The Kylie Ryans Series: Girl with Guitar, Girl on Tour, Girl in Love (extended edition)

by Caisey Quinn

  Kylie stared at her hands and swallowed back tears. She had been looking forward to Lu’s visit and now she was ruining it with a pity party. They were supposed to be going shopping and then to dinner before her party at The Rum Room, not listening to her sulk in her scarcely furnished apartment. Taking a deep breath, she started to open her mouth to tell the girls, her friends, that it was just over and that they should all just drop it and enjoy tonight. But Lulu spoke first.

  “Well, speak of the devil. Turn it up, Carmen.”

  Kylie looked at the television she’d bought at the pawnshop near her apartment. And there he was. Wearing a grin worthy of swooning girls everywhere.

  Our own Mandy Lynn Mathis caught up with Trace Corbin as he prepares for the upcoming Workin’ Hard Lovin’ Harder benefit concert. The camera panned to a tall blonde woman holding a microphone and standing with Trace in what looked like a giant auditorium. Kylie couldn’t breathe. A shitty life choice. That’s what you are to him. The TV drowned out her inner monologue.

  Trace Corbin, fresh off his Back to My Roots tour is gearing up to perform at a benefit concert at The Sommet Center next month to help raise money for a charity he’s just started. Trace, can you tell us a little about this program and your involvement?

  Yes, ma’am. Recently I was made aware of the difficulties that single parents face. Particularly ones who have to sacrifice time with their children working multiple jobs to make ends meet. After my father passed, my own mama raised my little sister all on her own. All of the money we raise tonight will go to A HAND UP, which is a foundation my family and I have started to help single working parents locate safe and affordable housing and childcare. It will also help with bills, groceries, and any medical or other costs they may incur. Even Mandy Lynn Mathis looked surprised. How long had he been working on this? Kylie wondered as she stared at the screen.

  Trace, that’s really noble of you. What do you say to your critics out there who say you’re just doing this to cover all the negative publicity you received on this last tour?

  Well, Ms. Mathis, frankly I don’t much care about my critics. My focus is on my family and my fans. The people who’ve stuck with me when I least deserved it.

  Good for you, Trace. Any chance you care to tell us about the multiple opening acts you worked with on this tour?

  Um, yeah. Sure. Kylie watched Trace shift his weight. We had some great artists along for the ride, some of which didn’t work out, as you know, but we had a great time on the road, and we’re all really grateful to everyone who came to see us play.

  Now Trace, we’ve heard rumors about missed tour dates, and it’s been said that your manager even went on the road with you to make sure you showed up to each and every show. Any truth to that?

  Nah, Pauly just loves my company. Trace laughed but Kylie knew it wasn’t his real laugh.

  Well that’s understandable, the woman said with a wink. Ugh, the freaking CMT correspondent was flirting with him. Kylie was so never going to let that woman interview her.

  Okay, one last question before we let you get back to rehearsing. Mia Montgomery and Kylie Ryans were both talented young ladies who toured with you briefly. Rumors are still circulating about the nature of your relationships with each. Care to clear the air?

  Trace slid off his hat and ran a hand through his hair. Kylie recognized the gesture. He was nervous.

  Country music fans have certain expectations. Mia Montgomery was a pop crossover artist who had recently come off a tour for a contest she won. She wasn’t well received by audiences who had bought a ticket to see a country concert. She left the tour early to work on her kind of music. To my knowledge there were no hard feelings.

  And Ms. Ryans? the correspondent prompted.

  The little volume squares appeared as Carmen turned the flat screen clear up to sonic boom. Trace’s voice filled the apartment as the three girls watched with wide eyes.

  He cleared his throat before he spoke directly into the camera. Kylie Ryans is an extremely strong and talented young woman whose only flaw was to have the sheer misfortune of getting stuck on a bus with me. Trace forced another chuckle that Kylie knew wasn’t genuine. She’s a stick of dynamite. I’m expecting great things to happen for her and I wish her the best. At the rate she’s going, I’ll probably be opening for her in a year or so. He grinned but the smile didn’t reach his eyes.

  Thanks, Trace. Best of luck with your upcoming concert and A Hand Up.

