrow and I don’t want to ruin our last day here. I’ll be fine as soon as I get some fresh air.” I force a smile, willing myself to hold my shit together and not let perfect Annabelle get inside my head.
“Maybe we can go around the block and get a drink at Pipers. They have the best coffee in Nashville but they also have tea and smoothies too.”
“Yeah, that sounds good.” I take his hand and allow him to lead me through the first floor and out into the beautiful September afternoon.
The warm air feels amazing on my face but does very little to soothe the knot in my stomach that meeting Annabelle caused.
The sad thing is, the poor woman didn’t do anything wrong. Just her sitting there looking all perfect got me so psyched out I was ready to run for the hills.
“You sure you’re okay?” Hudson asks, tucking me into his side as we head down the sidewalk away from Red Saw Records and the goddess inside.
“Yeah.” I snuggle into him, refusing to let one woman completely derail the perfect train I’ve been riding on recently.
Hudson waits until we’re tucked away at a small round table in the corner of Pipers – a trendy coffee shop not far from the main strip – before he says anything else on the matter, clearly sensing the shift in my mood.
“Now are you going to tell me what’s really bothering you or are you just going to keep insisting that everything is fine?” he asks, taking a drink of his coffee.
“Everything is fine.”
“Please don’t lie to me, Lennon. I can clearly see something is off. Tell me what it is.”
“I can’t.”
“Why?” he questions, studying me curiously.
“Because you’ll think I’m just being a typical woman. Making something out of nothing.”
“Ah, I see.” He nods like suddenly it all makes sense.
“You see what?” I can’t help the slight irritation that tinges my voice.
“You’re worried about Annabelle.” He hits the nail right on the head.
“Is it that obvious?” I snip.
“Lennon, you have nothing to worry about.”
“Easy for you to say. You’re not the one who has to watch her boyfriend ride off with possibly the prettiest woman I’ve ever seen in person.”
“I hate to break it to you, love, but you are the prettiest woman I’ve ever seen.” He grins at me and for whatever reason it only further fuels my irritation.
“Don’t patronize me.” I huff, leaning back in my chair before crossing my arms in front of myself.
“I’m not.” His eyebrows draw together. “I’m not attracted to Anna. She’s pretty, yes, but you are the one with my heart. I mean it when I tell you; you have nothing to worry about.”
“Wouldn’t you worry? If the roles were reversed and I was touring with someone like Travis Travers, wouldn’t you be worried that maybe I’d be attracted to him or develop feelings for him after months on the road together?”
“I’d like to say no, that I’m above those types of feelings. But if I’m being honest her
e, yeah, I think I would worry a little bit. But, I’d like to think you know me better than that.”
“No offense, Hudson, but I found out two weeks ago that you had a wife you failed to tell me about.” Regret washes over me the moment the words leave my lips.
“So we’re back to that?” He lets out a slow breath and flips his hat forward facing, pulling it low over his eyes.
“No, we’re not. You’ve explained yourself and I’ve forgiven you for not telling me. But it doesn’t change the fact that there could be more you’re keeping from me or things you may choose to keep from me in the future. How would I know otherwise?”
“I guess you’re just going to have to choose to trust me.”
“I am choosing to trust you. It doesn’t mean I don’t have doubts.”
“What else do I have to do to show you I want this, Lennon? That I’m all in? I don’t fucking want Anna. I want you.”
“You say that now but we both know a lot can change in eight months.”
“You’re right. It can. And I can’t tell the future. What I can tell you is I love you and I would never hurt you that way. I need you to believe that.”
“I’m trying to,” I admit weakly. “It’s just hard. This whole thing is really, really hard.”
“We knew it was going to be tough but we made the decision that what we have is worth the bumpy ride. Tell me you’re still in this with me, Lennon.”
“I am. Of course I am. I’m just... God, I’m just being a stupid girl.” I blow out a hard breath.
“You’re not a stupid girl. You’re someone who has real concerns and that’s okay. What’s not okay is you trying to keep those concerns from me. I need to know you’re willing to share anything that’s bothering you and not let it fester. I’m not a mind reader, Lennon. I need you to speak what you’re feeling when you’re feeling it. If we want to make this work, we have to be completely transparent with one another, yeah?”
“Yeah. You’re right. I’m sorry. I don’t know why I let one meeting with a pretty woman rattle me so much. There are hundreds of pretty women out there. I guess I just got in my head – knowing you’re going to be spending eight months on the road with her.”
“Do not apologize for how you feel. You have every right to be scared. Hell, I’m scared. You think I don’t worry about someone else coming along while I’m out on the road? That you’ll find someone who can be there for you and provide you with a stable life? Someone who will come home to you every night? Someone who can give you more than I can?”
I never even considered that he might be feeling the same sort of insecurities that I am.
“No one can give me more than you can.” I lean forward, reaching for his hand across the small table. “You’re all I’m ever going to want.”
“Then why is it so hard for you to believe that you’re all I’m ever going to want?”
“Fair enough.” I squeeze his hand.
“I know I’m the one leaving but I promise you, it doesn’t make it any easier for me. If anything it makes it harder. Knowing I’m the one doing this to us.”
“You aren’t doing anything to us. This is our life. These are our circumstances. Now we just have to learn to make the best of it.”
“I love you,” he says, smiling across the table at me.
“I love you too,” I say, feeling like my heart just did a complete summersault in my chest.
“What do you say we get out of here and I take you some place special?”
“I’d like that.” I smile, leaving my coffee untouched as Hudson takes my hand and helps me up from the table.
