by Jaye Ripley
“Damn. They’re paying for all that. For us.” Wonder fills my voice.
Levi says, imitating EJ, “Shit’s gettin’ real, y’all.”
The spot on impersonation cracks us all up and eases the tension. We discuss the details, and I pay attention and help make some decisions. Mac and Levi will head out first. The three of us left will work with the movers. When the moving truck leaves, Hart and EJ will drive out together.
“Are you guys sure it’s okay with you if I don’t show up until right before the meeting with the Lyric?” I ask.
They all nod, except EJ.
Mac turns to me, “It makes sense. Gives you the most time here before you leave.”
EJ crosses his arms.
“What’s your problem? Might as well get it all out now.” I straighten my shoulders to prepare myself for a verbal shitstorm.
He leans forward. “How much do you like your girl?”
“More than I like you right now.” Damn, now I have to follow my own request and lay it all out for them. They deserve the truth. My hands run through my hair. “I don’t know, EJ. Not sure I’m ready to put words to what I feel.”
He nods and waits for me to go on. The rest of my friends stay quiet.
“Look, I know it’s an inconvenience to you all, and some of you don’t like her that much,” I start.
EJ holds up a hand. “Didn’t say I don’t like her. Only complaining that you weren’t paying attention, s’all.”
Mac squares himself to look at me dead on. “Are you at least intending to try and make things work even while you’re in Nashville? How long do you think it’ll last?”
The doubt in his voice unnerves me. Mac always has my back. He makes me solid. To have him question me shakes a little of my foundations.
“Mac, you’ve been asking me every day since we performed what’s going on. I appreciate your concern, but the truth is tougher to verbalize. I don’t need you guys voicing the questions already running through my head. But let’s just say, I hope to hell that she still wants me even when I’m in Nashville.”
Mac nods. He stands up. “Well, we’ve been talking.”
“About Mel? You guys shouldn’t be that fucking concerned.”
“Don’t get pissed. Hear us out.” Mac retrieves his tablet. “But first, one last question.”
I roll my eyes. “Fine. What?”
“Have you thought about her coming to Nashville at all? To visit? Maybe see if more is possible?”
My head hangs. It’s all I’ve thought about. Packing her up and whisking her away with all the rest of our stuff. Taking her to bed in my new place, and claiming her every damn day until she acknowledges she’s mine.
I look down, unable to look them in the eyes. “Yeah.”
“Good.”
My head snaps up. All four of them smile back at me. Hart fist bumps Levi.
Mac says, “Then I think we’ve got a plan that will benefit the band and help you out.”
19
Mel
“What the hell do you mean the guys want me to attend your band meeting?”
Taking me out to eat, driving to the beach, or fucking me in any numerous places are all acceptable options. Driving deep into a suburban neighborhood to meet with the band isn’t. If I open the door when we get close the next stop sign, I bet I can tuck and roll my way out.
Hunter looks at me sideways and locks the doors. “It’s just the guys. No need to find an escape hatch.”
Damn, the man knows me well. Too well for such a short time. A little more than a week together, and he thinks he has me figured out.
“Counter proposal. How about you take me somewhere else…anywhere else…and I’ll make sure to show you my gratitude.”
His eyebrow lifts up. “And how would you express your gratitude? Specifics please.”
There might be a way to convince him to turn around and go anywhere else.
“I was thinking something involving my mouth. Perhaps wrapped around your hard cock, my tongue licking down your length. My hand slides up and down as I guide you deep down my throat until you hit the back of it. My other hand fondles your balls until they tighten from my touch. I’ll suck you so hard, you’ll forget your manners, grab my head, and fuck my mouth rough until you come.”
The truck pulls to a stop. Hunter stares straight ahead and squirms in his seat. “Damn. I had to ask.”
My own body warms from saying the words. Unbuckling, I reach over to stroke him through his jeans. “Tilt your seat back, unzip your jeans, and say the word.”