  Thank you. Trace dipped his head towards the woman and then he disappeared from the frame as the camera zoomed in on Mandy Lynn Mathis.

  And for those of you not in attendance, you can watch Trace perform live on CMT on Demand from—

  The apartment went silent as Carmen hit mute.

  The only thing Kylie could hear was the blood rushing in her ears. An echo of Trace’s words began to rise above the fluid.

  “Well, maybe I won’t junk punch him, but I am going to call him Tracey. Loudly. In public,” Lulu announced.

  “Why would he…just…he didn’t…” Kylie couldn’t form a coherent thought to save her life. Tears blurred her vision and she could feel herself shaking.

  “Carmen, check the freezer for ice cream, and if there isn’t any, run down the street to that little store we passed on the way in and buy some. Mint chocolate chip. Get the big bucket,” Lulu ordered. Carmen snapped to attention and was out the door.

  “Why would he say those things? After…” After she’d shoved him out of her life to protect herself from what she knew they were capable of doing to each other.

  “Oh, honey.” Lulu wrapped Kylie in a hug and held her while she cried out all of the tears she had left for Trace Corbin.

  “COME ON, Kylie! We’re going to be late! Hurry the hell up!” Lulu banged on the bathroom door.

  Kylie stepped out of the bathroom wrapped in her towel. She knew she was going to run a little late to her own birthday party, but it had taken a while to figure out what to do.

  She was going to hope and pray that Trace came to her party tonight, that they could talk. And if he didn’t show, she was going to call him and ask him to meet her for coffee or something. She was ready. Ready to apologize for not telling him about Darla when he’d been so honest about his family situation. Ready to do whatever it took to convince him that she cared about him too and that even if he thought he couldn’t do relationships, she wanted him to try. With her. Her heartbeat sped up each time she thought about him, about what it would feel to kiss him again, and to be in his arms where she belonged.

  “So I’ve got good news and bad news,” Lulu announced as she passed Kylie to get into the bathroom and plug up the hair straightener. “Good news is I forgot to tell you that there’s a giant billboard up at home that says Pride is Proud of Kylie Ryans.” The kindness of the town that Kylie had deserted made her eyes moist. Maybe she did have some semblance of a family after all.

  “And the bad news?”

  Lulu stepped back towards the bed and picked up her cell phone. “E!Online has started a poll: Kylie Ryans, Starlet or Harlot? People are voting and commenting like crazy.”

  “Well, what’s the verdict?”

  Lulu checked her phone. “It’s tied dead even at fifty percent for each.”

  “Fabulous.”

  “This is the kind of dress that changes your life, Ky. You have to wear it tonight,” Lulu told her, changing the subject by holding up the tiny black strapless dress she’d talked Kylie into purchasing earlier that afternoon when they’d been out shopping.

  “Not sure I can handle too many more life changing experiences,” Kylie told her as she eyed it warily.

  “Sure you can, and these shoes are perfect.” She gestured to the black stilettos Kylie would never be able to walk in.

  “Yeah, perfect for busting my ass.”

  “Nah, you’ll be fine. Practice walking in them till it’s time to go.”

  “Hey, Kylie. There’s, um, a delivery for you,” Carmen
called from the front of the apartment.

  “Okay,” Kylie called back, looking down at her towel and stilettos. “Lu, you wanna get that for me?”

  Lulu just rolled her eyes and darted towards the door to see what had arrived.

  “Um, Ky, I think you’re going to want to see this,” she called a few seconds later. Kylie wobbled on her heels as she made her way out of the bedroom. And her breath caught in her throat.

  In her living room stood Rae and Claire Ann Corbin.

  Kylie wondered briefly if the entire Corbin family met privately to discuss these sneak attacks they were so damned good at.

  “What are you guys doing here?” she asked, trying to sound happy to see them. Wasn’t too hard because she was.

  “Surprise!” Rae shouted.

  “Crashing your birthday,” Claire Ann answered quietly. Kylie laughed. And then she introduced everyone.

  “It’s Olivia, actually,” Lulu corrected after Kylie introduced her. Apparently she was going with her more adult name, not that Kylie would ever be able to call her by it.

