The Nashville Bet

by Shana Gray

  The song was still formulating in his head and he had put some words down after dropping the girls off at the hotel. Now he just had to follow the tune, let it come out. But he needed help from his band. It felt important that the song be finished before his set on Saturday night. So the pressure was on. If he nailed it, then he might just sing it for her, depending how everything played out.

  He had to slow down his thoughts because knowing he’d be seeing her tonight was having a physical effect on him. He shook his head and, regrettably, pushed Ava out of his mind.

  “Chase, bro, you hung over? What’s the deal, dude?” Chip, his producer, said through the headphones.

  “Yeah, buddy, what’s up with you today? You do smell of whiskey. You been visiting with Uncle Jack?” his drummer and long-time friend, Stone, asked him, then did a quick shuffle on his snare.

  “Took some friends on the distillery tour this morning. I’m okay, just got a lot on my mind. I’ll shape up.” He wasn’t going to mention Ava yet. Chase was very private about his life, even with friends. It was just how he was, and the situation with Ava felt like it needed to be protected, nurtured, like a delicate seed. Picking up his guitar, he finger-strummed a riff that had been rattling around in his brain to warm up his fingers and to snap him out of his distracted state.

  “Yo, man. What’s that?” Chip asked him.

  “Just a little something I’ve been working on. Still in the beginning stages and doesn’t have any traction yet,” Chase replied, but continued to play it. He almost had it.

  “Keep playing,” Chip told him, and gestured to the other band members. Their bass player, Tim, jumped in, finding the melody with the ease of years of practice. Stone picked up the groove and soon they were jamming to Chase’s chords and then, just like that, he saw the song.

  He started over again, playing the music from the top, the sound deep and rich on his vintage Martin. As he played the notes he fell into that strange state of surrealism that happened when he wrote something he knew was good. The words found his mind and he saw them like a painting on a canvas. Chase forgot the band was there as he went deeper into the song.

  This song for Ava came from his fingertips and his lips, as if he was touching and kissing her now, bringing her out through the strings of his guitar and the words from his heart.

  He finished and placed his fingers flat over the guitar strings, the last vibrations muted. His eyes still closed, he slowly came back from the creative place that had drawn him in. The guys were quiet, but he heard the chairs creak as they shifted on them. He opened his eyes.

  “So.” It wasn’t a question, it was simply a word, and he looked at each one of them. He could tell by their eyes and expressions that what he had just done was magical.

  “Where did that one come from?” Tim stood up and hitched his bass from front to back.

  “Dude. That’s a number-one hit if I’ve ever heard one,” Stone said as he twirled his sticks.

  “Where does any song come from?” Chase said, and turned to the control window. “Were you recording?”

  His producer nodded and leaned forward, opening the mic to the booth. “Got it all. Do you want to hear playback?”

  Part of Chase wanted to hear it again immediately but this song was special and he was wary about sharing it too soon. “No. If you can burn it for me, I’ll take it. I know it still needs some work.”

  “You know, I don’t think it needs any work,” Stone told him. “Why don’t we mess around with it a little bit?” The rest of the band was nodding in agreement as Stone continued, “Let’s play it back, then we’ll see where we can layer.”

  Chase wrestled with his instinctive desire to keep the song private before acknowledging that maybe it wasn’t such a bad idea. The only potential drawback was that it would bring Ava full-blown into his world if anyone found out she had inspired the song. But, he admitted to himself, there was nothing about that he did not like. Nodding, he looked up at Chip.

  “Okay then, we’ll do it. You do your producer magic as we’re settling in here. If we can make it work, I want to play it at my set on Saturday night.”

  “You wanna introduce it at the Fest? Does Dozer know? Or did you want to see if we can slip into the Bluebird?”

  “How about we just see how we make out today? I doubt we’ll be able to get into the Bluebird but, if I do take it somewhere before the Fest, I might go to Sugars instead.”

  “Who are you kidding? You’ll get into the Bluebird, you just have to say the word, hotshot,” Stone said as he settled on his throne behind his kit, stomping his bass a few times.