His eyes squeeze shut. “Fuck. That’s a tempting offer.” He takes my hand from his lap and kisses it. “But we’re already here.”
I huff back in my seat and look around. We’re parked out in front of a modest house at the end of a cul-de-sac. Tall trees surround it. The houses nearby don’t crowd too close.
“Nice place.”
“It’s Mac’s.”
“I thought he lived with you?”
Hunter shakes his head. “No, he lived with me his senior year of high school and then into college. His parents left him a bit of money, so he’s rented this place for a while. The owners are sad to see him go. EJ’s actually my roommate.” He turns off the engine and unbuckles his seatbelt. “Let’s get inside before my raging hard-on returns.”
We get out of the truck, but my feet won’t move. The guys don’t scare me exactly. But the fact that they want to talk to me does. My stomach clenches as my mind races through the possibilities of why.
Hunter realizes I’m not following him to the door. He turns around, comes back, and takes my hand in his. “Come on. They won’t bite. Only I get to do that to you.”
His smile and wink does little to settle my sudden nerves. In a last ditch effort, I yank on his arm. He falls into me. Grabbing the back of his neck, I pull his face into mine and crush his lips. It takes only a second before he pushes me up against his truck, his arms bracing on either side of my head. He matches my passion.
“Oh, for fuck’s sake. Can’t you two get enough of each other? Hunt, let her come up for some air. Get your asses inside, pronto!”
EJ’s voice yelling at us kills the mood and my chances. Defeated, I look into Hunter’s face.
“Nice try,” he whispers to me, and kisses my nose.
We walk toward the door where EJ waits for us, a look of glee dancing across his face.
“Sorry. I know it’s so hard for you to tear yourselves away. We promise we won’t pound on you for too long. Hopefully, we’ll wet your appetite today.”
“That’s whet, jackass. With an H. Not wet.” Hunter says.
“So you have a problem getting things wet?” EJ winks at me. “Because I have no problem with that.”
“Tell me, how in the hell do you room with him?” I ask.
Hunter chuckles. He lets me walk through the door first. When he follows me, he punches EJ in the stomach.
“I have no idea.”
We work our way into the house. Boxes cover the floor, tables, and any free space. Pieces of Mac’s life are packed inside them. The bigger pieces of furniture left give clues to how each room must have been lived in. The stark, bare walls make the place feel a bit unwelcome.
And all of it serves as a reminder that what I have with Hunter is temporary. The band’s moving, and so will he. The fragile little bubble I’ve constructed around us over the past week and a half pops. He watches me take it all in, but my eyes stay focused ahead of me so he can’t see the sadness and fear creep back in.
“We’re down in the basement.” Hunter stands by a door, holding it open. Laughter drifts up the stairs. “I promise it’ll be fine.”
Breathing deep, I walk toward the door. “You know what they say? Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition.”
Hunter laughs so hard as we walk down the stairs that the guys have stopped what they’re doing and watch us as we step into the room.
The entire basement looks like a recordin
g studio. One side has an elaborate soundboard and other gadgets with chairs and a couch surrounding it. There’s a separate room sectioned off through a large window with a lone mic in the middle. The walls and ceilings have special padding.
“Is this where you recorded your ‘Slow Burn’ album? Or ‘Southern Comfort’?” I ask, my eyes taking everything in.
Each of them laughs. Hunter puts his arm around me and pulls me into his chest. “See, told you she was an ultimate fan.”
Heat floods my cheeks. I am a silly fangirl, gushing in front of the boys of Tailgate Down. Adrenaline courses through my body, and the urge to get them to sign something bubbles to the surface.
“You guys have been killing it for a few years,” I say, covering my embarrassment with a true compliment. “Of course I know who you are. Plus, I worked at the original R&R. I helped Trey decide to let you play.”
“You did?” Mac asks. “You mean it wasn’t our awesome versions of covers that got us the gig?”
