More Than a Song

by Chris Paynter

  They headed for the door. With the prized trophy tucked under her arm, Dani hung back as Monica made one last trip to the bathroom.

  Monica teetered into the living room to join Barb, Tina, and Dani.

  “Monica, Dani’s going to drive you home,” Barb said. Her tone left no room for argument.

  “I’m fine. Fiiine.” Monica narrowed her eyes in an obvious attempt to focus on Barb.

  “Um, no. You’re druunnk. Let Dani take you home.”

  “Okay. Whatever.”

  Dani hugged Tina and Barb. She caught up with Monica outside and led her to the car. Monica sat down and lifted the seatbelt over her shoulder. She tried to snap the buckle in place but failed miserably. “Shit,” she muttered. “Shit!” She became frantic.

  “Here. Let me do that.” Dani reached over and buckled the seatbelt.

  “Thanks,” Monica said in a quiet voice. She rested her head on the seat back. They rode in silence on the trip to Monica’s house. Thinking Monica might have fallen asleep, Dani glanced over at her, but she was staring out the window.

  They pulled into her drive. Dani helped Monica out of the passenger side. She linked her arm with Monica’s and led her to the door.

  Tears filled Monica’s eyes. “I can make it from here.”

  “Let me help you inside.”

  Monica didn’t protest. Dani walked her to the bedroom and helped Monica out of her clothes but left on her underwear. “Do you have a nightshirt or anything?” Dani asked as she searched the dresser drawers. A quiet sob filled the room. Dani hurried over and knelt in front of Monica. “Oh, sweetie, she’s really not worth it.” Dani regretted the words as soon as they left her mouth.

  “Don’t you think I know that?” Monica cried out. “I feel like such an idiot.” She buried her face in her hands.

  Dani gently pulled Monica’s hands away. She used her thumbs to wipe the tears streaming down Monica’s cheeks and tilted her chin up so she’d meet Dani’s eyes.

  “You are a beautiful woman, Monica.”

  “Oh, God, if I hear one more person say that, I’m going to scream.” Monica shook her head. “That’s what’s gotten me into every bad relationship. They don’t see me.” She pounded her chest with her fist.

  Dani took her hand and squeezed it. “I’m talking about your inner beauty, Monica. What’s in here.” She placed her hand over Monica’s heart. “You’re going to find the right woman who’ll love you for who you are here.”

  Monica’s lips quivered. “You think so?”

  “I know so.”

  Monica managed a smile. “You’re such a good friend. Do you know that?”

  Dani rose to her feet. “And so are you. Do you think you’re okay now?”

  Monica stood up and pulled Dani in for a hug. “As good as I can be,” she whispered. “Go home and give Frodo a big pet from Aunt Monica.”

  “He’ll like that.” She squeezed Monica again. “You really are going to be okay.”

  “Yeah, I know. Eventually. Now, go.” She pushed Dani toward the door.

  Dani started the engine and began the drive home. As she drove, she couldn’t shake the feeling that if she wasn’t careful, she was heading in the same direction as Monica.

  Chapter 11

  Liz walked into the exam room with Rita and smiled at the young blond-haired man who sat in the chair on the other side of the exam table. She didn’t spot the beagle yet, but she heard its snuffling.

  “Hello. I’m Liz Springer. You’re John?”

  He stood to his full height, which had to be about six feet. “Yes.” He nervously licked his lips.

  Liz stepped around the table and knelt down to hold out her hand to the tri-colored beagle. Rita joined her. “Hey there, Moxie.” Moxie sniffed her hand and gave it a tentative lick. Rita held out her hand with the same result. Liz scratched Moxie’s ears. “How about we get you up on the exam table?”

  Rita was about to lift Moxie onto the table when John maneuvered around her and lifted the beagle.

  Liz smothered her smile. She couldn’t count the number of times that a male client seemed to think that she or her female tech was helpless and incapable of lifting a dog. Rita, standing behind John, rolled her eyes at Liz.

  John draped a protective arm around Moxie.

  Liz opened the file and checked Moxie’s pertinent information. She was being seen today because of a recent unexplained weight gain.

