CHAPTER TWENTY
Bright stars splattered the sky by the time Katie pulled up to Clay’s condo. She’d been trying to reach him for the past two hours to let him know she was close. He had sent a brief text saying he was still in the studio but would call in a few. No such call came. She figured he was immersed in the music and couldn’t fault him for forgetting. If he was in the middle of something creative, she didn’t want to bother him and chose to park near his home, wandering down Broadway, stretching her legs after the four-hour drive, mingling with the tourists. The bright lights and the sounds of country twang made the atmosphere carnival-like. She looked out of place dressed in navy pants and a scoop neck, pale-pink sleeveless blouse. Her pointy shoes clicked along the cement, and she held her pocketbook close as she took in the sights and sounds. She wished Clay had given her access to his place, but he had been so busy during the first week of collaborations with his new team that he had forgotten to leave a key just in case he was running late. And now she couldn’t get in touch with him.
Following a group of people into a familiar honkytonk, she found a lone seat at the bar and set her pocketbook down. She ordered a Tanqueray and tonic and texted Clay to let him know where she was. Swiveling on the stool, she watched a trio of girls on stage sing in three-part harmony. All three were gorgeous, young, and blonde and each one played an instrument effortlessly. No doubt they’d get discovered.
“Hey, darlin’. I haven’t seen you around here before.” A tall, good-looking cowboy sat next to her, holding a bottled beer by the neck. Yeah, he was cruising.
Katie eyed him and took a quick sip of her drink. “I’m waiting on someone. Sorry.”
“Well, now. There ain’t no harm in having a conversation while you wait, is there?” His green eyes displayed pleasure as he looked her up and down. “Where’re you from?”
Annoyed, she rolled her eyes and looked at him briefly. “Atlanta.”
“Hot-lanta! A real-life city girl. What brings you to the Music City?”
“My boyfriend.” She said matter-of-factly with a raised eyebrow.
“Oh. Boyfriend, huh? Well, where is he?” He looked around dramatically. “That’s not very gentlemanly of him to leave a pretty thing like you all by your lonesome.” His index finger traced her bare arm making her wince.
“Listen, I’m not interested.” She was firm, pulling away from his touch.
“Hmmm… that’s too bad. You look like you’d be a lot of fun.” He smirked, leaning his elbow on the bar and tipping the beer up to his mouth guzzling the whole thing.
Katie nervously looked at the blank screen on her phone. Where in the hell was Clay?
“If he ain’t comin’, I can show you a real good time.” He skimmed the back of his calloused hand across her cheek catching her off guard.
“I said, I’m not interested!” She deliberately tipped her drink over, the contents spilling all over the man’s crotch. He jumped up in a hurry.
“Dammit, girl! Now, look what you’ve done!” Frantically, he grabbed at a stack of cocktail napkins pressing them to his jeans before storming off toward the bathrooms, looking like he had pissed himself. The bartender came over to see what the commotion was.
“You alright?” he asked.
“Yeah. Dumbass couldn’t take no for an answer. What do I owe you?”
“Don’t worry about it. On the house.”
“Thanks.”
She watched him clean up the puddle left behind and looked at her phone again. Nothing. She didn’t want to wait at the bar anymore for fear of asshole-cowboy coming back to taunt her. She left quickly and started to walk. She liked Nashville, but it felt weird being alone in Clay’s city, especially on a Friday night. The familiar Batman building towered above, reminding her of the view from the skylight in his bedroom. How she wished they were safe under the sheets, his hard body wrapped around her. Even walking among the masses of tourists out for the evening, she felt vulnerable and alone. She remembered the route Clay had taken when they walked home a couple of weekends ago and started that way, eventually ending up sitting on the same park bench across from the Ryman Theatre. She sent an updated text to let him know where she was. The summer air was thick with humidity, and she could see heat lightning flash in the distance. Tears pricked her eyes and pride filled up her being as she stared at the great church lit up in the night.
It was remarkable that in a little over a month he would be performing in the iconic building and introduced as a new touring artist. Since the moment he made his decision to go for it, their sweet little routine had changed. Her heart ached to know that things might not ever be the same, but at the same time, she was overwhelmed with delight knowing that the masses would soon be exposed to his incredible talent. Once he was out on the road, the whole world would want a piece of him, she was sure of it. The unthinkable darted into her thoughts. Perhaps she should cut ties with him before things got too complicated. He had told her up front that long-distance relationships never worked, and it was definitely not working right now. Maybe she should get in the car and drive home—let him concentrate on the music and not have to worry about having a girlfriend to entertain. She couldn’t help but sniffle and chalked up her wayward feelings to being dog-tired from the long work week and the four-hour drive from Atlanta. Still, she couldn’t help but wonder if the sacrifice was worth it or had it all been too good to be true?
“Katie…”
She immediately recognized his voice but didn’t turn around.
He sat close to her, his hand immediately stroking the side of her face. “Baby, I’m so sorry. I lost track of time. I should’ve had you come straight to the studio. I’m a complete moron. I came as soon as I saw your last text. You shouldn’t be out here all alone.”
The concerned tinge in his voice touched her, and the warmth of his hand on her skin was comforting, but she couldn’t quite look at him. “I’m not alone. See the tourists out and about, taking photos of the Ryman? I’m fine.” She pointed at several folks laughing in front of the famous building.
“No, you’re not. I can tell by your body language and the fact that you can’t even look at me.” He gripped her shoulder. “Look at me, Katie. Please.”
She swallowed and turned, their eyes locking together. The gold flecks in his caramel eyes glistened under the street lamps, his facial expression displaying regret. His hair looked like he had just woken up and his lips were full and inviting. Her heart surged with want, the desire to kiss him overwhelming.
He gingerly tucked a stray hair behind her ear and tilted his head as he stared back at her. “I messed up, Pretty Girl. Can you forgive me?”
She offered him a tiny smile and shook her head. “There’s nothing to forgive, Clay. I’m just tired from the drive. Can we please go back to your place now?”