“Well, it was a toss-up for a while. He wasn’t sure you were all that, although he liked you. But I made him see that you guys had potential.” I wink.
“And just how did you do that?” Hunter says in my ear with a little force. His body tightens against me.
Shit, I forget he knows about Trey and me. “By telling him that if you boys could rock out some Kenny Chesney better than he plays, it might be worth taking a chance on you.”
All of them stand up and take turns high-fiving me. EJ yanks me out of Hunter’s arms and hugs me.
“I knew you were a cool chick. What you see in this asshole, I’ll never know.”
Mac hugs me next. “Pretty cool that you helped us take that first step.”
I laugh. “Hey, all I said was that you guys rocked. You did all the hard work necessary to get the deal.”
“How about y’all stop pawing my girl for a second.” Hunter wraps me in his arms and hugs me tight. He whispers in my ear, “When I get you all to myself, I’m gonna lick and fuck you so hard you’ll know you’re mine.”
My knees wobble a bit. When I look up at him, his eyes pierce me with intense honesty and hunger.
A throat clears. I swallow and turn around to face the rest of the band.
“So, uh, if you two can stop for a few, we can get down to business.” Mac sits back down in his chair in front of the console. Hart sits in the chair next to him.
“Should I get out of your way?” I offer.
“Actually, you’re kind of the reason why we’re here.” Hunter kisses the top of my head and moves away to stand next to Mac. “We have a proposition we’d like you to consider.”
EJ pulls out a bottle stashed beside the couch. He opens it and pours its contents into a plastic cup, handing it to me.
I sniff it. “Bourbon?”
“Yeah,” EJ says, and holds up the bottle.
“Four Roses?”
Hunter shrugs. “I pay attention.”
“I wanted to get you some really expensive shit.” EJ pours himself a cup. “But Hunt says this is what you request when you’ve gone out. How you always say that it rates as high on the charts but at more than half the price.”
I nod. “But why am I drinking in the middle of the day? I’m working tonight.”
“You might need it.” Hart takes a sip from his water bottle. “Okay, Mac. Your turn.”
My eyes flit around the room. Are they going to tell me that they hated what went down at the concert? Or are they going to warn me to stop seeing Hunter since they have to focus? The sudden thought of them forcing me to leave him galls me and steels my stomach. They can’t tell me he’s off limits. I’ll be damned if they make me give him up.
“So we loved when you sang with us. We never considered how different ‘Wind Blows West’ could sound. With a few changes of words and partnering with you, that song could be a huge hit.” Mac twists his chair back and forth as he speaks. “So we’re hoping you can help us show the execs at Lyric Ridge just how good of a song it is by recording it today.”
Time stops, and for a second I can’t breathe. Prepared for a fight, they knock me sideways with the request. My world tilts off balance.
“See? Bourbon.” EJ points at my cup.
In a couple of gulps, the contents of the cup disappear. The burn of the bourbon distracts my feet from climbing the stairs. Levi pours more into my cup.
“What do you mean you want me to record it? Here? Today? That’s not…but I’m not…no way you want me to sing.” I take a smaller sip to clear my head. “I mean, why?”
EJ rolls his eyes. “Oh, stop pretending that you don’t know you’ve got a killer voice. I’m sure you’ve shown it off at some bar singing karaoke before.”
I shake my head. “I sing for myself. Mostly at home. In the shower. Or in a car. Not on a stage. In front of people.”
“Then how the hell did you ever come up on our stage?” Hart asks.
I look at Hunter, whose cocky smile stirs desire in me.
“Bourbon,” I reply with a returned grin. “I think your lead singer heard me singing to piss off one of the employees at work. He got me to come up on that stage.” And to come in the back of his truck later that night.
“Well, it was worth it,” offers Mac. “That video’s gotten more hits than anything else we’ve put out.”
“What video?”
