“You’ve risen in the ranks with your new album, hitting the top ten. Your fans are excited about this album and the infamous bonus track written by Cole. Great choice to add that in. It’s hooked them to buy it,” Vivian, our publicist, informs us. I listen as much as possible, but my mind is elsewhere.
Christie called me last night and I ignored it, and the text message she sent afterward. It’s over, and I made that crystal clear when we last spoke.
“You have a few interviews and photo shoots. Cash, you and Olivia also have the interview with People Magazine. They’ll be shooting photos in your house,” Vivian continues.
“We’re ready,” Cash replies.
After sorting out a few more things, we practice and work on the songs we wrote while on the bus. We’ve recently welcomed Hunter Daniels, a new songwriter, to work with us. His songs are on point, and Cash and him mesh. He’s coming by today to check out our recent work.
I strum the bass, keeping in rhythm, as my mind wanders to the green eyes I met Saturday. Met is a stretch, we barely spoke. I still have no idea how I ended up in that part of town, but I want to make it back and see her again. Cassidy Rae. Although, I don’t need any distractions right now.
“Jason, are you with us?” Cash calls out.
“Yeah, sorry. Spaced out for a sec.”
“No shit,” Cole says.
I run my hand through my hair. “What’s going on?”
“Ryder was suggesting a riff between the second verse and chorus.”
“That works,” I reply.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” Ryder stares at me.
“Yeah.”
“Did something happen with Christie?” Cash asks.
I groan, tugging my hair. “I don’t wanna talk about it.”
“You sure?”
“I’m positive. We broke up, that’s it. Nothing else to tell.” I clench my jaw. I don’t want to go into the reason why we broke up. “Are we going to keep practicing?” We get back to work and I let out my emotions on my instrument of choice.
“Okay, now tell us what happened.” Ryder props his elbows on the desk of our office after we finish working on the music to the new songs. We still have a while to go before they’re perfect, but we got a good chunk accomplished.
“Nothing to tell. I already told you.”
“Something happened.” Cole crosses his arms.
I roll my eyes and look at the three of them. Sighing, I confess. “While we were on tour, she showed up at the label saying I recommended she go talk to Carl.”
“Why?” Cash interrupts.
“Looks like she had an agenda. She waited for me to leave to try to worm her way into the business. I never thought about it before, but I looked her up on the internet after we broke up. She has a YouTube channel, singing covers of some of the hottest country songs.
“I got a call from Carl asking about her and I was confused when he said he met her. I confronted her when we got back. She told me it wasn’t a big deal, and she thought I’d help her get a meeting so she could share her talents with the label.”
“Fuck,” Cole murmurs.
“I know.”
“I really thought she was honest. One of the good ones.”
“Me, too.” Cole interacted with her the most since she’d come over. I know he wasn’t expecting this.
“Damn. Sorry, Jason.”
“It’s okay, Cash. I told her it was over and moved on. This is my career. I can’t have anyone coming in and trying to manipulate me or my bosses.”
“Yeah, but it’s still hard,” Cash crosses his arms. I nod and lean back on the chair.
“How about we all have dinner at the house tonight? We can order food and have it delivered by the time we get there. I’ll let Liv know,” Cash says.
“Sure,” we all agree.
I watch as the three of them send messages to their significant others and inwardly growl. I’ve always been a black or white guy, but this is gray matter and driving me insane.
I cared about her. I saw a future for us. I shared everything with her, while she withheld who she really was. The next woman I meet will have a requirement of questions to answer. I’ll definitely research her, too. I refuse to get used again.
“It’s settled. Dinner tonight,” Cash announces as if there were ever a possibility Olivia would say no. She loves having us over.
Using the location from my Uber app, I type in the address to my Maps app and follow the directions. You bet your ass I wasn’t walking back home after that long run out there. The front of the diner is familiar, although I’ve only been here once. Joyce’s Diner. I’ll remember next time.
