CHAPTER TWENTY SIX
Katie absentmindedly pulled on a random string at the corner of her crimson duvet while listening intently to Clay go on and on over the phone. He sounded excited, filling her in on the past couple of days rehearsing with his new tour band and sound checking at the famous Ryman. Her mind inadvertently wandered to the past few days in Atlanta which had been atrocious, the highlight of the week drowning her sorrows in way too many gin and tonics with her best friend, Stacey. Breaking the news to him wasn’t going to be easy, for sure. Stace begged her to follow her heart, imploring her to make the right decision. She made it sound so easy. But it wasn’t.
After her initial confrontation with Mr. Taylor, Katie had gone back into his office the next morning stating her case with purpose and passion. It was all to no avail. Not even her impressive list of accomplishments and accolades and a promise to work overtime for the next year could persuade him to change his mind. Apparently, some of the bigwigs of the company were going to be there, and he didn’t want to chance any mistakes that could embarrass the southeast division. “This is the most important conference of your career,” he told her. He wouldn’t budge, seemingly irritated at her persistence, and put his foot down, demanding she attend the conference or to start looking for another job which was entirely out of character for the man. She thought it must be an important conference if he was going to sink to this new low.
Poor Dale was just as upset when he found out about the double-booking. He knew how hard she had worked to get to where she was—that her career meant everything to her.
“Dale, you of all people should know I can’t just quit to follow something that might or might not work out. You know how hard this industry is. Do you see a ring on my finger? And what about Clay’s new tour? He hasn’t promised me anything. What if he forgets about me the first month he’s on the road? I want to be there for him, so badly. But give up my whole career for one show?” The guilt she struggled with was real because she had made a promise; a promise to be there for him on the most important night of his life.
Dale was at a loss for words. No matter what advice she received from her friends, the final decision was all hers, and hers alone.
“You’re so quiet, baby. You still feelin’ under the weather? I shouldn’t have let you stay in that cold lake for so long.”
A small smile grazed her lips as Clay’s sexy baritone voice tinged with concern brought her back to the present moment. She had been faking a cold all week to cover up her emotional state making him believe she wasn’t feeling well. Thoughts of their time together at Lake Burton crept into her mind, her skin prickling with goosebumps as she remembered the contrast of the cold, icy water and the warmth of his bare skin as he held her in his arms. Clay had pulled her out of the lake with bulging biceps and wrapped a towel around her naked chest. They warmed up in the giant shower of the master suite before they made love for hours, working up an appetite. He insisted she relax in the comfortable hammock with a glass of wine while he prepared dinner, grilling steaks, and setting a lovely table on the back deck overlooking the water. The gold flecks in his eyes danced like the flames of the votive candles he had put in the center of the table as they fed each other Betty’s famous carrot cake, laughing and talking about anything and everything. They left the dirty dishes in the sink and ended the day with a sunset cruise around the lake, Clay pointing out all the magnificent homes owned by local celebrities and wealthy business leaders. The colors of the sky were a tapestry of sweeping pinks and oranges swirling among the clouds, making her stare wide-eyed at the horizon. She felt safe in his arms, sitting in his lap as he steered the boat, gliding effortlessly along the smooth, glassy surface of the water, the wind blowing through her hair.
Knowing that might possibly be the last romantic getaway with him rocked her to the core. How could he ever forgive her for not showing up? She couldn’t bear to burst his happy bubble and bit her lip to hold back tears, memories of their time together fading like the last golden orbs of the shimmering sun at dusk on Lake Burton.
“Katie? What is it?”
Sniffling, she took in a deep cleansing breath before answering. “I’m just…”
“You’re just what, Pretty Girl?”
Every single time he called her “Pretty Girl,” her heart skipped a beat. Listening to him say it now only added to the angst during the toughest week of her life. “I’m just…so proud of you,” she managed to utter.
“Oh, baby. I’m proud of you too.” He paused, and she could hear him talking to someone, muffling the phone with his hand. “Katie? Buddy’s calling after me. He wants me to meet another Warner rep who’s flown in for the show. I’ll see you tomorrow at the Ryman, okay? Don’t forget, your name is on a guest list so just tell the guy at the stage door who you are, and they’ll bring you to my dressing room.”
