The Nashville Bet

by Shana Gray

  “Whoa, okay, I get it, calculator brain. You make my head swim, spouting off numbers like that. You got it all, you know? Beauty and brains. It’ll take a damn unicorn of a man to be worthy of you.”

  Ava was stunned. After all these years, since their first meeting in a college class, it was the first time Fredi had ever expressed a sentiment like that. She was touched beyond words. “If you weren’t driving the car, I’d tackle hug you.”

  Instead, she reached out and squeezed Fredi’s shoulder. Fredi wasn’t one for showing affection, but she turned and gave Ava a smile. “It’s true. Anyway, there’s probably a load of Nashville suits around, label guys, A&Rs…maybe you’ll find him this weekend.”

  “Ha! Wouldn’t that be something? Our previous girls’ weekends were certainly lucky for our friends. But you know what? I think you’re right. As long as I’m looking, I’ll never find it so, as of now, I’m no longer looking!” Ava declared triumphantly. She had tried online dating, going to bars, blind dates—practically everything. Maybe it was time to try not trying. Or something like that.

  “Oh my God! I don’t believe that for a second. You not looking for your dream man is like you trying not to breathe. Fat chance.” Fredi flicked on the turn signal and roared down the highway off ramp.

  As Ava clutched the door handle again and tried to remember the prayers she had learned long, long ago in Sunday School, she acknowledged that Fredi had a point. When was she ever not looking for love? Her luck in the love department was so, so bad. But this trip would be just the thing to turn her luck around. She just knew it!

  Chapter Two

  “Wow, what a place!” Ava stood in the center of the Opryland Hotel. She gazed up at the high glass ceiling and turned to take it all in. The ceiling was magnificent. “Wasn’t this hotel flooded a few years ago?”

  “Yeah, I think so. But you certainly wouldn’t know it now.” Fredi stood beside her and looked just as impressed.

  There was a buzz and energy in the lobby of the hotel that infected Ava. This was going to be such a fun trip! Maybe they’d even see a celebrity, like Keith Urban! Nicole Kidman might be with him, too. Or Faith Hill and Tim McGraw. Now they were a couple in love.

  Once they picked up the extra tickets from David’s friend-of-a-friend, the weekend could really kick into gear! It was going to be amazingly fun. They would have a great time being back together and going out on the town, seeing all the different concerts.

  “Are we doing that bar thing tonight? I think there’s line dancing. And we’re in Jack country—we really need to do a distillery tour.” Fredi nodded, quite serious in this announcement. Then she pulled Ava over to the left. “Let’s check in. We should get things sorted before Celia and Bonni get here.”

  Ava let Fredi tug her along, as she was agog at their surroundings. “This atrium is fantastic! Don’t you think? I can’t wait to explore it more. Look at those fountains—the water is hopping between them.”

  “Focus, Ava.” Fredi nudged her closer to the registration desk.

  “What? Yes. Let’s see what Celia has planned for us.” Ava opened her satchel and ran her fingers down the spines of the leather planners neatly organized inside. She selected a lovely, worn, deep burgundy one and pulled it out. She flipped it open to the page with a fun butterfly page-marker and today’s date on it.

  “Oh my God, how many planners do you have in there?” Fredi craned her head to look inside the bag. “And I thought Celia was the organizer.”

  Ava answered absently as she read the notes she’d made. “I brought four with me.”

  “Four! How the hell can you have four planners?” Fredi squeaked the words out.

  Ava glanced up and was surprised to see the shocked look on Fredi’s face. But then, not everybody had planner passion.

  “What are you talking about? You should know me by now, I’m a planner girl. What’s the big deal?” She opened her leather satchel wider. “One is for personal, one for work, one for journaling and notes, and one for us girls.” She held up the one she had just looked at and waved it.

  Fredi shook her head in wonderment. “I can’t understand the draw. I’m organized, but I don’t have planners for every little thing. How can you have so many and keep it all straight about what’s in which book?” Fredi took the handle of her suitcase and pulled it over to the registration desk. “Y’know what? It’s okay, I don’t wanna know. My brain will likely ’splode. Come on, let’s get checked in, upstairs and changed. We have a night ahead of us—no, wait, make that a weekend ahead of us.” Fredi did a little whoop that made Ava laugh.