The paint on the siding is peeling and the tin roof is rusted. I count the number of trucks parked, stalling. This is probably a bad idea.
I’m here because I keep thinking about the way she hummed our song as she worked. And the way she gasped when she recognized me, but was kind enough to keep my secret. The way she blushed when I caught her singing.
I check the time. I have about thirty minutes before I need to go to the studio, enough time for a glass of fresh OJ served by her, hopefully. I bring the cap down, shading my face, and hop out of my car.
As I open the door, chimes ring above my head. I’ve always hated chimes on doors. It doesn’t allow for any privacy. Every time you walk in somewhere, people are aware of your presence. Right now though, I’m glad for them, because they’ve given me the opportunity to see her green eyes light up a bit upon seeing me. I smirk, walking over to the counter and take a seat.
“Mornin.’”
“Good morning.” She wipes the same spot incessantly.
“Can I have an OJ please?”
“Oh, yeah. Sorry.” She bites her lip, causing me to chuckle. “Would you like anything else?”
“That’s all for today. Thanks. Best OJ I’ve had in a long time.” I hold the cup up and take a sip.
“I doubt that,” she laughs and crosses her arms, the towel she was using hanging from her hand.
“I mean it. Doesn’t hurt that it’s served by a beautiful woman.” This gets me an eye roll.
“Nice try, but I’m not interested in being any groupie,” she hushes so no one else hears her.
“That’s not—”
“Save it for someone else.” She walks away, leaving me to scold myself for being a jackass. Scratching my chin, I try to think of anything to let her know I didn’t mean any offense by it.
I try to wave her down to pay her, but she’s ignoring me harder than I ignore the paparazzi. I drop a twenty on the counter, leaving her the change for her tip. As I walk to the door, I hear someone call out, “Mommy.” I turn to see a little girl with a head of curls skip to Cassidy Rae.
The wide green eyes tell me she didn’t want me to know she has a child. Fuck, I didn’t mean to offend her if she’s with someone, but I didn’t see a ring. Although, I should know that it doesn’t take marriage to be committed to someone. Any type of relationship is to be respected.
I leave, wondering what kind of man allows his wife to work in a dump like this. Maybe they really need the money and it was the best she could find. Hell, I don’t know, but she’s not for me to take care of.
Lately, I’ve been a fucking disaster, flirting with a woman I don’t even know because I want more than my current situation. I want what my friends have, but I’m a loser if I think that will happen magically. Grow some balls.
This is my problem. I see a woman, think she’s beautiful, and pursue her. I did that with Christie. She was kind, normal, sweet. I could’ve fallen in love with her. I take a deep breath and exhale all memories of her. She’s not worth my time.
“Do we still want to perform at Riot while we’re in town?” Cash asks as the photographer positions him.
“Why not?” Ryder styles his hair with his fingers.
We’re taking pictures for one of our interviews, mostly questions about our recent tour, our latest album and our reaction to the quick success it’s had. Some days I wake up in disbelief that this is my life. We all do. We hang out with people I admired for years. I never, in a million years, would’ve imagined talking to Garth Brooks, and we met him at one of the awards shows we went to last year. Hell, we’ve had writing sessions with some of the biggest names in the industry.
“Jason?” Cash calls me.
“Huh?”
“Riot?”
“Oh, whatever you guys want. I’m not gonna fuck up our career because she works there.”
“Fuck that. Grab another chick and make her jealous. You don’t need that kinda bullshit in your life.” Ryder’s words of wisdom even make the photographer pause and stare.
“Thanks, Ryder, but I’m good. Really. Let’s do what we always do and forget about my personal life. I can keep things professional.” As much as I was pissed and hurt Christie did that, I meant it when I told her I was done.
Cassidy Rae’s offended face from a couple days ago comes to mind. I’m going to have to apologize. Any excuse to see her again. The more I think about her, the less I think she’s married. Something doesn’t add up, but that could be a gut feeling.
“I know we don’t make anything performing at Riot, but I like that we go in when we have some free time,” Cole says.
