“It would be foolish to say no to this. I know that. I just need to sleep on it and get used to the idea.”
“I’m excited for you! I think you’ll do really great. Maybe you’ll have your own band?”
Laura nodded. “They said they could help me with that, put together a backup band and get me some gigs with some of their other artists. Start small at first, open for them and just do a few songs.”
“Imagine if you’re the headline act someday? How crazy would that be? I can see it, though.” Tina said proudly.
“You can? I can’t. It’s completely surreal to me. I almost feel guilty because so many people would kill for this chance and I’m scared to death.”
“Think of the money potential,” Tina said practically. “You’ll make money on the CD and download sales, but the real money is in touring. Live shows.”
“I’ve never thought much about the money. It’s never been about that for me.”
“I know it hasn’t. Or you wouldn’t be teaching. But, the reality is, you might not have to worry about it anymore.”
“I can’t even think about that.”
“When do they want an answer?”
“I told him I’d call tomorrow morning.”
“Well, we’ll have to go out tomorrow night then, and celebrate for real!”
Laura woke feeling oddly calm and at peace. She called Harry Evans at a few minutes past nine, and the receptionist put her right through.
“Are you calling me with good news?” He sounded as if he’d already had two cups of coffee and was full of energy and enthusiasm. Laura was only half-way into her first cup and barely awake, but she wanted to make the call before she lost her nerve.
“I am. I’m excited to work with you.”
“Fantastic! Why don’t you come on in next Monday, and we’ll get things rolling for you? Do you have a manager?”
“Um, no.”
“Okay, I know a good guy I can refer to you. If it’s all right with you, I’ll have him give you a call this week. He’ll work with you to get your name out there more and get you some gigs, once you’re ready for it.”
“Oh, all right.”
“Name is Ricky Carson. You’ll like him. Welcome aboard, Laura.”
“Thank you.” Laura set the phone down. It was done. She grabbed a sweatshirt, her notebook and headed out to the coffee shop. She needed to walk and was hoping she might see Jason to share her news. She was dying to tell someone who would understand.
The shop was almost empty when she walked in. It was just past nine thirty, so most people were already at work. Laura ordered her usual cappuccino and settled at her favorite small table by the window.
She had a few sips, but her coffee mostly grew cold as she day-dreamed and scribbled ideas in her notebook. She was so into her thoughts that she didn’t hear Jason come up next to her and jumped at the sound of a chair moving.
“Am I interrupting?” he asked as he sat across from her.
“No, not at all. I was just in my own world. You know how it is.”
Jason smiled. “I do, indeed. He pulled out his own notebook and pen, and then asked, “So, tell me all about it. How did it go?”
Lauren put her pen down and leaned back in her chair.
“It was crazy. Different than I expected, but hopefully good.” She filled him on her meeting and what they had in mind.
“Are you okay with that?” he asked.
“Performing? I think so. It’s an incredible opportunity, right? I’d be crazy to say no.”
“I couldn’t say no. If they wanted to throw money at me and put me up in front of people, I wouldn’t think twice about it.” Jason grinned. “I’m thrilled for you. A little envious, I’ll admit it. But really happy for you. That’s awesome news.”
“Thank you. You really think it could be a good thing?”
Jason was quiet for a moment and then nodded. “I do. I know you’d prefer to just write your songs and hand them over, but you have a nice voice. There’s a breathy quality, a sweet raspiness to it that is kind of innocent and sexy at the same time.” He grinned at her and then added, “You’re not bad-looking, either. I can see why they’d want you.”
Laura laughed. She was relieved that he thought she could do it. Jason’s opinion was important to her.
“I have some news, too. Not as big as yours, but still pretty cool.”
“What?”
“I got a call from Andrew Wyatt. He’s seen me a few times at recent writer nights and wondered if I might be interested in playing with his band on a trial basis, to see how it goes.”
“Andrew Wyatt? Why does his name sound familiar?” Laura couldn’t place who he was.
“He’s the lead singer for the Downtown Blues band.”
“Oh! Wow. That is exciting news.” Laura had heard them play a few times over the past year and was impressed.
Jason smiled. “It’s starting to happen for us.”
The next week was a whirlwind of activity, beginning with a phone call from Ricky Carson, the manager that Harry had mentioned. He wanted to meet up for coffee and Laura suggested the shop down the street. They met that Friday morning at ten. Laura arrived at a quarter to and brought her cappuccino to her usual table by the window. That way she could keep an eye out for him—though she had no idea what he looked like. His voice was deep and warm, and he described himself as average height and wearing a baseball cap to make up for the fact that he had no hair. She liked that he laughed at himself. At a few minutes before ten, she watched a man approach the front door that fit that description. He walked in, looked around, then saw her and smiled.
"You must be Laura." He held out his hand to introduce himself. "Ricky Carson."
"Nice to meet you."
"I see you have your coffee. Can I get you anything else?"
"No, I'm good, thanks."
He walked off and returned a few minutes later with a cup of steaming black coffee and sat down across from her.