Levi punches the keys on his laptop and sets it down on the coffee table in front of the couch. I shuffle over to see what’s playing. The beginning chords of the encore song I sang with them plays. Shots of me on stage next to Hunter stream in front of my eyes. The view changes from time to time, and I realize the video’s a compilation of different views caught on phones stitched together. But the sound of me singing with them soars. By the end of watching, I’m sitting on the couch staring at the screen.
“That was me?” My voice comes out small.
“That was us, baby.” Hunter puts his arm around me. “Now maybe you can see how incredible you were that night. How incredible you are.” He whispers the last bit in my ear and kisses the side of my head.
“We’re hoping you’ll record the song like you sang it that night. We’ll use it as a demo,” Mac explains.
“In Nashville? You’re gonna play it for people in Nashville?” I stand up. “This should be sung by someone who matters. Carrie Underwood. Kacey Musgraves. Or that hot chick. The one with the pop crossover. Stacia Rollins. You don’t want me on it.”
“Breathe, baby.” Hunter squeezes my hand. “We’ll use the demo you make today to try and get one of those other girls to agree to sing it. But we can’t do that unless we show them how hot it already is.”
“So finish the bourbon in your cup and get your ass in there.” EJ motions toward the booth. “Now. Before you think about it too much.”
In a whirlwind, I find myself in the booth alone, headphones on my head listening to Mac give me directions. He’s had me sing a bit to warm up my voice and adjust the recording settings.
“Where are you guys going to play?” The booth’s too small to fit all the instruments in at the same time.
“We’ve already recorded our parts and mixed it. You’ll hear it through your headphones.” Mac taps his ears. “All you have to do is sing when it comes to your parts. You ready? Take a deep breath.”
It takes more than one to ease my throat open. I shift from foot to foot in front of the professional microphone. The guys busy themselves on the other side of the glass. Hart and EJ talk to each other. Levi holds a small camera in his hand pointed at me.
“Hunter?” I can’t see him.
“I’m right here.” He slides his chair toward Mac. “I’m with you all the way.”
“And why is Levi filming me?” As if being in their recording booth isn’t enough pressure.
“Sorry. Does it bother you? He films a bunch of stuff and edits it as behind-the-scenes features on our social media. Fans seem to love it.”
That makes sense. I take
a sip of water from the bottle they placed on a stool nearby. “You guys should look into joining Patreon. You can get people to support you at different levels for you to make videos and stuff. Kind of a way to help you build a following and pay for things until your label takes over.”
Loud laughter bursts through the headphones, and I take them off. Through the window, the guys all talk to each other, shaking their heads and smiling. Mac turns back to me and taps his head. I put the headphones back on.
Hunter speaks first. “Sorry. It’s taken the guys this long to see how incredible you are.”
“Thanks for the idea, Mel,” Mac says. “I’ll get on it. Now, let’s do this.”
The music plays in my ear. Each note’s flawless and perfect. My fists clench in anticipation of my ability to ruin what they’ve created. When Hunter’s sexy voice comes in for the first part of the song, it catches me off guard, and I miss my cue.
“Sorry. Wasn’t expecting him to be singing in my ear. Can we try again?”
Four tries later, I finally sing my way through the first verse. Even my untrained ears detect my flaws.
Mac stops me before the chorus. “Let’s go back to the top.”
“I know I’m screwing this up.” My heart sinks at the inevitable outcome.
The guys talk with each other through the window. Hunter stands up, his arms crossed. He’s probably pissed that they want to call the whole thing off. They come to some conclusion, and their faces turn back to me. Except Hunter.
He opens the door to the booth. “Hey. I think we have a better way to get what we want.” He plugs in a few chords and pulls his headphones around his neck. “We’re gonna sing it live. Just you and me. Just like before.”
“You and me?”
“Like I told you before. You and me. Definitely a good idea.” He kisses me soft but sure.
We hear Mac’s voice in our ears. “Okay, let’s do one take of verse one so we can make sure to adjust our levels.”
I try not to look so confused with all the music talk. Hunter chuckles.
