The Last One

by Skylar Platt

  “There are so many celebrities in this town now, most everyone just gives us a wave or hello. Certain weeks, like CMA fest, it's a lot harder then, but locals let us be. John gets noticed more than me because of the beard and Jennifer, because she’s just Jennifer. I could probably be totally incognito if I weren't so tall."

  “Or until you open your mouth - I'd say that voice would give you away too.”

  He laughed and nodded. "Maybe. People mostly think I'm "somebody" but without John or Jennifer they aren't always sure who.”

  The smell of grits and butter and cheese filled my nose as we walked in. "Oh my God, I'm starving," I laughed. I put my glasses on and perused the menu on the wall with Teddy pressed against me from behind reading over my head. The public display of affection filled me with joy. We could have been any couple out for a late breakfast on a hot summer day. And I could not have been more relaxed.

  We devoured our food and laughed about how ravenous we were. He loved that I had such an appetite. We made a grocery stop en route back to the house and spent the rest of the afternoon making love and napping. We built a fire in the fire pit and cooked out finishing just in time to watch the thunderstorm roll over the hills from the covered porch.

  Everything was beyond perfect.

  When we went inside and I saw multiple missed calls from Natalie, my heart seized in alarm.

  “Where are you?” she said when she picked up.

  “Nashville, why?”

  “O.M.G.! It really is you!”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “’Famously single Teddy Abbott, front man for the family trio The Low Road, was spotted this morning at Biscuit Love canoodling a mystery woman.’ It’s all over the internet! The picture is really sweet, by the way, and OMG, you go girl!”

  I hung my head in disbelief and a wave of fear and concern washed through me.

  Teddy was watching me with serious concern on his face. I glanced at him and then opened the Instagram link Natalie sent me. Apparently someone from Country Music Television had spotted us and took it upon themselves to out us. I handed my phone to Teddy.

  I was afraid of how pissed he might be, but he was the one doing most of the canoodling. Then I saw a huge smile break out across his face.

  “Ooooohhh, mystery woman,” he chuckled. “I like that!”

  “You’re OK with this?”

  “Of course, why wouldn’t I be?” He asked genuinely confused as to why I might be worried. “Wait. I’m sorry, you aren’t used to this. I’m sorry, I should have been more considerate when we were out.”

  “No, it’s not that…” I hesitated. Part of me thought this was really cool, I’m not going to lie, but soon the age thing would come up, and I’m no super model. I looked at the picture. It was very sweet, while we were standing in line, Teddy pressed against me from behind, arms around my chest, chin resting on my head, me nestled against his chest, hands on his arms. The view is from the side, so nothing really identifiable about me. Nothing to indicate our age difference or my average looks.

  As if reading my mind, he dropped the phone on the couch and stood. “You have no idea how incredible you are do you?”

  I shook my head. I really needed to hear him say it.

  “Do you know that I spotted you in the crowd the minute we hit the stage in Delaware?”

  “You did not,” I said.

  “I did, swear to God,” he said. “Why do you think I was so quick to see you and let you get to me to make the song request? I’m not sure you’re ready to hear what I told John that night after I told you good bye.”

  I shrugged. He pulled me into his chest and kissed the top of my head, not intending to elaborate yet.

  “I will be as low key about this relationship as you want me to be, but I’m afraid this is part of being with me and I have been single for so long there will be a lot of initial attention. After that they will move on. Jennifer’s husband isn’t splashed all over social media except when they want to be. John married another musician, so…”

  “Relationship?” I craned my neck to look up at him.

  “Yes, sweetheart, relationship.” He winked and kissed me.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  TEDDY

  “I’ll see you in a few weeks,” I said into the top of her head inhaling the sweet floral scent of her hair.

  The trip to Montana and Idaho had been a blast. She had even managed to get me out hiking in the mountains twice.

  Playing with her just off stage watching was new for me, not just with Olivia, but with anyone. Even the one relationship that I considered serious happened before The Low Road really got going and that was in part what broke us up. Since then, I’d focused on music and limited my personal life to a few superficial flings and the only girl who had my heart was Biscuit. Until now.

  I’d never really let anyone share this part of my life. Performing felt different. Every song had new meaning. I had so many songs I wanted to write for her, share with her. I wanted to share everything with her. More than anything I wanted to share my life with her. In just a couple of months, a few hundred texts and hours on the phone, the feeling I had the night I met her was simply reinforced.

  Trouble was she was still hung up on the age difference and I know she was unsure of the lifestyle itself.

  “Thank you for this,” she said.

  “You know you don’t have to thank me. I’ve loved having you here, love every minute that I get with you…” I pushed her off of my chest so I could look into those pale blue eyes. “I love you.”

  Her jaw dropped. I pressed a finger to her lips, I did not expect a response, I just wanted her to know it.

  “Go, you’re going to miss your flight,” I whispered against her still open mouth.

  OLIVIA

  I hadn’t seen that coming.

  Yes, I had.

  I don’t know. I felt it the very first time we made love at his house in Nashville and every single time he’s looked at me since. The stupid voice inside of my head calls on my insecurities frequently just when I’m feeling good to point out the wrinkles around my eyes, the creases showing up along my throat.