"So, I understand this is going to be a big change for you? And a huge opportunity. You weren't planning to perform?"
"That wasn't the plan originally, no," she admitted.
"But you're okay with it now?" He watched her carefully. She nodded.
"I think so. I'm a little nervous, of course. But, it's gotten easier to get up there. Especially when they like the songs."
Ricky leaned back in his chair, crossed his legs and took a long, slow sip of coffee.
"I listened to your demo tape. It's very good. I can help you connect with the right people and start playing around town, get your name known. We need to get a band together to support you."
"Harry said the same thing."
"We spoke about it a little. He has some ideas, and I do too. We thought we'd see who might be interested and then have you play with a few of them. See if the synergy is there. I have one band in particular in mind that could be interesting. They just lost their lead singer a few weeks ago and are trying to regroup."
"What happened to their singer?" Laura hoped it wasn't anything too tragic.
"Pregnancy and a husband who accepted a job out-of-state. Her singing was a hobby in his eyes. Too bad, because she was pretty good."
"Oh, that's too bad." Laura couldn't imagine giving up her career like that.
"Maybe it was more of a hobby to her. Hard to say. But the guys took it pretty hard. I sent one of their demos over to Harry to take a listen. We should know more in a few days. So, tell me more about you. What does Laura Scott want?"
Laura thought about that for a moment. No one had ever come out and asked her that before.
"I want people to hear my songs, and hopefully, to like them. That's all I've ever wanted."
Ricky smiled. "Well, I can help you with that, at getting the word out. If you want me to?"
"I'd like that."
“So, Daddy says if we get married this fall, he’ll give us the Plantation house.” Chelsea was lying with her head in Cole�
��s lap as he idly ran his hands through her hair. They’d just had a delicious dinner at the club and were lounging on the living room sofa in the townhouse Chelsea shared with her best friend, Missy.
“The Plantation house? Wow.” Chelsea’s family was wealthy, and her father often did business with Cole’s father. They owned multiple holdings around Charleston, and the Plantation house was a beauty. It overlooked marshlands and was on several grassy acres. The house itself was old, but roomy and well-maintained. Gorgeous, actually. The only problem was the location.
“So, should I tell him we accept?” Chelsea smiled up at him.
“Honey, that’s generous of your father and very tempting, but you know I really need to go to Nashville,” he said. `
“Well, I was thinking about that. You still have a year left in school, and this is where all of our family and friends are and my best chances for a job after graduation. If we marry in the fall and move into the Plantation, you’ll have a home base. Then when you graduate, you can go to Nashville every now and then. You don’t have to actually live there all the time to get on their radar, do you?”
“I suppose not,” Cole agreed. Nashville wasn’t really that far, less than a day’s drive. Plus, as far as he knew, the other guys had no interest in moving to Nashville. Music was more of a hobby for them, and they were happy playing local gigs.
Cole supposed that it was time to start ring-shopping. This wasn’t the first time Chelsea had brought up getting married and he knew that it was the next logical step. Truth be told, it would be the easiest thing for him to do. He’d dated plenty of girls and finally had to accept that he wasn’t likely to find what he had with Laura with anyone else. Chelsea was a great girl. They got along well enough and he wouldn’t mind having a ‘home base’, as she had put it. He liked the idea of settling down and wasn’t keen on the alternative—starting over with someone. While he might not be head over heels in love with Chelsea, he figured that he probably loved her enough.
Chapter 13
The next month was a whirlwind. Laura met with a few possible backup bands and clicked with the one that Ricky had mentioned when they first met. The guys in the band were talented musicians, all a few years older than her, except for the drummer, Jimmy who was the same age. Tom was on bass guitar, and Dylan played the lead guitar. Tom and Jimmy were brothers and looked it, with bright red hair and freckles.
Once they were all comfortable with each other, Ricky lined up their first gigs around town. This was nothing new for the rest of the band but for Laura, it was huge—terrifying and exhilarating at the same time. It felt entirely different from the many writer’s nights she’d done because those never felt like they were about her—it was always the song.
During the day, Laura had also started to record at the studio which was more exciting than anything she’d experienced so far. The hours flew by as she sang the same songs over and over again, and she never minded. She was fascinated by the whole process, adding in different effects and background tracks and trying slightly different spins on her delivery.
On the Friday before her first gig, she was in the studio working on one of the newest songs when Harry stopped by to listen for a bit and to wish her luck.
“Ricky tells me tonight is your first official performance. You’re probably a little nervous?”
“I am,” she admitted.
Harry smiled. “It’s normal. Use it to your advantage. Just focus on the music. It only takes one song that breaks out and you’re on your way. Wouldn’t surprise me if it’s the one you were just working on. Are you planning to sing that one tonight?”
“I’m not sure, actually. Dylan was working on the playlist. We’ve practiced it, though, so we could.”
“Tell him I suggested you add it. And pay attention to how the crowd reacts.”
“Okay, I’ll tell him.”