Chapter Nine
“Where are we?” I ask, looking around the vacant bar as we walk inside.
It’s dark, dingy, and quite small; the absolute definition of a dive bar. In fact, I’d say the entire place is about the same square footage as my condo, maybe even a tad bit smaller.
There’s a bar on the left right inside the door with maybe twenty stools lined in front of it. A small stage runs along part of the back wall and a handful of bar tables sit front and center. That’s it.
“This is the first place I ever played at in Nashville,” Hudson tells me, pulling me toward the bar.
“Well look at what the cat drug in,” an older man working behind the bar says when he catches sight of Hudson. “Hudson Demasi.” He reaches his hand across the bar. “Or should I call you Hudson James now?”
“Good to see you, Hal.” Hudson chuckles, reaching out to shake the man’s hand. “This is Lennon.” He gestures to me.
“Nice to meet you, Lennon. Love the name.”
“I take it you’re a Beatles fan?”
“Through and through.” He gives me a toothy grin before turning his attention back to Hudson. “What brings you in today? I gotta say, I never thought I’d see you back here again.” He picks up a dish towel and starts drying glasses.
“Thought I’d bring Lennon in and let her see where it all began.” Hudson looks down at me. “Hal was the only one willing to take a chance on a nobody from Texas.”
“You mean I was the first one to see how incredibly talented you are.” He waves a finger at Hudson, turning his gaze to me. “I went from ten customers a night to a line out the door. Two nights a week I had the most popular bar on the strip.”
“I’m not surprised.” I smile.
“What do you say, Hal. Think I could strum one out for old time’s sake?” Hudson gestures to the stage.
“Be my guest.” Hal nods, turning his attention back to his dishes.
“Come here.” Hudson snags my hand and pulls me through the small establishment, leading me to a bar table sitting feet from the stage.
Helping me onto a stool, he instructs me to stay put, kisses the tip of my nose, and quickly hops on stage, grabbing one of the guitars from the corner.
Sliding a stool to the center, Hudson takes a seat and fiddles with the guitar for a moment, making sure it’s in tune.
“What are you doing up there, handsome?”
“Playing you the first song I ever played on this stage.”
“I’m swooning over here.” I fan myself with my hand, melting a little under the brilliance of the smile he throws my way.
Without another word, his fingers begin to move over the guitar strings effortlessly, his eyes locking on mine as he begins to sing – his incredible voice causing instant prickles to pepper my skin.
It isn’t until he gets to the chorus that I recognize the song about falling in love in the back of a cop car. I don’t even remember who sings it, only that Starr used it as her ringtone for what felt like forever a few years back.
Watching Hudson do his thing is unlike anything I’ve ever witnessed. Even though it’s not the first time I’ve seen him sing, the affect listening to him has over me never lessens.
He meets my eyes several times throughout the song, a smile always present on his handsome face as he does what he loves to do. And in some weird way it makes me feel better about his upcoming tour.
Of course I’m going to miss the hell out of him, but knowing he’s going to be on stage, living his dream, letting other people witness his god given talent, is enough to calm some of the fears that were so prominent just moments ago.
By the time he finishes the song I’m all smiles, unable to hide how happy this man makes me.
After returning the guitar to the corner of the stage, he jumps down and moments later I’m in his arms.
“I’ll never get over how incredible you are.” My hands cup his face, eyes locked on his.
“And I’ll never get over how beautiful you are.” He leans forward and brushes his lips over mine in a way that instantly makes my knees go weak.
“Thank you for bringing me here,” I whisper against his mouth.
“I wanted to share a piece of my past with you. I want to share everything with you.”
“I want that to.”
“What do you say we get out of here and I can show y
ou what else I want to share with you?” He pulls back, a wicked grin on his face.
“I say lead the way, Mr. Demasi.” I laugh when he spins, throws Hal a wave, and leads out us out of the bar.
Chapter Ten
“My goodness, look at him.” My nana openly gawks at Hudson from across the table for the hundredth time since we arrived nearly an hour ago.
“Dear lord, Mom. Would you stop looking at Lennon’s boyfriend like you want to eat him?” My mom seems slightly embarrassed by Nana’s behavior, but not the least bit surprised.
“Maybe I do want to eat him. Have you looked at those biceps?” She winks at Hudson who struggles to keep his laughter in check.
“We’ve all seen his biceps, Nana.” Starr nudges our grandmother with her elbow and the two snicker together.
“Are you regretting your decision to come now?” I grind out under my breath so only Hudson can hear me.
“Are you kidding? I’m having a blast.” Hudson beams at me. “I’m pretty sure you have the coolest Nana ever,” he says a little louder so that she can hear.
“Lenny, I tell you what, if you don’t marry this man then I just might. I may have gone a few laps but my tires still have a little tread.” She raises her eyebrows suggestively.
“Nana.” I cover my mouth to hide my smile.
“I’m just saying.” She shrugs, completely unapologetic.
“Don’t get ahead of yourself, Mom. I think it’s a little early to be talking about marriage,” my mom interjects, giving me a look that says she hopes she’s right.
She is right. We’ve only been together going on four months. Not to mention his divorce isn’t technically finalized, so we couldn’t get married even if we wanted to.
Now who’s getting ahead of themselves?
“On that note.” My father stands. “Gentleman, care to join me for a beer?” he asks, his gaze on Hudson.
“Absolutely.” Hudson drops a kiss to my temple before quickly standing to join my father.
“Come on, Mark.” My father gives his son-in-law a look that has Mark standing in an instant.
“Boys.” Starr sighs, shaking her head as they walk through the yard and disappear inside the garage moments later.
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