  Then I look at Teddy and all I see is a tall, gorgeous hunk of a man who adores me. That thick deep voice sends shivers up my spine when he sings to me through the phone or purrs into my ear.

  “I love you,” he’d said. And I’d been struck dumb. I never expected to hear those words again. Honestly hadn’t been sure I ever wanted to. My past experiences with love have not played out very well for me, except that I do have Grace.

  “Ma’am, ma’am?” The man behind me in the security line rousted me from my thoughts. The line had opened up in front of me.

  “Huh? Oh, gosh, I’m sorry,” I picked up my backpack and stepped forward about to hand my driver’s license to the security agent. I paused, looked back out into the airport. He was probably long gone. I looked at the man behind me in line. He furrowed his brow at me. “Go ahead, I…” I didn’t finish my sentence, I started to weave my way back out of the line and began my dash down the concourse, down the escalator by ticketing and out the doors we had come in. There was no sign of him. Damn it, this always works in the movies.

  Overcome with the emotion of the past two months, the tears started to flow uncontrollably and not lightly. Oh, good Lord what is happening to me. People had started to stare and an older lady was actually about to reach out to me and offer help when I saw him. His 6-4 frame was unmistakable as he strolled across the short-term lot where we had parked Jennifer’s rental car.

  I did manage to look left before leaping out into traffic to get flattened by the rental car shuttle.

  “Teddy!” I screamed, knowing he could not hear me. There was no way I would reach him in time, but then I realized, I was closer to the exit than he was. I made it to the exit lane and when I saw the car pull around the far side, I started walking toward it. I’m not sure how long it took him to realize that the fool woman wal
king down the middle of the road was me, but the car finally came to a stop.

  “What the hell?” he was laughing and braced himself for impact as I launched into his arms. I was full-on sobbing by now and was supremely winded from my super sprint.

  “You must think I’m a lunatic,” I choked. He was holding my face, wiping away the faucet of tears.

  “As a matter of fact,” he started. “But you’re my lunatic.”

  I managed a smile and regained some tiny bit of composure. “Yes, I am.” I exhaled deeply. “I love you.” I let out another big breath. “I didn’t want to get on that plane without you hearing that.”

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  OLIVIA

  “I’m so not a shopper, I don’t have the slightest clue how to begin for an event like this,” I whined to Meredith.

  As usual she was giggling at me. I seem to handle the tough stuff like a champ, but stuff that should be fun and enjoyable can often spin me out. I’ve completely forgotten how to let good stuff happen and enjoy it. So here I sit with Teddy’s credit card in my hand and free reign to splurge and I have no idea where to begin.

  “Well, you start by getting your butt up here to DC and I will show you how to do this!” Meredith said.

  We’d been laying in bed last week at my house when he was in town for the concert.

  “The CMA Awards are in November,” he said, rolling back over and pinning me down with one of those long legs.

  “Yes, I’ve heard of those,” I smiled. I also knew they were nominated in multiple categories.

  “I want you to come with me.”

  “What?”

  He just raised his eyebrows and waited.

  “You know you’re going to ruin your reputation if you keep galavanting around with the mystery woman!”

  “Then, babe, consider my reputation scarred for life, because I will not stop my galavanting ways,” he reached up and tickled my tummy and nuzzled into my neck. I made futile efforts to kick my legs up and squealed at him. “So that’s a yes?”

  I sighed heavily. “Teddy…”

  He sat up on his elbows. “OK, let’s hear it.”

  “I…well, I’m going to need something to wear.”

  “Go shopping, you have plenty of time between now and then.”

  “But I don’t have plenty of money,” I said sheepishly.

  “But, I do!”

  I sighed again and bit my lip. “My boss is starting to grow weary of my time-off requests.”

  “So quit.”

  “What?”

  “Do you like your job?”

  “No, not even a little but actually.”

  “Then quit.”

  “Teddy, I have to eat, I have bills to pay…I need a paycheck.”

  “No you don’t, you’ve got me.”

  “What?” I wriggled out from under him uncomfortable with what this conversation was doing with my emotions. Teddy was rich and growing richer with each song they put out. I had let him fly me around and take me out to eat and essentially fund the small amounts of time we had actually gotten to spend together. He had not showered me with gifts, that’s not his style. But here he was offering me the best gift of all, freedom, security. He was offering to rescue me and I hated myself for wanting it so damn much.

  “What would you be doing if you could do whatever you wanted? And following me all over the country is an OK answer too,” he said with a smile and sat up and kissed my shoulder.

  The answer was not a hard one, and it was not the latter. I turned my gaze to the gallery wall of black and white landscape and animal photographs I had taken years ago. Some so long ago that they were actually developed from film.

  He followed my gaze. “Why did you stop?”

  “Life,” was all I said.

  “Well, let’s start a new life, together.”

  “Talk like that is liable to make this girl start dreaming again,” I gave him a little grin.

  “Dream away baby,” he took my face in his hands and pressed those warm full lips to mine. “Dream away. And go shopping!” He winked. He glanced at the clock and bolted from the bed. “I’ll see you in a bit, come for sound check if you want.”

