Page 5 of Love on Tour
He lost. The camera panned to him as he gave a high five to the winner, followed by a hug.He’s a gracious loser, she thought.
“Maybe heissmarter than everyone thinks,” she said.
“Who?” the seat filler asked.
“Never mind.”
During the next commercial break, Austin returned to his seat.
“You okay?” she asked.
“Oh, yeah. I didn’t expect to win. That guy’s been out way longer than me. But next year, the award is mine.” He nudged her with his shoulder and she nudged back.
The rest of the show went by in a blur of awards. Christine was so awestruck after George Strait walked past her to get his Performance of the Year Award that her thought process shut down. She couldn’t repeat the name of one other winner. She focused on not fidgeting, making sure she sat correctly, and not doing anything embarrassing when the camera panned past her. Her face hurt from smiling. The last thing she wanted was to be caught on camera with resting bitch face.
When it was over, she stood with Austin as he back-patted his fellow artists. Amidst the biggest stars in the country scene, Christine felt awkward and wanted to bolt. But Austin kept reaching back for her like she was an appendage he couldn’t forget. They made their way backstage where Matt was waiting.
“Limo’s out back. Ready for the after-party?” Matt asked.
“Sure. Is the band coming?” Austin asked.
“They’re waiting outside,” Matt said.
Christine wanted to gracefully make her exit. These parties often had a preapproved guest list, and her name would not be on it. She didn’t want Austin to have to politely explain that she couldn’t go with them.
“I’m going to call an Uber. Thanks so much for this amazing night.” She turned to shake Austin’s hand. His smile faded and he squinted his eyes.
“You don’t want to go to the party?” he asked.
“Oh, well, I can. I mean, sure. Why not?” She wondered if that was even a coherent sentence.
“Is that a yes? It was hard to tell.”
“Yes. Of course, yes.”
“Then let’s go,” Matt said, leading them out the back door to a waiting limo. She saw a group of people near one of the limos, and Austin told her it was his band.
“Hey, everyone. Meet Chrissy, my song plugger. Chrissy, this is the most awesome band and crew in all of Nashville,” Austin said.
Christine smiled. “It’s Christine. Nice to meet you.”
“This is Cat, my guitar player; Kennedy, on bass; and Red, my drummer.” Christine shook hands with each of them. “And this is Alicia,” Austin said, putting his arm around a young woman. “Best merch person ever.” Alicia blushed.
The band members were dressed in a similar style. Black jeans, black T-shirts, and sneakers. Christine knew a lot of money went into building a band’s brand. The last thing anyone wanted was a band of misfits taking attention away from the lead singer. Looking stylish while also appearing uniform didn’t happen by accident. Even Alicia was dressed the same, only she was wearing combat-style boots. She was pretty with big brown doe eyes and small features, but she had a toughness about her. She fit in well with the guys.
“Hi, Alicia,” Christine said. “Nice to meet you.”
“Yeah, you, too.” Alicia reached out her hand and Christine shook it, giving Alicia a warm smile. Christine knew women in this business could be territorial and the band was Alicia’s territory. Christine respected other people’s positions.
Christine turned away and saw Matt speaking with security guards about the best way to get the limos out of the parking lot and away from the waiting fans. He ushered Austin into a seatand gave the limo driver directions. Christine had always been attracted to a “take charge” kind of guy. For her, it was a total turn-on. Her mom used to say, “Find a man who can assess a chaotic situation and get it under control and you’ll always feel safe.” That’s what had attracted her mom to her dad. He was decisive and never panicked. Her mom had been raised by a man who would hyperventilate at the mere sign of a problem. It had left her feeling unsettled as a child. She’d done her best to warn Christine about what she considered to be wishy-washy men. Christine was from a generation that didn’t need a man to take control, but she secretly craved that feeling of safety.
THE PARTY WAS HELD ON THE GROUNDSof Austin’s record label. A big tent and huge port-a-potties stood on the lawn. Inside the tent, most people were dressed in tuxes and gowns. A few guys wore jeans and T-shirts, and numerous young women were in what looked like dressed-up T-shirts. Christine’s dress was somewhere between tea length and panty-showing short. It stopped mid-thigh, allowing a modicum of modesty.
“I can’t decide if I’m overdressed or underdressed,” Christine said to Matt, who was standing to her left.
“Yep. That’s an industry party for you. Everything from holey jeans and T-shirts to suits and dresses. The good news is, you can never be dressed wrong.”
Christine turned and took a good look at Matt. He was handsome. She guessed he was in his mid-thirties. He had spiky blond hair and blue eyes, and he was dressed in a modest yet tailored suit. Nothing stood out and said, “Look at me.” But she couldn’t stop looking at him. She had that same easy feeling she’d had when first meeting him. When his eyes met hers, she quickly glanced away. But not before seeing him smile.