  “So Moxie has gained...” Liz flipped the pages to check her last three visits. “Five pounds in six months.” She tried to hide her surprise. “That’s a significant gain, especially for the size of Moxie’s breed.”

  John stroked Moxie’s fur. “I don’t understand, Dr. Springer. She’s on the best dog food, the same brand she’s been on since she was a puppy. I never give her any table scraps. I’m careful with her portions, never overfeeding her, yet she keeps gaining weight.”

  “Let’s do an exam and see what we have.” Liz put her stethoscope to Moxie’s heart, which beat strong and steady with no sign of a murmur. She felt along the beagle’s belly. No lumps, unusual growths, or distension. She peered in each of Moxie’s ears with her otoscope. Everything was clear with no redness. Standing in front of Moxie, she probed both sides of her neck. No unusual swelling there, either.

  John licked his lips again.

  “So far, everything checks out,” she said. “We can run a blood test to check for anything we need to be concerned about. One thing I’d like to rule out is hypothyroidism, which can cause weight gain and sluggishness. How has her energy been lately?”

  “She’s wanted to play like always. We’ve gone on our daily walks.”

  “Hmm. With the exercise and steady diet, this is a little perplexing.” Liz flipped through the chart again. She thought of something. “Do you have a cat? I’m sorry I don’t have that information here since this is just Moxie’s chart, and Dr. Patterson is Moxie’s primary vet.”

  “We have an eleven-year-old tabby. Max.”

  “And how has his weight been lately? Staying steady?”

  John’s brown eyes widened. “He has seemed a little thinner. Nothing we were too concerned about, obviously, or we would’ve brought him in.”

  Now we’re getting somewhere. “You said ‘we.’ I don’t mean to be personal, but I’m assuming someone lives with you who might also feed Moxie and Max?”

  “My partner, Michael.”

  Liz closed the chart. “John, I think what we have here is a case of a very clever beagle sneaking food from Max.”

  “Oh, my God. I never thought of that. We put Max’s bowl in another room and even set it up on his cat perch, thinking Moxie couldn’t get to it.”

  “You’d be amazed at what lengths beagles go to in order to scarf food. I have a very strong inkling Moxie has figured out how to reach Max’s food. Do you and Michael keep track of when you feed Max and Moxie?”

  “Yes.”

  “Do either of you maybe feed her at a different time than normal?”

  “Sometimes Moxie will come into the living room, sit, and stare at me. I assume Michael forgot to feed her and—” Again, John’s eyes widened. “Well, the little sneak.”

  Liz chuckled. “Indeed, if Moxie is truly the clever thief I think she is. We’ll still run that blood work, though, to be absolutely sure there’s not an underlying issue.”

  John’s whole demeanor changed, and he seemed much more relaxed.

  Without being asked, Rita left the exam room to retrieve the syringe. She quickly returned and held Moxie’s head while Liz drew the blood.

  “So, you think my girl is going to be okay?”

  “If I’m right about this, I think she’s fine.” Liz patted Moxie’s side. “You just need to make some adjustments to where you place Max’s food. And you both have to refrain from succumbing to Moxie’s charms.” She leaned down and scratched behind Moxie’s ears. “Although I’m sure that last one might be the hardest.”

  John laughed. “S
he can be quite the drama queen when it comes to food.”

  After the exam, Liz sat down at her desk to enter her notes. She shook her head as she thought about the beagle’s antics. Then her mind drifted to Frodo and her handsome owner. She stopped writing and stared at the wall. How long, she didn’t know. She became aware of someone standing nearby. She peered up at Rita.

  “Did you have a question, Rita?”

  Rita glanced over her shoulder. Mary, peeking around the files, mouthed, “Go on.”

  “Um. Dr. Springer?”

  “It’s Liz, remember?”

  “Right. Sorry. Liz? Um... well... um...”

  “Whatever it is, it’s okay to ask.”

  “Mary and I wanted to know if you’d like to go to Carl’s Cavern tonight to see C.J. James perform.”

  Liz’s stomach dropped as if someone had shoved her, unprepared, out of a skydiving plane.

  “You look really pale. Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine.” Liz tried to recover her composure. Did she want to see C.J. James in action? The bigger question was did she want to see Dani and C.J. together?