  ----------------

  I was not permitted to pull the dresses off the rack myself, only to point at the ones I liked and they were then whisked away to a dressing room. Meredith did her fair share of choosing for me as well. Soon there were nearly a dozen dresses lining the wall of the dressing room which was roughly the size of my master bedroom.

  Leave it to Meredith. She elevated everything from a simple meet-and-greet, or shopping for a formal dress, to an experience. There was reason in two short years she had transformed herself into event-planner extraordinaire and was becoming one of the most sought-after planners in Northern Virginia and D.C.

  “No hiding in the dressing room either. Your opinion is irrelevant,” she shouted. She knows me to well. “I must see everything!”

  We both wrinkled our noses at the first few and I was afraid this was going to be a very long day. Then I picked up the dark teal chiffon dress that Meredith had turned her nose up at when I pointed to it, but it landed in the dressing room anyway.

  Dark teal, so dark it looked black. It was a halter dress, perfect to show off my shoulders. It was blousy across the front, one sheer chiffon panel in the back (bra not gonna happen), then it dropped to a short skirt with thin single layer-6-inch chiffon panels in the front which graduated to multiple layers across the back to something of a train. It was fun, gorgeous, made me look leggy and it was comfortable!

  I walked out into the open room where Meredith was conversing with a very handsome guy who must have been picking up a dress for someone.

  They turned at the same time and the jaws fell, mine included.

  “Wow!” Meredith said.

  “Uh, yeah, what she said,” he said. Just then a seamstress took him aside to show him something on a dress she was about to zip up into a bag for him.

  “OMG!” I mouthed to Meredith before he turned his attention back to us. She just shrugged and tried to act unimpressed. She also had no idea who he was. To her he was just a good-looking dude in a women’s dress shop.

  “Stunning,” he said to me. And then said something to Meredith.

  “Good luck this weekend,” I said quietly as he started to walk away.

  “Thank you,” he smiled. “We might need a bit of that.”

  Meredith was completely baffled now. I rolled my eyes. “Anthony Palmiero, short stop for the Eagles, three-time league MVP, tied the record for most home runs in a World Series game.”

  “Oh,” she said. “How do you know stuff like that? Well, I just thought he was hot.”

  “How do you live in this town and not know stuff like that? And he is hot, very. And I made his jaw drop!” I giggled and returned to the dressing room with the winning dress.

  CHAPTER NINE

  OLIVIA

  There were some photographers in the living room of the suite we had with John, Jennifer and their spouses. Apparently someone was doing a sort of documentary about the awards process and The Low Road was the band being followed for the evening. There was also a crew tailing a male and female vocalist of the year nominee. This little tidbit of information had conveniently slipped Teddy’s mind until today. I was freaked out enough with the prospect of being photographed and possibly on TV just by being with Teddy.

  I had been plucked, waxed, scrubbed, spray-tanned, manicured, hair colored, cut, styled in a messy up do, with long pieces flowing down to my shoulders. I had fake eyelashes put on, thanks to Jennifer, and makeup by Jennifer and her stylist. It was bordering on ridiculous, but also girlie fun I hadn't had in years, hell, decades.

  “Holy shit!” I said when I looked in the full-length mirror. “I even think I look hot.” They laughed.

  Teddy’s back was to our door as Jennifer and I emerged. She stepped aside quickly and I stepped into the room, my heart pounding. John smiled
and simply said "Wow!" which prompted Teddy to turn.

  “Holy shit!" he said. I turned to Jennifer and we laughed. His jaw dropped and he seemed to be without the ability to speak anything further. Mission accomplished. I cocked an eyebrow at him and grinned.

  “Will this do?” I walked over to him.

  He just stared at me. “I can't breathe," he said quietly with his Teddy grin. He kissed me lightly. “Wow, just wow!" I spun around for him and he smiled.

  "You don't look so bad yourself," I said as I stepped back and drank him in with the traditional tux, but with a black shirt. His dark hair was slicked back and he had kept just the right amount of stubble.

  TEDDY

  She had expressed concern about walking the red carpet with me, being photographed, being on TV. What it all boiled down to was that she didn’t feel worthy.

  “You know if you didn’t want to be noticed, you kind of went the wrong route here,” I said holding her hand tightly as we joined the throngs of people lining up for official arrival and media schmoozing. "Damn you look hot!"

  “This is for you, not them,” she said, pressing her entire body against me.

  She stuck by my side through a lot of the photos, but hung back when I joined John and Jennifer for interviews and TV spots. When I left her she was with Jennifer’s husband and they intended to navigate their way inside. But when I spotted him she was nowhere to be found.

  “Where is Olivia?” I asked trying not to be overprotective, I mean she is an adult. What I was also forgetting is that she is also a huge country music fan. So, it’s highly likely she is fan-geeking out somewhere. The thought no sooner entered my mind than I spotted her with Chris Stapleton and his wife. They were looking at his wife’s phone and laughing about something.

  “Hi,” she said as I strolled up and gave me that sheepish little grin that turned me inside out.