“Honestly, I’m good with it. I won’t be going for pleasure any time soon, but I’m okay with performing there,” I reassure them.
“Great. I’ll call them and set something up,” Cash smiles, speaking, but staring at the camera. It’s as if he’s always posed for pictures.
When the photographer is done with Cash, she calls the rest of us one by one before she takes group photos.
As we finish up, the anxiety to go to the diner and see Cassidy Rae to tell her I’m sorry is making me restless. It’s late afternoon already, and I’m not sure if she’ll be there but it’s worth a shot. For whatever reason, I feel the need to explain myself. I don’t want my reputation to be what it’s not.
We finish up with the photographer, and I tell the guys I’ll see them tomorrow. They all have women to go visit, and I have one green-eyed beauty I want a glimpse of. Something tells me I should go straight home, but I ignore the rational part of my brain and head to Joyce’s Diner.
I’m surprised by the amount of trucks parked, but I guess truck drivers don’t follow a set schedule. What do I know?
I shield my eyes from the sun and duck into the diner. I look around, finding mostly men and some couples. There are more people than the two mornings I’ve come by. I guess some people are eating an early supper.
I look around and don’t see Cassidy Rae, but I sit at the counter anyway. Maybe she’s in the kitchen. I look at the menu for no other reason than I need some distraction so I don’t look like some idiot staring around the entire place looking for her.
“Sor–What are you doing here?”
I smirk. “Hi. I was craving pancakes and was told the ones here were amazing.”
Cassidy Rae rolls her eyes. “Is that all?” She raises her eyebrows.
“Actually, the real reason I’m here is to apologize. I feel like a jackass for what happened the other day. I promise I wasn’t just flirtin’ for the fun of it. I meant what I said. You are beautiful, but I don’t want you to think I’m a jerk who hits on women all the time.”
“Okay.”
“Okay? That’s it?”
“Well, yeah, what do you want me to say? It’s okay. You really didn’t have to drive out here to tell me that.”
“I wanted to.”
“That’s nice of you. Do you want anything else?”
“Just the pancakes and a coke please.”
She nods and walks away, dropping my order off in the kitchen before tending the other tables. I watch her interact with the customers and clean up the tables. Every so often she’ll look my way, and I smile. No pretending I’m not looking at her. I’m here for her, after all.
She drops off my coke with the same expression she gives everyone. A part of me was expecting a little more after my apology.
“Don’t get mad, sweetheart. It’s not like I grabbed your pussy.” My head whips to the left. What the actual fuck did I just hear? I turn to see a fuming woman and make my way to her.
“What’d you tell her?” I stare at the smug man sitting comfortably in his spot. Fucker.
“Are you her baby daddy?” The guy snickers. I look between him and Cassidy Rae.
“No, but that doesn’t mean I’m gonna let you disrespect her.” I take a step forward, ready to kill the man.
“It’s okay,” Cassidy Rae places her hand on my arm, but I scoff.
“The fuck it is. He just touched you without permission. I’ll be damned if he lays another hand on a woman without her consent. Wouldn’t mind breaking all the bones in his arms.”
“Mommy?” I hear the soft voice calling. Shit. I wouldn’t want any child seeing someone treat their mom that way.
“It’s okay, baby. Go to the kitchen with Ryan.” Cassidy Rae pleads with her eyes that I drop it. I breathe deeply and rake my hand through my hair.
“Is he?”
“No, sweetheart.” Her daughter’s eyes drop to the floor.
I look at Cassidy Rae and her daughter. This confirms what I was thinking. The girl doesn’t know her father.
“I suggest you get your ass up and leave before I beat you so hard you can’t sit on that piece of shit truck long enough to finish your trek,” I growl at the man.
Cassidy Rae ushers her daughter back into the kitchen and the other people eating here are staring. I don’t give a shit. No one else stood up for a woman who was obviously in an uncomfortable position. This is what’s wrong in today’s world—a lot of closet preachers with no intention of ever standing up for what they believe in.