It was now or never. It was time to break his heart and tell him she wouldn’t be coming. She hesitated not wanting to ruin his excitement, the words caught in her throat. Her heart pounded in her chest as she blinked back tears, the mere act of breathing difficult.
“It’s going to be a hectic day tomorrow, so I may not be able to call you. Text me if you need anything, okay?” He paused. “I’m so glad you’re with me on this journey, especially tomorrow night. You have no idea what it means to me.”
Katie could feel her heart shattering, the pain unbearable. “I know….”
“Goodbye, Pretty Girl.”
“Goodbye.”
The line went dead, and she stared at the phone in her hand, wishing the situation was different. This was going to crush him—she knew it. How could she let him down? What if he panicked and couldn’t go through with it? It would be her fault! He was going to be performing in front of a live audience for a televised event, streaming into millions of people’s homes. To put him at risk of a panicky, stuttering attack would be cruel after he specifically asked her to be there for support. How could she go through with it? But she couldn’t get fired either, not after every rung of the corporate ladder she had fought and clawed her way up. She was going to have to lie to him—texting him that she was on her way—making up a story about traffic, or a death in her family—anything but the truth.
The phone slipped out of her hands and she fell to the floor, an agonizing sob bubbling up from deep within. Her body ached for Clay—it ached for what might have been. Choosing between her career and Clay was the hardest decision of her life. She teetered on the fence, desperately wishing she could choose both, knowing that wasn’t an option. Shaking her head, she realized she had to go with her gut and not her heart—she’d worked too long and too hard to get to where she was. When the dust settled, she hoped Clay would ultimately understand. But the thought of hurting him; breaking her promise and lying to him, not showing up at his performance was something only a coward would choose to do. And that is what she was—a big, fat, ugly, workaholic coward! She would never blame him for turning his back on her and prayed that wouldn’t actually happen. But if it did, she vowed the rest of her life would be nothing but all work and no play. She could never allow herself any pleasure after what she was about to do.
“Baby girl? What is it? What happened?”
Her brother, Hart was kneeling in front of her trying to look at her face, cupping her cheeks flooded with tears. He must have heard her cries through the bedroom walls. She lunged at him, clinging to his chest sobbing uncontrollably.
“Katie? Katie, please! Stop crying and tell me what’s going on!”
She couldn’t bear to look him in the eye. Hart peeled her off by the arms and had such a look of genuine concern and love; she couldn’t keep the tears at bay.
“Oh my god, you’ve got to calm down!” He hoisted her over his shoulder and walked quickly to the bathroom, setting her down on the lid of the toilet. She was crying so hard she thought she might throw up.
“Lean forward,” he requested, pushing her long hair over one shoulder. The touch of the cold compress he placed on her neck made her jump. Their eyes met as he knelt in front of her. His face was ashen as he swiped the last of her tears off her cheek with a towel.
“I’ve never seen you like this? Tell me, what happened?”
Her groveled voice filled with emotion. “I…I can’t be there for Clay’s show tomorrow,” she stuttered. “I have to go to… California.”
Hart’s brow was knitted with concern. “Wait a minute. I thought you took vacation days so you could go to Nashville?”
Katie closed her eyes and shook her head. “My boss says I have to go to California or I’ll…I’ll lose my job.” She opened her eyes and pleaded with her brother. “How can I do this to him? He doesn’t deserve this. Hart, he was counting on me.”
He leaned back on his heels keeping one hand on her knee. “Katie, Clay’s a grown man. He’ll be disappointed, for sure, but he wouldn’t want you to lose your job. I don’t know him as well as you do, but surely, he’ll understand.”
No, Hart didn’t know Clay as she did. Clay was a sensitive artist who had overcome so much in his life. He was on the cusp of something extraordinarily big and she was about to taint it with her selfish motives.
“You’re right. He’ll understand. He’s a good guy.” Tears welled in her eyes again.
“Can I ask you a question?” The look he gave her was serious. She nodded, pulling sheets of toilet paper off the roll next to her and blowing her nose.
“Do you love him?”
Katie fingered the damp tissue in her hands averting her brother’s eyes. It was a question she had been mulling over and over for days. She thought for sure she was in love with him. But if she really was, how could she do this to him? Was what she was feeling truly love or something else? Had she landed or was she still circling?
