by Bryce Oakley
"Uh, what... kind is there?" Zoey asked.
"Ms. Marino keeps a well-stocked bar," Archer said with a grin.
Classic Pia. Zoey laughed. "What do you suggest?"
Archer's eyes lit up. "Sounds like we'd better do a tasting," he said.
Zoey laughed again.
One of the pilots came over the speaker, welcoming her by name. "Ms. Marino has asked me not to disclose our destination with you until we're closer," he said, almost apologetically.
Zoey raised an eyebrow, glancing to Archer. "I think we're going to be doing a tasting with generous pours," she said.
Two hours later, Zoey was sufficiently tipsy. She had begged Archer to have a few sips for himself and after two hours, she now knew almost everything about him. He was delightful. All flights should have gossip, endless pringles, and lots of chardonnay.
Her ears popped as the pilot came over the speaker again. "Ms. McCarren, we are now beginning our descent into Nashville."
Nashville? She glanced at her phone.
Pia: Hope you're up for a good night.
Zoey sent a picture of her with Archer and the four wine glasses in front of her.
Zoey: Ready, freddy!
Pia: Uh oh, I knew I shouldn't have let Archer near you. ;)
Archer scoffed when Zoey showed him the text. "You get Pia Marino drunk once and you never hear the end of it!" He said, laughing.
"She's just jealous that we're best friends," Zoey said.
Archer leaned over, taking a selfie with Zoey. "I'm sending this to her."
They landed and exchanged numbers before Zoey descended the stairs and opened the door to a car that was parked on the tarmac.
She gasped in surprise to see Pia sitting in the backseat.
"Welcome to Nashville," Pia said, standing up to hug her.
Zoey wrapped her arms around Pia, hugging her tightly. "I've already had the best time. I could just fly around with Archer all the time," she said.
Pia grinned, shaking her head as she got back in the car. "Should I be jealous?"
Zoey laughed, sliding into the seat beside her.
The driver seemed to already know where they were going, because Pia didn't have to tell him anything as he turned out of the airport and began heading towards a destination.
"What are you up to?" Zoey said, turning in her seat towards Pia.
Pia shrugged, smiling, but didn't turn her head toward Zoey.
"Did The Shrikes perform in Nashville?" She asked instead.
"Yep," Zoey said, looking out the window at the buildings as they passed. "At the War Memorial. It's my dream to play the Ryman, though."
Pia nodded. "It's the best," she said.
"Is that where we're going?" Zoey asked, tilting her head.
"Nope," Pia said, reaching to put her hand over where Zoey's sat on the seat.
They pulled up in front of a small venue with people standing around the front. She glanced up at the name over the door, barely able to make it out: The Blackbird.
She turned, furrowing her brow. "Isn't this a famous singer-songwriter place?"
Pia shrugged, grinning. "Is it?"
They were ushered in a side door and led to a small, dark corner of the already tiny and packed bar. They had a perfect view of the stage, but they were hidden away from most of the crowd and lights. A server placed two glasses of white wine on the table in front of them.
"Wow, is this where you take all your dates?" Zoey asked, quirking a brow.
Pia sipped at her wine, not answering her.
A three-person band walked onto the stage, picking up their instruments as the crowd applauded them. One had a banjo and the other had a bass. Zoey nearly choked on her wine when she saw that the pianist had carried a melodica on-stage with her.
She pointed towards it. "A melodica!"
Pia laughed, reaching down to pull Zoey's chair closer to hers with her hand and foot. She wrapped her arm loosely around the back of Zoey's chair without another word.
The applause from the crowd died down and the adorable lead singer of the band smiled out against the lights, dimples popping in her cheeks. "Thanks everyone. We're The Blue Jeans and we sure hope you have a glass of whiskey in your hand," she said before stomping to begin the song.
Zoey watched in amazement as the tiny three-piece band commanded the crowd, their sound filling the small room easily. Her cheeks began to hurt from smiling.
After about four songs, Zoey leaned into Pia's ear to say, "I love them!"
Pia nodded. "I hoped you would," she said back.
