Page 18 of Love on Tour
“Right. Catch ya later, ladies.” He sauntered out the door while Christine and Julianna watched him leave.
“Damn. He looks as good leaving as he does coming,” Julianna said.
“Yep.”
“So Matt will call you?” Julianna said.
“It’s business.”
“For now,” Julianna said, making kissing noises as she left the room.
CHRISTINE REGRETTED SAYINGyes to going on the road with Austin. Of course, it was important for Hit Songs Publishing that she fast-track her work relationship with him. And even more important after her talk with Rick. She’d have time alone with Austin to better understand what type of songs he was looking for. This could be the opportunity she needed. But the bus? She’d briefly met the band, and they’d seemed nice. She knew them by reputation. It was a small town, after all. They were talented songwriters along with being excellent musicians. And there was at least one other female, Alicia. The others on the bus would be complete strangers. She’d see Matt, which was a plus. But Matt would also seeher—first thing in the morning.
She knew people would find it odd that she cared more about what Matt thought than what Austin did. Austin was the famous singer women screamed for and fought over. Yet it was Mattwhose mere presence had made her stomach flip and her skin feel tingly. She’d felt giddy when he was around. And Christine was not known for being giddy. Having read many women’s magazines over the years, she knew attraction released dopamine as well as other happy hormones she could never remember the names of. While she enjoyed Austin’s company, and he lightened up her serious personality, it was being around Matt that made her feel warm inside. And now he was going to see her, first thing in the morning, with messy hair and no makeup.
CHRISTINE PULLED INTO THEstrip mall, saw the blue awning with the words “The Bluebird Cafe” printed on it, and parked. The Grand Ole Opry was known as the most sacred place in Nashville, but in Christine’s mind, the Bluebird was a close second. From Vince Gill to Taylor Swift, every artist who was serious about a country music career had shared their song-writing skills on this stage. And “stage” was a generous word for it. Considering it was a small room next to a laundromat, Christine was always amazed by the amount of talent that had graced this small café.
Christine walked in and looked for Julianna. She’d felt feisty when deciding what to wear and chose her favorite black leather jacket and aviator sunglasses. She had let her hair go wild and curly. She spotted her friend at one of the small round tables and grabbed the seat next to her.
“I’m sorry. That seat is being saved for—”
Christine’s eyebrows rose in question.
“Damn, lady. I didn’t recognize you at first. You’re looking all cool, like you rode in on a motorcycle,” Julianna said.
Christine busted up laughing. “If I was riding on a motorcycle, I’d be riding bitch. It would scare me to death to drive one.”
“Do they call it ‘driving’ a motorcycle?”
“I have no idea. I love bikes but can’t imagine being in the driver’s seat.”
“So, are you packed for the big weekend?” Julianna asked.
“What was I thinking? What happens if I need alone time?” Christine asked.
“Alone time?”
“Yeah, you know. Like, I need to go to the bathroom.”
“Then you go. The bus has a bathroom,” Julianna said.
“What if I have toreallygo?”
“Oh. Then you ask the bus driver to pull over. You can’t do that on the bus.”
“If I ask him to pull over, everybody will know what I need to do,” Christine said in a whiny voice.
“Pretty sure they all suspect you poop like the rest of the world.”
“But they don’t know when,” Christine said, her voice getting louder on the word “when.”
“I’m sure they will suspect that at some time during your three days together, you will poop. It’s not like you have a choice.”
“Sure I do. Sort of. If I’m on a liquid diet. What doesn’t go in won’t have to come out.”
“Good luck with that,” Julianna said.
“The upside is, I’ll probably lose a few pounds,” Christine said, striking a sexy pose. Julianna snapped a photo.
