Clay couldn’t help the immediate grin that spread across his face and looked down at the glass he was fingering nervously. It was hard not to smile when he thought of Katie. “It was a combination of things, I guess.” He lifted his head and looked intently at his friend. “I’ve been thinking about this since the first time you offered me a recording contract three years ago. I like to weigh my pros and cons—take my time on big decisions.”
“I’ll say! Thank god you swung my way. This sure is a hell-of-a-way to start the work week.” Buddy lifted his glass into the air in a salute before tipping it back and downing the bourbon in one swallow. Clay followed suit. “Now get outta here. I got work to do on behalf of my new male country music superstar.”
Clay stood bashfully, shifting in his boots. “Thank you, Buddy. I mean it.” He thrust his hand out across the desk.
Buddy took it and laid his other hand on top. “No, Clay. Thankyou.”
***
Katie sprawled across her king-sized bed in nothing but her bra and panties, trying to cool off from the August heat. She had come home at a decent hour after work for a change, trying to coax her body into a new workout regime that included a brisk walk around the neighborhood. What she didn’t anticipate was how freakishly hot it was outside in the early evening. Every ounce of water she had consumed that day poured out of her in buckets of sweat. Her cheeks flushed, and her hair was soaked. The AC and spinning ceiling fan did little to cool her down, and when her cell phone rang, she moaned, not wanting to move.
“Hello, this is Katie Parker,” she answered with her eyes closed.
“Katie? It’s Clay. What are you doing?”
“Clay?” She sat up with a start. He normally called around ten in the evening. On occasion, he called her at the office to let her know he was pining for her. “Is everything okay?”
“Yeah. Everything is…great! I couldn’t wait to call you tonight. I wanted you to be the first to know.”
She held her breath. “The first to know what?”
“I did it. I talked to Buddy. The wheels are in motion for me to sign with Warner Music as a touring artist!”
She jumped off the bed and squealed. “Oh, my god! That’s fantastic! Was he surprised?”
Tapping the speakerphone button on her cell, she set it on the nightstand and grabbed a towel to wipe the continuous sweat that trickled from her pores. She listened intently to Clay give her a play-by-play of his conversation with Buddy. When he told her he would have carte blanche of what songs would go on his first record and he would get to pick his producer, she was in awe.
“Buddy wants to get a special holiday tour together and head out after the Ryman show. He thinks we’re going to make a lot of money together on the road.”
“Wow…,” she sighed, sitting on the edge of the bed. Her chest was heaving, and her head started to ache. A small panic button had gone off in her brain, throwing her off. She was excited for Clay, sure. But the realization that it was all happening so quickly caught her off guard. “What happens next?” Her voice was small.
“He wants to concentrate on the Ryman show and recording my debut album. We have about six weeks to put it all together. Katie, he wants me to perform four songs that night…four! The other artists only get two. He said something about saving me for last.”
“The best for last,” she interjected. “You’re gonna blow their boots off.”
Clay chuckled. “I’m just glad you’ll be there in the audience.”
Katie nodded. “Yes. I’ll be there. I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
They talked a little more before Clay was interrupted with a call from a potential producer he was interested in. He told Katie news travels fast in Music City and promised to call her back later. They said goodbye and she free-fell onto the bed, puzzled by the hot tears that streamed down her cheeks. Everything was changing. How would this affect their new relationship moving forward? Would they be able to see each other at all? She wiped the tears with her damp towel and shook her head, resolved to be genuinely happy for Clay and not worry. If the universe threw them back together again after ten years apart, surely, they could find a way to make things work while he was on the road. Her cell phone rang again, startling her out of her funk. She assumed it was Clay calling back.
“Hey, Firecracker. Did you miss me?” she said seductively into the receiver.
“Who the hell is Firecracker?”
Katie sat upright, her eyes wide with surprise. “Hartford? Is that you?”
“Hey, baby girl! I’m gonna be in town for a few days. You mind if your older brother stays over a couple of nights?”
Her heart surged with sibling love. Hartford Parker was one of her most favorite people on the planet. A few nights with her only brother would cheer her up for sure.
“You better! I’ll have your room all ready for you. What are you in town for?” She could hear traffic sounds in the background of the call.
“It’s a long story. Save me some time after work so we can catch up. I’m flying in tomorrow.”