So close to her in the dark with the music swelling around them, Zoey leaned forward slightly, wanting nothing more than to kiss Pia again.
Pia's gaze dropped to her lips, then back to her eyes. Her body was leaning forward, too.
Zoey was a swirling mess of excitement and interest and terror and fascination. Her eyes fluttered closed as Pia's lips brushed hers ever-so-gently.
"We have a special guest in the crowd today," Zoey heard the lead singer say from somewhere very, very far away. "Zoey McCarren, where are you hiding?"
The crowd applauded politely, but it was clear her name wasn't ringing too many bells for a country songwriter venue.
Zoey registered her name and leapt back, her chair sliding in her urgency to put space between her and Pia.
Pia didn't move, but her brow dipped slightly as she looked from Zoey to the band. "Oh yeah, I told them you might want to sing a song with them," she said, leaning in so Zoey could hear her. "Bad timing, though."
The lead singer turned back to the crowd. "How many of y'all are fans of The Shrikes?" She said and the crowd applauded louder than before. "They've been a huge inspiration to us, and it'd mean the world for their Renaissance Woman of a keyboard player to get in on this next song with us."
Pia gave Zoey a small shove, and before she knew it, Zoey was climbing onto the tiny stage, waving to the crowd. She was so grateful she changed out of pajamas.
"Zoey, we think you may recognize this one," the lead singer said as the pianist gestured for her to sit on the bench as he stood, grabbing a tambourine.
The lead singer played the first few notes to Tidal Wave, the third single from their first album. She smiled, her hands automatically finding the keys. As she began playing, the crowd applauded again, recognizing the song.
The Shrikes had never played in a venue so intimate. They had played in countless shitty bars and venues where only their friends and family had shown up, but the atmosphere of The Blackbird was so specific. Special. Warm. Inviting.
She sang the harmony into the small microphone hooked to the side of the piano, closing her eyes, the swell of performance and pride and joy cresting within her.
The song ended and she hit the last note. A moment of silence fell over the crowd — perhaps even half of a millisecond — but she glanced behind her to see Pia, raising a wine glass in her direction.
She stood, hugging the other members of the band as the crowd applauded. "That was gorgeous," she said to the lead singer. "Thank you so much for letting me be a part of it." She hugged the pianist and the banjo player, then ducked off-stage with a wave toward the audience.
She slid back into her seat beside Pia, suddenly self-conscious and aware that anyone could be looking over at any moment.
Pia leaned in to say something in her ear and Zoey pulled back, worried that someone might see them.
Pia gave her a strange look. "Everything okay?"
Zoey nodded. "Yeah, can we go?" She asked.
Pia gave her a concerned look, but gestured for her to lead the way.
They snuck out the side door and the warm, humid air smacked Zoey in the face. They were in a deserted alley.
"What happened in there?" Pia asked.
"I just... everyone was looking," Zoey said, shrugging her shoulders, knowing it sounded stupid as soon as it came out of her mouth.
"You didn't want anyone to see you with me?" Pia asked, looki
ng hurt.
Zoey shook her head. "It's not like that," she said. "I've had a wonderful evening, and that was honestly incredible. Please just understand where I'm coming from."
Her phone dinged and she pulled it out of her pocket.
Domino: Why are you in Nashville?
How did Domino already know?
Zoey: What?
Domino: Nobody in this band respects Google Alerts!
Dom sent a link to a YouTube video of her playing on stage with The Blue Jeans.
Zoey held the phone out to Pia. "See? This is why I need to be careful."
Pia put her own phone in her pocket. "I get it," she said.
"Really?" Zoey asked.
Pia nodded. "I do. I wasn't publically out with women for years. I get it," she said. "I shouldn't have made you feel bad about it."
Zoey leaned against the building, kicking at the ground as she sighed. "And I don't want to make you feel like it wasn't the best evening," she said.
Pia stepped closer to her. “The best?"
Zoey rolled her eyes, grinning. “Damn hyperbole,” she said.