“Cause if you love him, you gotta go. No job is worth losing the love of your life, baby girl.” His words resonated and her lower lip trembled as she mulled over what he said. Once again, she was speechless.
“I saw the way he looked at you, and the way you looked at him. If this is some booty call that happens every time the guy comes to Atlanta to visit his mom, then that’s one thing. But if this is something more…something you will regret losing, something that’ll break your heart into a million pieces, then maybe you need to rethink your current job situation. Katie, no job is worth the risk of losing the love of your life. Your track record is impeccable. Why, I’ll bet you there are fifty companies in Atlanta, or Nashville for that matter, who would hire you in a heartbeat. They’d be lucky to have you on their team.” He lifted her chin up with his fingertips to look directly into her eyes, his chiseled features hard and serious. “If you love him, go to him.”
***
Clay’s lungs burned as he pushed himself hard along the sidewalk perpendicular to the Cumberland River. He’d slept well and was up at sunrise, electing to go for an early morning run to calm his excited nerves. It was a huge day for him, a day he knew he would never forget. Over the years, he had learned how to cope in times of stress and excitement. Running had always been a stress-reliever, especially as he tried not to overthink the millions of people tuning in to witness his introduction as a major player in the country music game. The onslaught of well-wishes from friends and family during the week was overwhelming. It had always been a struggle to accept accolades and praise. It embarrassed him, causing him to shut down and wait shyly for the subject to change. When he won his first Grammy, he mumbled something incoherent, focusing on what was written on a notecard, hardly looking at the cameras or huge audience, thinking he was going to keel over from a heart attack. But he got through it—and he didn’t stutter at all. He had come a long way thanks to his parents, his therapy, and his maturity in the music biz over the years, but he still had a deep-seated fear that he was going to lose it again on a much bigger scale. He was more than ready to have the emotional Ryman performance behind him. If he could get through that, he knew he could get through anything.
The Church Street corridor was waking up as he made his way back to his condo, the Batman building towering overhead keeping watch over Music City. The strength of a superhero was what he needed to get through this day—that, and a pretty girl from Atlanta. He couldn’t help the smile that spread across his face when he thought about her. The time he spent with Katie Parker was magical and he couldn’t imagine his life moving forward without her in it. Celebrating this milestone with her by his side was what he looked forward to most.
As he jogged back to his condo, he ran his hand across his buzzed neck, his recent short haircut something he was still getting used to. The stylist had done wonders with the clothes and the hair, making him look like a real player in the game. No offense to the real cowboys in country music, but he drew the line when she tried to make him wear a cowboy hat, insisting that his head was too big, and he wasn’t a hat-wearing kinda guy. His new, fresh look made him feel confident and polished, ready to meet the public as the new Warner Music country artist, Georgia Clay. He hoped Katie liked the changes too.
As he chugged a bottle of water, looking out the wall of windows of his home, his cell phone started ringing. “Good morning, Mama.”
“Good morning my sweet boy. How are you?” Birdie Watkins’ southern drawl was warm and comforting. She sounded like home.
“I’m good, Mama. Getting psyched for tonight.”
“Well, you’re gonna do just fine. I know it! The staff is arranging the great hall like a movie theater so we can watch you on the big screen.”
Clay crushed the water bottle he had emptied and tossed it in the kitchen waste basket. “Really? That’ll be fun. Don’t be getting all emotional in front of your friends.”
She giggled. “I might. That’s a mother’s prerogative. Someday, you’ll understand.”
“I know.”
“You relax and enjoy every moment. There are a lot of people rootin’ for you. I don’t want to put any pressure on you, but you make us all very proud.”
Sitting on the edge of the sofa, Clay sighed. “I appreciate it. I hope I don’t do anything to embarrass you…”
“Hush now. You were born for this. Don’t you forget it. I love you, son.”
“I love you too, Mama. Enjoy the show and I’ll call you tomorrow, okay?”
“Okay.” She paused, her voice tinged with emotion. “Big Daddy lived for this day. I just know he’s looking down on you and bursting with pride.”
Clay swallowed hard, tears brimming in his eyes. “I’m countin’ on it.” He knew she would bring up his daddy. Instead of feeling anxious or stressed, he felt a warm rush of love surge through his being.