  “Whatever,” Kylie said with an eye roll. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m beyond happy to see y’all but, um, Trace—”

  “Trace is kind of an ass sometimes, Kylie. Surely you’ve noticed?” Claire Ann asked.

  “Amen, sister,” Lulu chimed in.

  “Hey, is that what you’re wearing tonight because, um…” Rae trailed off, taking in Kylie’s robe and heels.

  “Yes, Rae. This is step one of my five-point plan to get your brother to fall in love with me,” Kylie deadpanned.

  “Oh, nice.” Rae nodded as if she thought it was a step in the right direction. “Well, what’s step two?”

  “Yeah, I haven’t really gotten that far yet,” Kylie told her.

  “Looking hot should pretty much do it,” Lulu chimed in. “Which she totally is. Wait till y’all see the dress she’s wearing tonight.”

  And with that, everyone began comparing outfits, critiquing and clamoring over each other to make suggestions about how she should wear her hair.

  This is what it must be like to have sisters, Kylie thought to herself. And at that moment, with Carmen turning up the radio, Lulu helping her put her dress on without getting deodorant on it, Claire Ann heating up the hair straightener, and Rae digging through her makeup, Kylie thought that other than being with Trace, this was probably about as good as it ever got.

  “Good God, Kylie. The rest of us might as well wear paper sacks,” Carmen blurted out once they were all dressed. She blushed at the unexpected compliment.

  “No shit,” Lulu added. “Trace Corbin must be a blind idi—” She covered her mouth and glanced at Rae and Claire Ann. “Crap, sorry.”

  Rae burst out in laughter and Claire Ann shook her head. “Agreed,” Rae said with a grin at Kylie.

  THE RUM Room was packed when the girls arrived. They’d walked from Kylie’s apartment and her “killer heels,” as Lulu called them, were in fact killing her already. But once she stepped into the warm open bar with its pulsing blare of drums and bass and thick smell of cologne and liquor, budding excitement electrified her insides. Maybe this would be a really fun night after all.

  “Ahh! The birthday girl is here!” Kylie heard a familiar voice shout over the music.

  “Tonya! What are you doing working tonight? I thought you told Clive no more weekends?”

  “I did and I normally just work Tuesday through Thursday now, and no more late nights, thank you very much. But I couldn’t miss a chance to see you and get paid to do it! And Clive knew your party would draw a crowd so he’s paying me double to work overtime.”

  “Think he’ll let you have a drink with us? Coke for me. I’m still underage you know,” Kylie whispered conspiratorially as her friends pulled her deeper into the thick crowd.

  “Yeah, probably,” Tonya answered with a laugh. “And I might even be able to slip some rum into that Coke,” she teased. A few minutes after Tonya had disappeared into the crowd, Clive himself made his way over to Kylie’s table.

  She introduced him to her friends and Trace’s sisters, who she had decided were going into her friend category whether he liked it or not.

  “You know, if I wasn’t so damn proud of you, I’d be pissed that you left without giving notice,” he said as he gave her a big sweaty hug.

  “Don’t worry, Clive. My music career will probably be over soon and I’ll be back here waiting tables in no time.”

  “I seriously doubt that, young lady, but you are welcome anytime. Speaking of which, I was kind of hoping you might sing a few songs for us tonight if you don’t mind.”

  “Mind? I’d be honored. And seriously, I’m sorry about ditching you, Clive. All I can say is I had nothing, and this was my dream, to work here, play music here, and now my dreams are running away with me.”

  “Listen, that’s life. We make our own luck and you put all you had into something and it’s paying off. I couldn’t be more proud if you were my own daughter.”

  Clive’s kind words had her old friend, the throat lump of tears to come, threatening to surface, but she shook it off.

  “Thank you. That means more than you know.”

  “You just enjoy your night and if you get the urge to sing, I’ll kick those yahoos off and the stage is all yours. Your bill is on the house tonight. Happy birthday, young lady,” he said just before ambling off to speak with some men who’d just walked in.