  “Do you think you’d like to go? Mary and I would love it if you’d join us. You’ll have fun.”

  Liz was about to answer no, but instead said, “I’ll meet you there.”

  Rita’s young face lit up. “Great.” She turned around and gave Mary a thumbs-up.

  * * *

  Wednesday night, with the temperatures dropping slightly, Dani decided to walk to Carl’s Cavern. She dressed in a pair of faded old jeans and a Miami of Ohio sweatshirt. When she opened the door to the bar, the noise blasted her full force. Carl had the stereo turned up loud. The throbbing of the bass reverberated in the soles of Dani’s sneakers as she walked across the wood plank floor.

  Barb nodded at her as she approached the bar.

  “What sounds good?” Barb asked.

  “A Heineken.”

  Barb set the bottle of beer in front of Dani. Before Dani could even make a move to take money out of her billfold, Barb gave her the “don’t even think about it” look. Dani held up the bottle in a salute and turned to find an empty table. She spotted one in the far corner of the bar.

  As she took her seat, a petite redhead placed her hand on the back of the other chair at the table. “Do you mind if I take this?”

  “Not at all.” Dani glanced around the bar and noticed a lot of regulars in the audience. One brunette across the room seemed familiar, but Dani couldn’t get a good look because a pole partially obstructed the view.

  The music stopped abruptly, and Carl jumped up the three steps to the stage.

  “Ladies! Again, I give you Ms. C.J. James.” He motioned his hand toward the side of the stage where C.J. strode out. She walked over to one of her acoustic guitars and strapped it on. She softly tuned it for a brief minute and faced the crowd.

  “How y’all doin’ tonight?” she shouted. The place erupted in cheers. “Since I’ve been staying here for a few weeks, I’ve caught on to this ‘y’all’ thing.” Everyone laughed. C.J. took a sip of water before she started her first song.

  Dani attempted to be objective as C.J. worked through her first set, but C.J. really was that good. Dani scanned the room. Again, the dark-haired woman Dani had spotted earlier seemed familiar, but Dani still couldn’t get a good view. A man dressed in khakis and a red cotton shirt seated a few tables back from the stage caught her attention. Seated alone at a small table, he listened intently. When others applauded after each song, he didn’t clap.

  C.J. finished her set. The houselights came up, and C.J. hopped off the stage and approached Dani’s table. She carried her bottle of water with her. Dani didn’t know if it was a conscious effort on C.J.’s part, but Dani noticed that C.J. wasn’t drinking shots anymore.

  “You sound great as usual, C.J.”

  “Thanks.” C.J. slid a nearby chair over to their table. She was about to speak, but Dani’s attention was on the man in the khakis who was heading to their table. When he reached them, he stood beside C.J.

  “Ms. James, I’m David Morgenson from Different Drummer Records. We’re a small label out of Nashville.”

  “I’ve heard of you.”

  “I’m happy to say we’ve heard of you, too. We had someone at your shows in Birmingham when you performed there a few months ago. We’d very much like to talk to you about joining our label.” He glanced at Dani apologetically. “Is there somewhere we can talk?”

  “Listen, Mr....”

  “Morgenson. But you can call me David.”

  “David, I’m not sure if you noticed, but I’m not exactly a mainstream artist.” C.J. motioned around the bar at all the women.

  “We’re quite aware of that, but you’re in luck. We’re not exactly a mainstream label. I think you can tell that by the name of our company. We like to take chances on new artists with a fresh sound. We like what we hear in you.”

  “I’m sorry, Dani. Do you mind if I talk with this gentleman?”

  “Not at all.”

  C.J. stood up. “We can go backstage,” she said to him as they walked away.

  Damn. This could be C.J.’s big break, Dani thought. She took a swig of her beer and almost spit out the backwash at the bottom of the bottle. She started for the bar. As she did, the dark-haired woman she’d noticed earlier was also approaching the bar. Now that she was out from behind the pole, Dani could see it was Liz. Her jeans were a little tighter than the ones she had on during the walk on that Sunday at the bark park. She’d tucked in her long-sleeved, gray Cornell University T-shirt and polished it off with a thin leather belt. The shirt accentuated the soft curve of her breasts. Dani didn’t realize she was staring until Barb’s voice cut in.