It was a different feeling to be part of a scheduled act and paid performers instead of wannabes waiting for a turn to sing. Laura felt like pinching herself when she wasn’t feeling sick with nerves. The Spire was a place that she’d only been to a few times since she moved to town. They were known for having great local bands and up-and-comers to keep an eye on. They charged a cover and Laura and her friends mostly went to the smaller venues and the open mic nights. This was something else entirely.
The energy in the air felt electric. She could hear the hum of the crowd, laughter, and conversations. A quick peek from backstage showed that the room was almost entirely full, and all the tables and seats near the stage were taken. Hundreds of people, waiting to hear music—her music. She swallowed nervously, hoping that she wouldn’t disappoint them.
“You’ll do fine.” Dylan appeared by her side and gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze.
“Thanks. I’m trying not to think about being nervous.”
“Just follow my lead. Find a focal point in the audience and look that way and just feel the music, let it go through you. You know what to do.”
“You guys ready? You’re on in five.” Tony, the bar manager, came back to check on them before disappearing back into the crowd.
“Let’s do this.” Dylan grabbed her hand and led her to their set up on stage. Laura lifted her guitar over her shoulder and adjusted it, feeling safer behind it. She wouldn’t be playing the way that the others would be, just strumming along, so she could focus on her vocals, but she was happy to do that.
The background music faded, and Tony bounded on stage to introduce them to the crowd.
“Everyone, you’re in for a treat. This is Laura Scott’s official first gig with her new band. She recently signed with Black Duck and is working on a CD. Enjoy!”
When the music started, Laura took a deep breath and looked around the room to find her focal point. For a moment she felt dizzy as the swarm of people was overwhelming, but she forced the fear down. The familiar melody swept over her, and she began to sing, trying to disappear into the music, but she was still overly aware of the audience. She sensed that her voice was a little wobbly at first but it evened out and when the song ended, there was polite applause.
They were on the last song of their first set when Dylan looked around and said, “A slight change in order. Let’s do Breaking Down now and First Love in the second set.” Breaking Down was the song Harry had suggested they add. First Love was her very first song, which was still her favorite. It was a softer melody whereas Breaking Down was more of an attention getter.
“Fine by me,” she said.
The tempo to the song had a different energy, more upbeat. And as she sang, Laura sensed a shift of interest in the crowd. People chatting less, and leaning forward to listen. It was a fun song to sing, and the lyrics were catchier. It was easier for her to lose herself in the song. When she finished, there was a moment of silence that was electrifying, and then the audience erupted in enthusiastic applause.
Dylan grinned and gave her a thumbs up. “You nailed it!” he said as they walked off-stage for a twenty-minute break between their two sets.
When they came back on, Laura noticed a difference. During most of the first set, the crowd had been listening but not really fully engaged until her last song. She supposed she couldn’t blame them. They’d never heard of her before, and she knew she wasn’t quite herself for most of the set. But now, they seemed eager to hear more.
They started with another one of her newer songs and finished the set with First Love. Dylan had suggested during the break that she say a few words before it, to thank them all for coming and help them to get to know her a bit. It was one thing to sing, with the band supporting her, but to directly address a crowd this size was daunting. But she recognized a good idea when she heard it.
She took a step forward and smiled at the crowd before speaking. “Thank you all for coming tonight. I really appreciate it. We all do.” She then introduced all the members of the band and the audience clapped politely for each of them. “This last song is special to me. It’s actua
lly the very first song I wrote, though it’s gone through many changes over the years. This is the latest version. I hope you like it.”
As she always did with this song, Laura disappeared into the music. It was a part of her, and she still didn’t know where this song came from, but it spoke to her and from the reaction it usually got on open mic nights, it connected with others, too. Tonight was no exception. When she finished singing, the crowd was on their feet as one, clapping and hollering. It was the biggest reaction she’d received yet, and it was surprising and so gratifying. She glanced over at Dylan, and he was looking at the crowd. When he turned her way, he had an expression that she couldn’t read, but he looked pleased.
“I think they want more,” he said.
“Really?” She hadn’t even considered the possibility of an encore.
“Yeah. Let’s do Magic.” Magic was another new song that they’d only done a few times together, but Laura knew it was one of her best.
They launched into the song and Laura was having the time of her life. The song was electric, and the crowd was loving it. The applause when they finished made that clear.
“First round is on me,” Dylan said when they left the stage. They were all on a high.
The hours had flown by, and she didn’t want the night to end. Tina, Rufus, and Jason were all there. Laura stopped by their table to say hello before joining the rest of the band.
“Is it always like that?” she asked as Dylan pulled out a chair for her to join them at their table where they were all drinking beer. A moment later a waitress came by to get her a drink, and she ordered a glass of wine.
Dylan exchanged amused glances with the others and shook his head. “No, it’s not. But when it is, it’s really something else. That was special tonight. I knew you were good, but man, that was something.”
“It was fun.”
Dylan lifted his glass and the others raised theirs. “Here’s to many more nights like this one!”
Nashville Dreams Page 8