  “Anyway, let’s just see what we can do with this now.” Chase felt an urgency to get this song perfect. It would be his gift for Ava and, possibly, be enough to win her over, bet or no bet.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  “Are they bringing us food, too?” Celia asked when they arrived in their prime suite at the Nissan Center. Security had been a bit of a pain, but they were finally ready to get their party on.

  “Yes, they’re supposed to. I checked because, otherwise, I was going to need serious snackage.” Ava found a menu on a sideboard and waved it at Celia. Handing it over to her friend when she came over, Ava continued to explore. “This is really cool,” she said, walking out to the row of seats that overlooked the stadium below.

  “This is the best ever. I’m so glad you were able to make this happen,” Bonni told her, and gave her a quick hug. The crowds were filling the seats below them. “This place is massive.”

  “I’m impressed,” Fredi announced, dumping her bag on one of the seats by the window.

  “Oh thank God,” Bonni said drily. “We were worried we’d have to leave.”

  Ava snickered as she shrugged off her jacket. You never knew when stadiums like this overdid the AC inside to compensate for the open floor plan, but it was warm right now. She placed it on one of the barstools and began to investigate the refrigerator, having already noticed all the beer bottles sitting in ice in a big tin tub that sat on the counter. “I wonder what we have in here. I’m going to have something—anybody else?”

  “That’s the dumbest question that you’ve ever asked.” Celia nudged up beside her and reached for one of the beers. “I’ve never been much of a beer drinker, but I’m really liking these small brewery finds. Look, this one is a strawberry-flavored beer. Who would’ve ever thought?”

  Before heading to the Stadium, they had grabbed dinner at a local pub that specialized in local beers. It had been quite an education. Celia wiped her mouth with a cocktail napkin. “It’s pretty good—have a try.”

  “Nope. It’s bad enough I’m cheating on Jack on his turf. If I drink beer, I wanna taste the hops.” Fredi curled her lip and took a different bottle.

  Ava closed the fridge and selected the same flavor as Celia but poured it into a glass.

  She held the glass out for Fredi, who stepped back, shaking her head. “Come on, don’t be a diva. You won’t be able to talk smack about the Bridezillas if you’re a hypocrite.”

  Pouting because Ava had backed her into a metaphorical corner, Fredi accepted the glass and took a tentative sip. Her eyebrows shot up. “Wow, that is good. I think I’ll have one, then. Sorry, Jack.”

  “Is there a non-fruity beer?” Bonni asked, stepping in behind her friends.

  Ava watched the three of them discuss beer, and she felt such a sense of gratitude. She loved being with her friends and was so happy they made the conscious effort to keep their friendships healthy, despite everything else going on in their lives. These little getaways were just the sprinkles on the sundae.

  Her phone buzzed and she pulled it from her back pocket.

  Chase: How’s the suite?

  Ava: Awesome. How are you? Did you have a good day after you dropped us off?

  Chase: Yup. Went into the studio and put down a new track. Did a little work on the next album, too, before I had to go meet my PR rep for the interview.

&nbs
p; Ava: Such a busy life you have, superstar.

  To Ava, Chase was just a guy, one she might be a little too emotionally invested in maybe, but then something would remind her, like his text, that he really was a country-music star. It was easy to forget that during their time together.

  Chase: Yeah, but the music makes it worth it. I’m happy with new song. Can’t wait for you to hear it.

  Her heart warmed up. Once again, he was making plans for the future and it made Ava feel like she wasn’t the only one who was dreaming a little bigger than she should. Maybe a long-distance relationship would be different this time.

  Ava: I’d love to hear it. When?

  Chase: Soon. Listen, gotta go. Will check in with you later. Still game for the party after your concert?

  Ava glanced at her friends, who were now sampling all the beers.

  Ava: Yup! Wardrobe took a little doing, but we’re looking forward to it.

  Chase: I’m looking forward to seeing you. Text when you’re ready to head out and I’ll either come get you, if I can, or send another car.