  Ava went through the check-in process and told the clerk that that Celia and Bonni would pick up their room keys when they arrived. All was in order quickly and Ava handed Fredi her room keycard. She had expected the room to be pre-paid and was relieved that nothing had gone awry. David had told her it was a freebie for her, a bonus for the complicated financial presentation she’d put together for a client he’d been trying to sign for a year. It made her happy that she could surprise her girls with a free weekend away and first-class seats at CMA Fest.

  “So, Miss Organized, does your planner tell you what we’re doing tonight? Is it the line dancing?” Fredi asked, slipping the keycard into her jeans pocket.

  “Let me look. But you have to lead me again. I can’t look and walk and drag my suitcase,” Ava told her as she flipped her planner open again.

  Fredi groaned and grabbed her elbow as they walked through the lobby. “The things I do.” She led Ava while she scanned the schedule.

  “Watch out for the plant.” Fredi steered her around the tree.

  “Yes, we’re going to a place called the Wildhorse Corral. It’s like some kind of double-level building with numerous bars on each floor, line dancing, live music, food. I’m supposed to meet a guy—”

  “What, you know a guy who knows a guy who knows a guy? Maybe this is a set-up. Maybe you’ll meet a sexy country singer and go have some heartbreakin’ sex all night long.” Fredi cackled.

  “Wow, you’re in fine form today. But”—Ava nodded—“wishful thinking, right? Anyway, yes, I’ll meet the guy with the extra tickets tonight, since David’s friend organized it all. Oh!” A storefront caught Ava’s attention. “Did you bring cowboy boots?”

  Ava hadn’t owned cowboy boots since she was a kid. They’d been hand-me-downs, scuffed with scars in the leather, as they had been for work, not fashion. She’d hit a growth spurt when she was fourteen and her feet had outgrown the boots. Since she had transitioned to helping her mom with the house and gardens, they had never bought her another pair.

  “Of course I brought cowboy boots.” Fredi looked totally affronted at the implication that she might not have a pair. “I take it you didn’t?”

  Ava shook her head and stopped in front of the store window, looking at the display of boots. “I’m a displaced country girl who’s now a big-city girl. When would I ever have a use for cowboy boots? But, I should probably get some, don’t you think? Wow, look at the incredible selection. Maybe we should stop in there now, on our way up to the room?”

  Fredi leaned her head against Ava’s shoulder and sighed. “I feel sorry for you, my friend. You’ve led such a sheltered life.” Fredi pointed inside the store. “Of course you should buy a pair, but you’ll pay through the nose for them in there. I’m sure we can take you to some cowboy-boot outlet.”

  “We might not have time for that. There’s a lot to do this weekend.” The fiscally responsible side of Ava knew that Fredi was absolutely correct about the pricing and cringed back, but the boots were pretty and they were here now! Batting her eyelashes at her friend, Ava knew Fredi had given in when she raised her eyes to the sky as if to ask God for patience.

  They were entering the store when Fredi replied, “I know. It’ll be great. But, to be honest, I’ve been so busy the last week or two with my recent flurry of Bridezillas that all I’ve focused on was getting here in time to pick you up. I paid lit
tle attention to any emails.”

  “Don’t you worry, it’s all good. I know there are a few must-sees, but we do have a lot to take in. I’m excited about the Nissan Center suite we have.” Ava scanned the rows and rows of boots that were so eye-catching and in a rainbow of colors. It was stunning! She had no idea where to start.

  “I am so looking forward to that! Most concerts, you’re surrounded by a sea of drunk people, so it’ll be really nice to drink in peace!” Fredi said, and Ava heard the excitement bubbling in her voice. Fredi was normally chill about things and rarely let herself get enthusiastic, so it was good to see her like this.

  Once inside the store, the thrill of buying a new pair of cowboy boots surprised Ava. She put her suitcase where Fredi directed and wandered over to the display against the wall. There were even more boots inside and she looked at them all, thoroughly overwhelmed.