  “Yo! Space cadet. Did you want another Heineken?”

  “Huh?”

  “What’s wrong?” Barb must have spotted Liz. She grinned. “Easy on the eyes, huh?”

  “She’s Frodo’s vet.” Which technically wasn’t true, but Dani didn’t want to go into details.

  “So, this is the infamous Dr. Springer.” Barb stared at Liz who was talking to a couple of women at the bar. “Tina was right.”

  “I’ll take that Heineken.”

  Barb popped the lid and handed the bottle to Dani. She leaned closer. “What are you going to do?”

  “What do you mean?”

  Barb snickered. “Oh, hell, Dani, you really are dense sometimes.” With that, she strode back to the other end of the bar where someone shouted for another beer.

  Dani contemplated Barb’s last remark when someone tapped her shoulder. She twisted around. Again, she had to catch her breath. Liz.

  “Hi, Dani, I thought that was you but wasn’t sure.”

  Dani felt her heartbeat throbbing in her ears. “Hi, Liz. I thought I recognized you but couldn’t get a good look.”

  “Are you okay? You’re a little flushed.”

  “Uh, yeah, I’m fine.” She held up her bottle of Heineken. “I think it’s the beer. Which is why I stop on two.” God, you’re such a liar, Dani thought. She tried to recover. “You decided to come out to see C.J.?”

  Liz’s expression changed. It was subtle, but Dani noticed her mood had shifted.

  “A couple of the staff at the clinic asked if I’d like to join them.” Liz took a sip of her drink. “I have to admit that she’s quite good.”

  Dani waited for her to continue.

  Liz stared down at her drink as she moved her stir stick through the ice. Her face reddened. “Are you two—”

  Carl’s voice cut through the din of bar noise.

  “Let’s give it up again for C.J.!” he shouted. With that, everyone hustled to their seats.

  “I’ll let you go.” Liz turned to head back to her table with her friends.

  “Wait.” But Liz kept going. Barb watched from the end of the bar. Dani quickly walked back to her table, not wanting to get into this with Barb.

  C.J. played through her second set. Sh
e even came back for an encore after a lengthy standing ovation. After she finished, the houselights came back on, and dance music blared through the loud speakers again. Eventually, C.J. walked over to sit with Dani.

  “I’m sorry I can’t stay long. David wants to talk to me some more about this contract thing.” C.J. grinned like a little kid. “Can you believe it?”

  “You’re a very talented singer and songwriter. They’d be stupid not to sign you.”

  It was the first time she saw C.J. blush. “Thanks,” she said in a soft voice.

  David Morgenson approached them.

  Dani nodded toward him. “I need to let you go.”

  “I’ll see you later this week. Want to go out again on Sunday night?”

  With thoughts of Liz and their interrupted conversation, Dani held back from committing. “Give me a call at the store before the weekend.”

  “Everything okay?”

  “Yeah.”

  “All right. Talk to you soon.” C.J. glanced back at her as she walked away with Morgenson.

  Dani sat there for a few more minutes and finished her beer. After she took the last sip, she decided to head home. It was getting late.

  With her mind on everything that happened that night, she wasn’t paying attention to her surroundings as she walked down Main. She heard someone’s footsteps across the street. Liz, with her head down, was several yards in front of her. Dani had a running debate with herself about crossing the street and saying hello. She took the plunge.

  She had to quicken her step to catch up with Liz. Liz spun around when Dani reached her.

  Liz’s hand flew to her chest. “Dani. You startled me.”

  “Sorry. I was walking home and saw you across the street. Do you mind if I join you?”

  “If you’d like to,” Liz said softly.

  They walked in silence as they passed under each streetlight and back into shadow. Somehow, Dani didn’t feel pressured to talk.

  She broke the silence. “You were going to ask me something at Carl’s.” Enough time went by that Dani wasn’t sure Liz would respond. She could tell Liz was conflicted about something.

  “Are you and C.J. dating?” Liz’s voice cut through the night air and straight into Dani’s heart.