I finally take my seat again, no longer hungry. I could use a beer right about now instead of this coke. Hearing that bastard talk to Cassidy Rae that way lit something inside of me.
“Thanks,” she whispers when she drops my pancakes.
“You’re welcome. I wish I could’ve kicked his ass. Are you okay?”
“Yeah,” she nods.
“How’s your daughter?”
“She’s okay. She didn’t hear everything.”
“I’m glad. At what time do you get off?”
“In about an hour.”
“Okay, I’ll wait for you to be done and make sure you make it out safely.”
“Oh, no. You don’t have to. Ryan will take me home.”
“Ryan?” I cock an eyebrow.
“Our cook. He’s a friend. He’ll give me a ride home.” She hooks her finger over her shoulder in the kitchen’s direction.
“If he’s the cook, he’s probably here til closing time.”
“Yeah, but we’ll be okay.”
“I’ll take you home,” I offer.
“It’s really okay. We can wait.”
“I’m taking you,” I say with finality.
When the hour is up, I stand and wait for her. No way I’m going to let her get away. If she doesn’t have her own car, I’ll be dead before I let her walk home with her daughter by herself. It’ll be late before they close the kitchen and her child needs to have a routine.
“Ready?” I ask her when she comes back out.
I lead them out to my car. Her daughter is quiet, eying me as we walk out. After opening the door for the both of them, I go to the driver’s side and ask her for directions.
“What’s your name?” Cassidy Rae’s daughter asks.
“I’m Jason. What’s your name?” I look at her through the rearview mirror.
“Rae, like my mommy,” she smiles proudly.
“It’s a beautiful name.”
“Thanks. Do you and my mommy know each other? I’ve never seen you before.”
She’s perceptive for a little girl, but I wouldn’t know much about kids.
“We met the other day, baby,” Cassidy Rae responds before I can.
Following the directions Cassidy Rae tells me, I end up by a bunch of mobile homes.
“This is perfect. Thanks. You didn’t have to drive us, but I do appreciate it so Rae can get to bed on time.”
“I’m glad I was able to drive you.” I look around the area. It’s definitely a part of town I’m not familiar with.
I open the door for Rae. Her mom jumped out as soon as the car was put in park.
“Thanks again,” Cassidy Rae says.
“My pleasure.” I look down a beat. “Maybe we can get together?”
“I’m not sure. My life is a little different than yours.”
“That’s a sorry ass excuse,” I tell her.
She glares at me. “I appreciate your help today and driving us, but I’m not interested in more.”
I’ve never been shut down so bluntly.
“I think you’re pretending you don’t. Think about it. I’ll be around the diner soon.”
She rolls her eyes, her grip tight on Rae’s hand. I look around assessing the area and it seems safe enough at the moment.
“I’ll walk you to your door. Lead the way.”
“We can go alone. I don’t want to take up more of your evening.”
“Just walk, or I’ll ask Rae to tell me.” I look down. “Rae, you want to lead us to your house so I can make sure you get there safely?”
The little girl blushes and nods.
“Please, don’t use my daughter.” Cassidy Rae shakes her head.
“I’m not. I mean it; I want to walk you to your door. Let me.”
Cassidy Rae sighs and walks toward one of the mobile homes. From the bits I’ve seen, she’s working that job to afford the minimum for her and her daughter. We stop in front of a white door.
“This is us. Thanks.”
“You’re welcome. Think about it. I’d love to get to know you.” I smile at Rae. “Nice to meet you.”
“Me, too,” she responds.
I walk away as she opens the door, but keep an eye close to them until they’re inside. Rae tells her mom something, but I can’t hear it. I take one last glance around the trailer park and wonder what the hell leads a woman to live here with her daughter. It can’t be the safest of places, but probably the most affordable in this area.
Seeing this gives me more of Cassidy Rae, and now I want to know the rest that she’s keeping to herself.