  “How will I ever choose?” She reached out and touched the toe of a burgundy-and-yellow set. “Look at that color combination…”

  “Every color imaginable can be put together. From plain leather to psychedelic. You’re a size ten, right? We’ll have you all dolled up like a country girl again, don’t you worry,” Fredi said as she surveyed the displays, hands on her hips. She looked ready to embark on a life-saving mission through enemy fire when her cell phone rang. Fredi cursed when she saw the number on the display and snapped a quick, “I have to take this,” before striding out of the store, irritation written all over her body.

  Ava knew it was probably Fredi’s boss. The girls had been trying to get her to go out on her own for practically years now, but Fredi kept holding back. It was a shame that her friend was hiding her light under an unappreciative bushel. Wandering over to the size-ten boots, she ran her fingers along the toes, waiting for a pair to speak to her, trying not to be dazed by the styles, the colors, the carvings and etchings.

  Growing up, she had been the very definition of a tomboy but, thinking about how her style had evolved since college, Ava knew that she wanted something girly. These would not be boots she used to muck out stables or to ride out to look for calves. Her fingers stuttered on a pair and Ava removed one from the display to look at it more closely. It was perfect.

  She grabbed the other one and took both to a nearby bench to try them on. They fit perfectly and she felt like Cinderella with glass slippers. Of course, her boots were ruby red with silver rhinestones outlining the etchings, so it was more like Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz.

  Fredi came back into the shop, shoving her phone into her pocket with so much force, Ava was afraid she’d rip her pants. Wanting to cheer up her friend, she pointed to her boots and said, “Look, I found my very own ruby slippers.”

  Her friend was silent for a moment and Ava could see Fredi trying to realign her mind back to vacation fun. Finally, she said, “You know in the books, the slippers were silver.”

  Ava strutted around the store, saying cheerfully, “But they probably weren’t nearly as cute as my new boots!”

  She felt like yelling triumphantly when she saw a reluctant smirk cross Fredi’s face. She liked it when her friends were happy. Fredi walked closer to get a better look at the boots.

  “Did you bring any dresses? Oh! With your long, killer legs, those boots and a short dress will look amazing. Did you bring one? A fun one?”

  “A fun dress? I don’t think I packed any dresses. I change out of my dresses and stuffy business casual clothes the minute I’m away from the day job. You know me, a casual girl.” She waved her hand up and down to indicate her current outfit as proof.

  “Okay, so you’ve got jeans, but I really think you should wear a dress with the boots.” Fredi gave her a sideways look.

  Fredi was the shortest of the four of them but she was a powerhouse bundled up inside a small package. Ava was just slightly shorter than Bonni who was, like, Amazon height, and next to petite little Fredi, she felt gargantuan.

  “Well, we could go shopping for a dress for tonight, but I didn’t bring any stockings,” Ava said slyly, knowing the reaction she was about to get.

  “Stockings? You don’t wear stockings with cowboy boots.”

  Ava burst out laughing at the horrified expression on Fredi’s face.

  “Fredi, of course I know that. I’m teasing. But, you know, I do like to wear stockings and garters, bustiers, all the ‘girly stuff.’” Ava sat back on the bench to pull off her new boots, wishing she could wear them out, but the ruby hotness did not go well with her yellow blouse. She’d look like Ronald McDonald.

  “Did you bring any lingerie this weekend? You never know, you might meet a man that makes you feel all smexy and sweeps you off your feet.” Fredi picked up the boots while Ava shoved her feet back into her sneakers.

  “Actually, no, I tried to travel light this weekend.” Ava paused a beat then said, “Now you have me worried. Maybe I should have packed some sexy stuff.”

  “Stop worrying already. What happened to ‘not looking?’” Fredi held out the boots to her.

  Ava carefully took her new boots, admiring the way they sparkled in the overhead lights. “Hmm, well, it’s a busy weekend for us chicks anyway. No time for men.” Ava looked at the price tag and gasped, “Holy cow.”

  “I told you so. Way more expensive in a hotel. You should know that. Do you still want them?” Fredi picked up another pair and looked at the price. “Jeezus, I should be in the boot biz.” She put them back.