"Well, nobody's around now," Pia said, glancing up and down the alley. She put a hand on the wall beside Zoey's head.
Zoey hooked her hands around Pia's waist, pulling her in.
Pia's lips were gentle against hers, but only for a moment. The kiss quickly turned heated, demanding.
And Zoey felt helpless to do anything other than keep up.
Her lips parted on a gasp and Pia's tongue slid into her mouth.
The kiss at midnight on New Year's Eve had been incredible, but this kiss... it felt different. It wasn't a mischievous kiss. It was a kiss that promised more.
Zoey lifted her arms to wrap them around Pia's neck, if only to have something to hold onto and keep herself from floating off the ground with giddiness.
Pia wrapped an arm around Zoey and held her tight. As Pia pulled away, Zoey leaned forward, wanting nothing more than to keep kissing Pia Marino forever.
She'd never felt this way before. Pia's entire presence overwhelmed and surprised and fascinated her. Was this attraction? Or something more? Was it normal for her entire being to long to be closer to Pia?
A car pulled into the alleyway and Pia straightened up. Zoey saw that it was the driver from earlier who had driven them to the venue from the airport.
"Where to now?" Pia asked, tilting her head while staring at Zoey with a hunger in her eyes.
"Well, any other gigs you booked me for?" Zoey teased.
"No, that was my one surprise," Pia said, holding up two fingers. "Scouts honor."
"It's three fingers," Zoey said, pointing to Pia's hand.
Pia looked instantly mischievous. "Oh, is it?"
Zoey laughed, shaking her head. "Wow," she said. She stared in the passenger side door that Pia was standing in front of.
Pia had asked her to bring a toiletries bag. Pia had told her she'd have her back in the morning.
But it was only 9pm.
She felt instantly nervous, her mind reeling from the possibility of what could happen.
She knew what she wanted — she wanted Pia. That kiss had been the tip of the iceberg and she longed for more.
Her entire body was on edge, wanting to be near Pia.
Pia cleared her throat. "I can only guess what you're thinking, and if it makes you feel better, I got us a suite with two separate bedrooms," she said.
Zoey instantly felt relieved, yet at the same time, disappointed.
She nodded.
"If that's what you want," Pia said.
Zoey looked up and down the alleyway. stalling for time. She fidgeted, crossing and uncrossing her arms.
Pia's expression softened. "Why don't we go back there, sit in the living room, order room service, and hang out in pajamas?" She suggested.
Zoey couldn't help but smile. Pia was a perfect gentlewoman.
"Sure," she said, nodding.
An hour later, they sat in on the couch, drinking a glass of wine. Pia had ordered it and Zoey hadn't paid much attention.
They had held hands in the car on the way to the hotel, but now that the very real possibility of having sex with Pia was imminent, she wasn't completely sure what she wanted.
She sipped quickly at her wine, finishing her second glass. She picked up a glass of water, looking up to see Pia watching her with curiosity.
"Tell me something about you that I don't know," Zoey said.
"There's a lot about me that you don't know," Pia answered simply, resting her elbow on the back of the couch.
"Hence the question."
"It was really more of a demand."
"If you want to look at it like a demand, that's up to you," Zoey said with a grin.
"Something about me that you don't know. I didn't date women until I was in my late 20s. I barely dated men, to be truthful. I kind of thought maybe dating wasn't for me. I was so career-focused. I was still doing stand-up back then, and stand-up is a hard living. And I thought that if I wanted any kind of success, dating women certainly wasn't the best way for me to do that," she explained.
"Wow, your 20s were so long ago," Zoey teased.
"Watch it," Pia said, but she was grinning. "I was gay before it was cool."
"So, you're saying there's hope for me yet, being a woman in my 20s," Zoey joked.
"Well, I certainly think you've got a lot of potential," Pia teased back.
"How did you know that you wanted to be with women, then?" Zoey asked. "Asking for a friend."
Pia smirked. "Well, my first kiss with a woman changed my life," she said.
"How so?" Zoey asked.
"Well, reader, I married her," Pia answered.