  “Let’s go, girl! Time to party!” Lulu shouted and Rae whistled in agreement. Claire Ann sat in a booth near the dance floor and watched them all acting silly. Kylie knew the twenty-eight year old had mainly just come to escort Rae but she couldn’t help but wish she’d loosen up a little. After a few minutes Kylie dragged her onto the floor.

  And Claire Ann had some moves. It’s always the quiet ones, Kylie thought to herself.

  After dancing themselves sweaty, the girls headed to the booth where Clive had hung a picture of Kylie and Trace singing that first night and a framed napkin Kylie recognized as the one she’d signed for Tonya.

  The photo made her stomach clench in anticipation, so Kylie told them she’d get some waters from the bar.

  Just as she managed to arrange five bottled waters in her hands, Kylie turned towards her booth. But her path was blocked. By a crowd of people gathering to gawk at some guy and his date. Geez people. Get a grip. As she stepped around the crowd, she got a look at who was causing all the fuss.

  Trace Corbin had just finished signing autographs and pulling out a seat for his date. A tall brunette with olive skin lowered her perfect red silk covered frame into the chair Trace held out for her. Kylie recognized the woman. Mia Montgomery.

  “Here,” Kylie said setting the waters on Tonya’s tray as she started to walk past. “I can’t,” was all she could get out.

  “No prob, I’ll take them to—” Tonya broke off as she took in Kylie’s blank expression. “Kylie, what’s the matter?” The waitress followed her friend’s line of sight. “Oh.”

  “I’ll take that rum and Coke now. Please,” Kylie whispered.

  “Kylie—”

  “Please, Tonya,” she begged, not taking her eyes off the couple that seemed to be oblivious to all the attention they were getting.

  A few seconds or an hour might’ve passed, she wasn’t sure. But her friend finally returned to where she stood, hidden behind the growing cluster of patrons at the bar.

  “Here. It’s a double so—” Tonya didn’t finish her warning because Kylie had already downed the contents of the glass.

  The burn jolted her back to life. Get the hell out of here before anyone sees you freaking out.

  Kylie mumbled a thanks to her friend and darted stealthily back to her table.

  “Hey, um, so that happened,” she told the group as she gestured to Trace and Mia sitting in the middle of the room.

  “What the hell is he doing here?” Rae and Lulu blurted almost in unison.

  “We have to get ou
t of here now,” Kylie said, barely resisting the urge to run out with or without them. “I wish I was some badass that could go over there and act all cool about this but I’m not and I can’t.”

  “Okay, let’s go,” Lulu said, sliding out of the booth quickly as she recognized Kylie’s I’m about to lose my shit and cry all over the place face.

  “Seriously, Kylie? You’re going to let him run you out of your own party? Nashville isn’t that big. Y’all are bound to run into each other from time to time,” Carmen criticized matter-of-factly.

  “She’s kind of right you know,” Rae added softly. “I know he ran you out of my party, and if you keep running eventually you’re going to let him run you right out of your career.”

  Kylie glanced at her friends, Lulu standing next to her and the other three sitting and waiting for her to suck it up. Then she glanced at the door. Exhaling most of the tension from her chest, she plopped down into the booth. “I thought I could keep them separate,” she announced quietly to no one in particular. “My feelings for Trace and my feelings for music.” She shook her head at her own stupidity as the girls around her leaned in to listen. Lulu scooted closer than necessary. “I can’t. They’re the same thing,” she finished quietly.

  For a moment no one said anything. Then Carmen, of all people, spoke. “Kylie, if it makes you feel any better, it’s very obvious that they’re here to be seen. They’re like posing for pictures with fake-ass smiles all over the place.” She nodded at the couple and Kylie saw them doing exactly as she said. It did help a little.

  “Okay, well let’s just chill over here until he leaves.” Hopefully that would be sooner rather than later. “I do want to stay, but honestly, I’d rather him not see me,” she admitted.

  “Sounds good to me. My feet are killing me,” Claire Ann grumbled. The girls were all still nodding in agreement when the music stopped and Clive’s voice came through the sound system.

  “Where’s that Kylie Ryans at tonight? Come on up here, girl. We have a surprise for you,” he boomed.