  Ava ran her fingers over the finely tooled leather. She loved these boots: they were pretty, the heel wasn’t too high and she could tell the leather was of high quality. If vacation wasn’t a time to splurge, when was?

  “Yes! Glinda the Good Witch may not have given them to me, but they are mine now!”

  Fredi rolled her eyes and lifted a shoulder. “At least you can take them off and you won’t be stuck dancing in them for the rest of your life. You won’t have time to break them in, though. What else did you bring?”

  “Sandals and sneakers. I’ll have to wear them around the room for a while, then. And don’t compare an Academy Award-winning movie to an antiquated fairy tale.” Ava petted the boots fondly. They were definitely coming with her now.

  “They are called ‘classics,’ not ‘antiquated.’ I bet if it had been made into a movie, you’d be all over it.”

  “Well, the 1948 film The Red Shoes, starring Moira Shearer, was inspired by the fairy tale and Roger Ebert gave it four stars. But it has an unhappy ending, so give me the magic of Judy Garland any day.” Ava gave Fredi a bright smile as she walked over to collect her bag, still carrying her precious new boots.

  “Well, then. I stand corrected.” Fredi threw her hands up in the air and went to collect her own luggage.

  Ava wheeled her bag over to the counter, placing the boots down. She adored them; they were so pretty with the sparkles and nice coloring. Her father definitely would have dismissed them as frivolous uselessness.

  “Alrighty then, boots, you’re coming home with me.” She dropped her satchel beside the boots and pulled out her wallet.

  “That was a fairly painless decision—unlike all your wedding-dress ideas.” Fredi faked a shudder and Ava pouted.

  “Get lost, Fredi, you know you love it. And if you want me to get my wedding dress from you, you’d better stop complaining.”

  Fredi snorted. “I could be so lucky.”

  They met glances and burst out laughing.

  Ava knew full well Fredi would design her wedding gown. It was a given. The only problem was…she had no groom.

  Chapter Three

  Ava was thrilled they were booked into one of the top-end rooms. She was so happy she could show her friends a good time. Bringing them here, for something they loved, gave Ava so much joy. And being in a luxury hotel to boot! Awesome.

  Ava stepped aside and let Fredi go in first, wanting to see the expression on her face.

  “Wow.” Fredi dragged her suitcase into the living room of the suite and looked aroun
d. She nodded her head. “You did good, girl.”

  Ava propped her suitcase up against the sofa, dropped the bag holding her brand-new boots on the couch and walked over to the sliding glass doors.

  “Would you look at this view?” She opened them and stepped out on to the balcony. “We’re inside, but it’s like we’re outside. This hotel is really cool.”

  Fredi came out and stood beside her and whistled. “This sure is the cat’s ass.”

  Ava heard the door slam and spun around. “They’re here!” She dashed into the living room to find Bonni and Celia lugging their suitcases and some bags into the suite.

  “Hey!” Ava ran over to tackle-hug her friends.

  “Your private jet made it, I see,” Fredi said, and joined in the group hug.

  This was a norm for them. Group hugs, squeals of delight, jumping up and down, all the general chaos of the first meeting after being apart for a while. There were even a few tears, mainly from Ava. She stood back and happily watched her friends chatter and catch up. This time, she was responsible for bringing everybody together and she couldn’t be more excited.

  “You guys have to ride that jet sometime,” Celia told them as she put her purse on the coffee table. She made an exaggerated movement with her hand. “It’s not big, but it’s posh. It’s the first time I’ve been on it and I think I could live there. Maybe even join the Mile-high Club one day.” She did a little body wiggle and clapped her hands together.

  “As if you haven’t already,” Fredi replied.

  “Wellllll…” Celia didn’t say any more, just picked up her bag, which had fallen over.

  Ava giggled. “Hey, speaking of which, why didn’t you guys pick me up along the way? It would have saved me from flying commercial.”

  Bonni and Celia looked at each other then Bonni replied sheepishly, “Sorry, Aves, didn’t think of it. I don’t think we’re used to being able to use a plane like an Uber yet.”

  Fredi gasped in mock-hurt. “Aw, Ava, if they’d done that, then you wouldn’t have zoomed around with me in the fancy-dancy candy-apple bug.”