probably record this whole song without the two of you even being in a room together. I don’t want to do it that way, though. You guys have chemistry, and I want to be able to play off of that to enhance the feeling and emotion of the song.”
Kenzie only half-listened to the rest of the exchange. Her brain was too busy trying to process the first part. Chase was planning to leave Nashville, and from the sound of it, he couldn’t wait to go. Probably because she pushed him away. Good work, Kenzie. Way to make a mess of things as usual.
***
One or two takes? What a foolish thought that had been. If Keith was demanding in rehearsals, he was even more so when it came to recording. By noon, when lunch was delivered from a sandwich place down the block, it was obvious to Chase that there would be nothing fast about this recording session. The producer was true to his word, though, and they got it done in one day, even if it was a long day.
His obligations were satisfied, at least until the live performance. But that was still a month away. In the meantime, Chase was free to leave Nashville. Too bad it was the last thing he wanted to do. He took his time packing up all of his stuff, hoping maybe Kenzie would say the words he wanted to hear.
“So I guess this is it,” she said.
They were words, but not the ones he wanted. No, she was making it all sound very final, like she couldn’t wait for him to go, when all he wanted was for her to ask him to stay.
“I guess so, yeah. I talked to my bass player last night. He’s ready to get back to work,” Chase said. It was a lie, but Kenzie didn’t have to know that. Besides, Chase figured he could coax Jordy back pretty easily if he set his mind to it.
“Oh, that’s good for you, then.”
“Yeah, it’s definitely time.” Chase shuffled his feet and looked at the floor. Damn, this woman had sure managed to mess with his head and his heart. He’d come to Tennessee, brash and cocky, fully prepared to reject the producer’s pitch and be on his way. And now here he was, all but imploring Kenzie to ask him to stay.
“I understand,” was all she said. “Gotta get back to work.”
“Right.” Except he didn’t have to. Not at all. Chase could stay as long as he wanted, if he wanted. All he needed was a reason. “So, um, thanks for showing me around your city.”
“My pleasure,” Kenzie said. “Nashville’s an easy city to show off.”
The city. She was always quick to praise the city, yet she offered no kind words for the company she’d kept for the past few weeks. The man she’d all but begged to take her, right there in a dingy stall in the restroom of a honky tonk bar, and when Chase did just that, and made her come, she’d all but screamed his name, with little regard for whether they’d be caught. Great. One more blow, straight to the heart. Get out of here, Chase, before she brings out the dagger. He swung his satchel over his shoulder. “All right, I guess I’ll see you in Las Vegas.”
“Vegas?”
“The awards show, remember?”
“Oh, right. The ACMs. We’re singing our song. Sorry, I’m tired.”
“Yeah, me too. It was a long day.” So long that he should probably stay the night and catch a flight out in the morning, but Chase was increasingly anxious to leave. “Anyway, I guess I’ll see you around.”
One last chance, Kenzie. One last chance to ask me to stay.
She nodded and said simply, “Safe travels.”
There it was. The dagger. She couldn’t just let him down gently. No, she had to bring the dagger.
***
Coward. Coward. Coward. How many more chances, how many more openings, could he have possibly given her to ask him to stay? Yet Kenzie still couldn’t do it. Even as she watched him leave the studio and walk down the street, she’d opened her mouth to call after him. And no sound came out. It was like she’d lost her freaking voice.
Now Chase was gone, on his way back to New Hampshire and his band,
Kenzie only half-listened to the rest of the exchange. Her brain was too busy trying to process the first part. Chase was planning to leave Nashville, and from the sound of it, he couldn’t wait to go. Probably because she pushed him away. Good work, Kenzie. Way to make a mess of things as usual.
***
One or two takes? What a foolish thought that had been. If Keith was demanding in rehearsals, he was even more so when it came to recording. By noon, when lunch was delivered from a sandwich place down the block, it was obvious to Chase that there would be nothing fast about this recording session. The producer was true to his word, though, and they got it done in one day, even if it was a long day.
His obligations were satisfied, at least until the live performance. But that was still a month away. In the meantime, Chase was free to leave Nashville. Too bad it was the last thing he wanted to do. He took his time packing up all of his stuff, hoping maybe Kenzie would say the words he wanted to hear.
“So I guess this is it,” she said.
They were words, but not the ones he wanted. No, she was making it all sound very final, like she couldn’t wait for him to go, when all he wanted was for her to ask him to stay.
“I guess so, yeah. I talked to my bass player last night. He’s ready to get back to work,” Chase said. It was a lie, but Kenzie didn’t have to know that. Besides, Chase figured he could coax Jordy back pretty easily if he set his mind to it.
“Oh, that’s good for you, then.”
“Yeah, it’s definitely time.” Chase shuffled his feet and looked at the floor. Damn, this woman had sure managed to mess with his head and his heart. He’d come to Tennessee, brash and cocky, fully prepared to reject the producer’s pitch and be on his way. And now here he was, all but imploring Kenzie to ask him to stay.
“I understand,” was all she said. “Gotta get back to work.”
“Right.” Except he didn’t have to. Not at all. Chase could stay as long as he wanted, if he wanted. All he needed was a reason. “So, um, thanks for showing me around your city.”
“My pleasure,” Kenzie said. “Nashville’s an easy city to show off.”
The city. She was always quick to praise the city, yet she offered no kind words for the company she’d kept for the past few weeks. The man she’d all but begged to take her, right there in a dingy stall in the restroom of a honky tonk bar, and when Chase did just that, and made her come, she’d all but screamed his name, with little regard for whether they’d be caught. Great. One more blow, straight to the heart. Get out of here, Chase, before she brings out the dagger. He swung his satchel over his shoulder. “All right, I guess I’ll see you in Las Vegas.”
“Vegas?”
“The awards show, remember?”
“Oh, right. The ACMs. We’re singing our song. Sorry, I’m tired.”
“Yeah, me too. It was a long day.” So long that he should probably stay the night and catch a flight out in the morning, but Chase was increasingly anxious to leave. “Anyway, I guess I’ll see you around.”
One last chance, Kenzie. One last chance to ask me to stay.
She nodded and said simply, “Safe travels.”
There it was. The dagger. She couldn’t just let him down gently. No, she had to bring the dagger.
***
Coward. Coward. Coward. How many more chances, how many more openings, could he have possibly given her to ask him to stay? Yet Kenzie still couldn’t do it. Even as she watched him leave the studio and walk down the street, she’d opened her mouth to call after him. And no sound came out. It was like she’d lost her freaking voice.
Now Chase was gone, on his way back to New Hampshire and his band,
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