  Ava: Will do :*)

  She put her phone back into her jeans pocket as Bonni sidled up next to her.

  “Was that your sexy cowboy?”

  “It certainly was. He was confirming we’re going to the party later.” Ava held out her hand and Bonni put a glass of beer in it.

  “We’ve had such a good time so far and we’ve only been here a day. It was really nice of Chase to take us out today. And this party tonight…wow. Do you know who’ll be there?”

  “I have no idea, but he’s been doing work stuff since he dropped us off, so I expect industry people.” Ava sipped from the beer.

  “Ooo, maybe Faith Hill or Chris Stapleton. I just love his song ‘Tennessee Whiskey.’” Celia sounded super-excited. “Are they performing at the Fest?” She fished out her phone to check the event schedule.

  “Your guess is as good as mine. But you know who I’d love to see? Dolly Parton.” Ava leaned her hip against the railing and looked out over the crowds below.

  “Dolly Parton?” her three friends chorused.

  “Yes. I have great respect for that woman. I would love to meet her. It’s too bad we didn’t have more time because then we could go down to Dollywood.”

  “She’s so old-school, though,” Celia said over the rim of her beer glass.

  “Dolly is the iconic female country star. Not only has she given us classic songs—hello, ‘Jolene,’ ‘Nine to Five,’ ‘I Will Always Love You’—she has a huge heart. Her Imagination Library foundation has mailed out over a hundred million books to kids. She’s never forgotten her roots. She’s amazing,” Ava said fiercely. There weren’t many things Ava was willing to throw down on, but the awesomeness of Dolly Parton was near the top of the list.

  For a minute there was just the faint ambient noise from the stadium crowd and then Bonni said, “I thought Whitney Houston sang ‘I Will Always Love You.’ In that Kevin Bacon movie.”

  Ava felt her eyes bug out. “Okay, there are so many things wrong with what you just said. First of all, it was Kevin Costner and the movie was called The Bodyguard. Second of all, I think Dolly’s version of that song is a million times better than Whitney’s version, which, don’t get me wrong, was quite lovely. But haven’t you heard Dolly sing it in The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas?”

  Celia said cautiously, “Was that a place or—”

  “It’s a movie! Well, it was a musical first, but it was a movie! Dolly plays a madam and Burt Reynolds, RIP, plays her love interest, the sheriff!” Ava exclaimed.

  “Y’know, if you squint a little, that could basically be Bonni’s and Quinn’s love story,” Fredi remarked teasingly.

  “Hey! That is not remotely factual. A sheriff is an elected position and I am a regular cop!” Bonni said.

  Leaving Bonni and Fredi to bicker, Ava went over to top up her drink. She picked through the bottles of beer and decided on a Bud.

  “Ms. Trent?”

  Ava looked up at the hostess that approached her. “Yes, hello. I’m Ava.”

  “I’m Karen, and I’ll be your hostess for tonight. If there’s anything you need at all, please just let me know. The food will be up shortly. It had already been pre-ordered, so I hope you’re okay with the selections but, if you have any concerns, let me know. I’m here to ensure that you and your friends have a great time.”

  “Thank you very much, Karen, we really appreciate it.” Ava smiled at her and said another silent thank you to her boss for making this great weekend happen and, by extension, for meeting Chase.

  She turned to lean her back against the counter. Her friends had moved away from the beer to stand down by the railing overlooking the stadium, their drinks in hand. The only thing missing was Chase, but she was determined to enjoy herself with her friends, knowing she would be seeing him later. A sudden aching heat flared low in her belly as she remembered their night together. The sex had been amazing, she couldn’t deny that, but she was also quite thrilled that they seemed to be developing something beyond the sex. She couldn’t wait for what came later.

  And maybe beyond this weekend, too…

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  The first set was nearly over and Ava was starting to hope that they might end up with the suite to themselves. She knew that David had chipped in for it and that someone else was arranging things, but it was getting late and, if there were others coming, they were cutting it pretty close.

