“You trying to get a tan with those blinds open?” He approached her, the frown line between his perfect brows evident as if trying to figure out what she was up to.
Katie giggled. “No. I, uh… I was enjoying the sunrise for a change.” She nonchalantly flipped her hair over her shoulder.
“Enjoying the sunrise for a change…. Hhmm.” He eyed her contemplatively before sitting in the spare chair across from her desk and crossing his leg at the knee. Katie noticed right away that he wore no socks with his designer loafers.
“What’s his name?” His voice was low and insinuating. She was busted.
Sighing, she set her coffee cup down before lowering the blinds and clamping them shut. She was going to stretch out the suspense as long as she could and took her time to sit in her office chair resting both elbows on the cherry wood desk. His eyes followed her every move, and he watched her as she held her chin in her hands, offering a naughty smile. He arched one eyebrow as if waiting with bated breath.
“His name is Clay Watkins…”
“I knew it!” he exclaimed, slapping his thigh and jumping up in the air.
“And how did you know, Dale?”
He approached the desk wagging his finger at her. The blue in his eyes sparkled. “Youneverwear your hair down, and youneverwatch the sunrise. In fact, this is the first time I have ever seen those blinds open! By this time every single morning, you’re halfway through your emails sipping your third cup of coffee with a pencil stuck in your bun!”
Katie leaned back in her chair giggling. It tickled her to see Dale get so worked up and animated, which brought out his flamboyance.
He sat back down in the chair while straightening his tie. “You may continue…” he said with a regal air, tilting his nose up like an aristocrat, crossing his leg again.
Not knowing where to begin, she shook her head while absent-mindedly twirling a pen with her fingers. “We ran into each other at the reunion Saturday night. He asked if he could buy me a drink and we ended up sitting in the back of his pickup overlooking the Chattahoochee River till sunrise.” Blushing, she looked away. “I cooked him breakfast at my place and then we…we…”
“We what?” Dale’s eyes were wide with anticipation.
“We went and played bingo at his mother’s retirement home.” The look on his puzzled face made her laugh out loud. “After we have wild sex for hours!”
Dale shrieked covering his mouth with both hands. “You harlot!” He grinned, leaning forward.
“You can say that again!” They both erupted in laughter.
When they finally calmed down, Dale dabbed the corners of his eyes. “Was it good?”
Katie deeply inhaled as if smelling the most beautiful flower on earth. “It was incredible.”
“Mmmmm,” he replied dreamily. There was a long pause before he sat up in the chair. “So, what does he do? What does he look like? Better yet, who would play him in a movie?”
“Ha! Of course, he’s gorgeous. Who would play him in a movie? Hmmm…” She chewed on her bottom lip in thought. “Eric Dane.”
“Oooh,” Dale sighed. “McSteamy.”
She nodded in agreement. “And you’re never going to believe this, Dale. He’s a pretty famous Nashville songwriter. Ever heard of ‘Georgia Clay’? That’s what they call him in the music business.”
“A real-life cowboy! I don’t listen to country music, so I’m afraid I’ve never heard of him.”
Katie grabbed her mouse and quickly accessed a file on her computer. She had Googled Clay earlier in the morning, surprised to see how famous he was. “I’m sure you’ve heard of this song.”
She turned up the volume on her computer monitor, and the melody of a familiar ballad seeped into the air, sung beautifully by a famous female pop artist. The song was aptly entitled, “Forever in Love” and had debuted initially as a country song. It had recently been picked up and featured on the soundtrack of a blockbuster movie. The song had crossed over into the pop world and had won Clay his first Grammy.
“Oh. My. God. Did Clay write that? I know this song!”
“Yes. He was even nominated for an Oscar because of the song featured in that movie…what was it called?”
“The Watchman,” he sighed languorously. “Ilovedthat movie. Brad Pitt was aGodin that movie…” They were silent allowing the beautiful song to play out. “Did he win the Oscar for Song of the Year?”
“Unfortunately, no. But he did win a Grammy. When the song first debuted on the country charts, he won a CMA and a Billboard Music Award too.” She started to read from the screen, excitement obvious in her voice. “He’s a two-time ASCAP Country Songwriter of the Year winner and picked up three CMA Triple-Play trophies for having three number one songs within a year.Andhe was recently inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.”
“Damn, girl! You’ve been doing your homework.” He crossed his arms in his taupe-colored suit.
