Authors: Casey Peeler
Our Song
Our Song
A Country Music Novella
By Casey Peeler
Copyright © 2014 Casey Peeler
All rights reserved.
This book is a written act of fiction. Any places, characters, or similarities are purely coincidence. If certain places or characters are referenced it is for entertainment purposes only. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
The author recognizes all copyright and trademarks that are mentioned within this work of fiction
Interior Formatting by Cassy Roop at Pink Ink Designs
AS I HIT THE LAST NOTE
of my most current single, the crowd goes wild, and the stage goes dark. “Thank you, Charlotte! Now put your hands together for Jake Bryant!”
Exiting the stage, I glance over my shoulder into the crowd and cannot believe how my life has changed in the last six months. It wasn’t long ago that I spent my weekends hitting up every local country bar within a hundred mile radius of Lattimore trying to make a name for myself. Little did I know that Cole, the manager of my favorite country bar, Coyote Joe’s, had made sure that a certain country music god caught a glimpse of me at their amateur night.
Walking down the hall backstage, I come face-to-face with the country music god himself. “Don’t worry, Belle. This never gets old. You do know that before long you’re gonna be closing a show down.”
“Thanks, Jake. But I’m just gonna enjoy this ride right now. I’ll see ya from the crowd,” I say with a wink.
Hurrying to my dressing room, I make a quick trip into the powder room, change into clothes a little less divaish and hurry back to find a spot in the crowd. I honestly think I could watch Jake Bryant every single night on that stage, and not just for the way that his ass looks in those jeans either. He has one of the best voices in country music today. It’s like sweet honey to my ears, and I swear, it gets sweeter every time I hear it.
As I grab my water, I hear the voices of thousands of screaming fans, and with the first downbeat of his current number one hit, every word is being sung by Jake and the crowd. Gah! That’s got to be the best feeling ever. I walk double time to make my way out into the crowd. Security knows exactly what I’m up to. Since the first day I began touring with Jake, once my set is over, I enjoy his show just like everyone else, directly in the pit. One perk is that I always get a good spot thanks to security.
As Jake slows it down, I laugh when he finds my eyes in the crowd and then winks. Of course, all the girls around me think it’s for them, but I know that it’s for me. The truth is, Jake Bryant has become my best friend since the day he signed me to his tour. He’s the complete opposite of what I expected a country mega star to act like; he’s a perfect gentleman. Maybe it’s due to the close quarters we endure while traveling, but he is an absolute sweetheart, and I’ll take that fine ass any day!
I sing along with the crowd to every song, sway my hips back and forth, and lift my drink at the appropriate times. When the next to the last song in the set begins, I make my way back out of the crowd and to the stage entrance. I finish watching the show from the side of the stage.
As Jake finishes his finale, he takes a bow and runs offstage toward me. He lifts me off the ground and spins me around.
“Glad to see me?” I ask.
“You have no idea what it’s like to look out into the crowd and find eyes that you know. Really know, Belle.”
“If I didn’t know better, Mr. Bryant, I’d think somebody had a crush.”
“If I didn’t know better, I’d think you liked it.”
“What can I say? I’m a sucker for a country boy in tight ass jeans that knows how to work a stage.”
Jake puts me down, and we start to make our way to sign autographs. This makes for a long night, but at least we have a few days off before hitting the road again. The big man upstairs must have been looking out for me because I can go home for a few days. That means no tour bus, cameras, hotel rooms, or getting decked out to the nines every night. I get to see my family and friends, be myself, and enjoy life as a normal twenty-two year old.
“So, Jake, what have you got planned for your days off?”
“Well, I guess I’m gonna just stay on the bus. Why?”
“Well, I was thinkin’.”
“Oh lord, you’re thinkin’?” he asks as he stops and crosses his arms.
“Yeah, well, I was thinkin’ about goin’ home for a few days. I mean, it’s like thirty minutes from here. Honestly, I can’t believe more of my family and friends didn’t show up tonight.”
“Um, Belle. You might wanna turn around.”
As I turn around, I’m met by everyone that is important to me—my parents, my brother Beau, and my friends Lyndsay and Chase from Coyote Joe’s.
Lyndsay and I do the same squeal, dance in place, and then rush to each other. Chase and Beau laugh, and Mama and Daddy just shake their heads.
“Oh my gosh, y’all! I didn’t even know y’all were here! I didn’t see you in the seats I left for ya’ll.”
“Well, that’s because Jake found us some a little closer.” Spinning around, I find Jake and place my hands on my hips. “You pulled this stunt, Jake Bryant?”
Smiling, he answers, “Guilty.”
“I freakin’ love you!”
“Whoa now, Belle. Don’t go droppin’ a four-letter word over some concert tickets.”
“Aw, hush! So, y’all wanna head to the bus? We have to sign a few autographs real quick.”
“Sure, honey,” Mama says. As they walk to the bus, Jake and I make our way to fifty screaming fans.
After we finish signing the last autograph and security whisks us away, I realize how tired I really am. I can’t wait to see my family, but honestly, I just want a caramel coffee from Dunkin Donuts and my bed.
“I’ll let you have some time with your family. What was it that you were gonna say earlier?”
“Oh, I was thinkin’ ‘bout goin’ home for a few days or so. I just need a little groundin’, ya know? I didn’t know what you were planning, but thought if you were in need of some home cookin’ and a real bed you might wanna come, too.”
Jake stops, and I turn to face him.
“If you can promise me that I won’t have a million teenage girls after me, we have a deal.”
“Well, I can make that promise because there aren’t more than a couple hundred teenagers total in Lattimore.”
“You should be a damn comedian, ya know?”
“I’ll keep that in mind if this gig doesn’t work out,” I say as I walk up the stairs to my bus.
“Just be ready in the morning, and we will head that way.”
“Aight.” He turns and walks to his bigger mansion of a bus.
ONCE I REACH THE TOP STEP
onto my bus, Lyndsay hounds me.
“Did I just hear that right? Jake Bryant is comin’ to Lattimore?”
“Yes, but if you so much as post it on any social media site, I’ll kill you! You got it?”
“Easy, killer,” Chase says.
I give Chase a WTH look, and he gives me one right back. That is why he is my favorite bouncer at Joe’s. He keeps it real and looks out for me at the same time.
“Well, I just don’t want a million screamin’ girls going goo-goo for Jake Bryant while we’re trying to enjoy a break.”
“Please tell me that y’all aren’t dating?” my mama asks. She has never been one to sugar coat anything.