  Right on cue, she heard boisterous voices at the doorway and her heart sank. Three couples blew into the suite like a hurricane, clearly already having done a bit of pre-drinking. They were laughing and talking loudly, practically drowning out the music being piped in.

  Ava glanced at her friends, who were down in the front-row seats of the suite. They had turned around to see what all the ruckus was about. Ava shrugged her shoulders. Fredi frowned at the unruly bunch, Celia turned back to look at the stage, while Bonni rose, coming up to stand beside Ava.

  “Somehow, I don’t think they’re here solely for the music,” Bonni said in a quiet voice. Ava shook her head in agreement and they watched as the new arrivals got settled in.

  Ava thought she should go over and say hello. It was the polite thing to do, especially since she didn’t know how these people were connected to David.

  “Hi, I am Ava. I’m with Enbridge?” She held out her hand to shake but no one took it so she let it drop.

  One of the guests, a tall red-headed man, looked disinterestedly over his shoulder. “Never heard of the company. Are you based in Nashville?”

  Holding on to her civility with an iron grip, Ava replied, “No, we’re not. My friends and I are just in town for CMA Fest.”

  The brunette woman with a pixie cut sneered, “Oh, tourists. Do have a delightful time. Over there.”

  She made a little shooing motion and Ava counted her blessings that Fredi or Celia weren’t standing here because, otherwise, she was sure security would be escorting them out after an epic brawl. The food arrived at the perfect time, proof that there was a deity and he/she was quite fond of Ava.

  “Celia, Fredi, food’s here.” Ava was starving and filled up half her plate before her friends could even stand up.

  Fredi and Celia strolled back to the lounge area as if they didn’t have a care in the world. They grabbed plates and got in line behind Ava.

  “There you go, Aves, you shouldn’t go hungry now,” Celia joked. “Oh, that looks yummy. Let me try a bite.” Celia reached out as if to pick something off Ava’s plate and she turned her shoulder to her.

  “Back off my food. You know the deal.” Ava continued to shield her plate from Celia as she loaded it up with more food.

  Celia laughed. “Just bugging you, chickie. We know how you are about your food. I’m surprised you don’t mantle over it like an eagle.”

  “Mantle over it?” Fredi asked, popping a spring roll into her mouth. “That sounds like a kinky sex position.”<
br />
  “Eagles, especially the eaglets defending their food, spread their wings out and hunch over their meal so nobody else can get it. If you watch those live eagle cameras, you’ll see. Anyway, that’s like Ava. She has food issues.”

  “I do not. I just don’t like people picking off my plate.” She took a step back from the girls, out of arm’s reach.

  Fredi burst out laughing. “What’s that, then? Look how you’re backing away. We’ve got our own food. Why would we take yours?”

  “Because you always do.” Ava looked down at her plate, trying to decide which tasty morsel she would eat first.

  Big mistake. She dropped her guard for a second and Celia swooped in to snatch a meatball from right under her nose.

  “Hey!” Ava reached out to try and grab the meatball back, knocked Celia’s hand and the meatball went sailing. They all watched it bounce off the seat backs like a freaking golf ball, heading straight for Bonni. She ducked and it landed with a splat against the wall.

  Silence filled the suite and they all looked at each other. From over to their left, a snide voice drawled, “Are we having food fights now? Did we wind up back in middle school again?”

  “It was an accident,” Ava burst out, even though she knew she was playing right into his mean-boy narrative. The ever-efficient Karen was already cleaning off the wall, the scent of cleaner filling the air as Ava fought against a wave of embarrassment.

  “Okay, guys, just ignore them and eat. We came here for some awesome country music performers, not second-rate extras from Gossip Girl.” Fredi nudged Ava toward a seat. “Here, we need to feed the beast. Eat, Ava. And you,” Fredi said, pointing her finger at Celia. “Behave yourself.”

  “Wow, are you going to put her in time-out?” Pixie Haircut said.

  Well, that just took the cake. Mess with her all you want, but go after her friends and the gloves were off. “I didn’t get your name.” Her voice was sweet but held a don’t-mess-with-me edge. Fredi let out a low whistle.