Zoey had known that Pia had been married before. She had read something about Pia in an extremely innocent Google stalking session about how Pia's wife had died suddenly. "Oh," she said, not knowing exactly how to respond. "So, you married her because of your first kiss with her? It was that good?"
"Yep."
"That's a hell of a first date," Zoey said, grinning.
Pia nodded, an almost wistful expression on her face for only a second.
The room grew heavy with tension.
"Tell me something about you that no one else knows," Pia said, looking at her over the tipped edge of the glass as she took a sip.
"Something no one else knows?" Zoey repeated the request, unsure of how to answer. "Not just you?"
"Yeah."
Zoey considered it, then leaned forward to kneel in front of Pia, moving to place a gentle kiss on Pia's lips. "That."
"Well, you make a very good point," Pia said, setting her wine glass down as she took Zoey's hips in her hands.
"I like to think so," Zoey said.
Pia looked up at her like she was a goddess, meant to be worshipped. She felt adored in that moment. She felt as though Pia was awed by the situation as much as she was.
"We don't have to do anything you don't want to do," Pia repeated.
"I know," Zoey whispered. "And we don't have to do anything you don't want to do, either."
"Ah, believe me,there's so much I do want to do," Pia growled.
"Such as?" Zoey asked.
Pia moved her hands down, grabbing Zoey's ass. Pia yanked her forward until Zoey stumbled and grabbed onto Pia while giggling, steadying herself with a knee on either side of Pia's hips.
Pia leaned forward to place a kiss on her collarbone over her shirt.
"You're so fucking beautiful," Pia said, her hands moving to explore Zoey's back, holding her tightly. "And you're wearing entirely too many clothes."
Zoey grinned, pulling her shirt over her head.
Pia's hands moved over Zoey's hips and stomach to touch her breasts through her thin bra. Her touch sent electric shocks of pleasure through Zoey's body.
"Is this okay?" Pia asked, looking up through her eyelashes.
Zoey nodded. "Oh, yes, it's more than okay," she said, the words barely a
udible.
"Wow, you sure know how to compliment a woman," Pia teased.
"Shut up and take off your shirt," Zoey said, reaching for the edge of Pia's shirt.
Pia flung her shirt across the room haphazardly.
Zoey moved her hands over Pia's bare shoulders, over the soft fabric of her sports bra, exploring the other woman's body with her touch.
"Your skin is so soft," Zoey said with slight awe. Pia's skin was so fair compared to her light brown skin.
"Thanks, I use lotion," Pia said in an exaggeratedly seductive voice.
Zoey laughed, but her laugh was immediately cut off as Pia leaned forward, catching Zoey's nipple between her teeth, only the flimsy fabric of her bra barely separating them.
Zoey's head tipped back involuntarily, and Pia moved her mouth, kissing up her sternum and over the soft sloping curves of her neck.
The room was silent save for their breaths and the sound of skin on fabric, connecting and exploring.
She suddenly felt nervous again, like she had before getting in the car. Her stomach flipped in anticipation and she needed to take a deep breath.
Zoey looked down at Pia, pausing. "I'm not..." She began.
Pia stopped every movement of her body. "What's up?"
"I don't know what I'm doing," Zoey confessed.
Pia tilted her head, her brow furrowing. "As in?"
"Am I doing it right?" Zoey asked, feeling self-conscious.
Pia let out of a gentle sigh. "You're doing everything fine so far," Pia said with a small grin.
Pia's hands came up to squeeze her hips again, her thumbs circling over the bare skin of her stomach.
Oh God, it really was going to happen. She was going to have sex with a woman. And not just any woman. Pia.
"Wait," Zoey said, leaning back again.
Pia looked up at her patiently.
"Ground rules," Zoey said.
Pia nodded, leaning back to prop her elbows on the arm of the couch so that she was nearly lying flat beneath Zoey.
"This doesn't mean we're..." Zoey said, pointing between them.
"Oh, yeah, casual. Got it," Pia said.
"Just friends," Zoey said.
Pia raised an eyebrow. "No pressure," she said.
