Page 85 of A Country Kind Of Love

“Pity we can’t do a duet. I think our voices would sound good together,” Peyton says raising her eyebrow suggestively.

“You have to have chemistry if you’re going to duet at the Bluebird,” Jesse says matter-of-factly. He has a point. Peyton has more romantic chemistry with hertoothbrush.

“True.”

“Maybe I could get Avery back on ‘The Luckiest Hand’?” Jesse smirks.

Peyton scowls. “Let’s not rehash drama.” It took several days and some serious sweet-talking from Jesse to get Shonda and Marvin on her side. Shonda agreed to hold off on the release with Avery as Peyton’s duet partner. Peyton has a month to convince her of a better choice—starting with the Bluebird.

“She’s coming, right?”

“Shonda?”Jesse asks.

“Yes.”

“Youbet she is.”

Gulp. Peyton’s song choice is about to become the single most important decision in her life to date. All eyes will be on her, and all ears will be listening in. There is no room for error.

?

If Peyton didn’t know better, she might be conned into thinking that Jesse is this month’s cover model for a glossy magazine. She can picture him amongst all the men in their extortionately priced outfits, looking like modern versions ofJames Dean.

However, it’s just Jesse, and she can see the tag at the back of his jacket. He’s wearing a staple white T-shirt coupled with a pair of straight leg black trousers and a matching blazer. The simplicity elevates the outfit because the fit is so perfect. It looks tailored.

“You look...”Peyton says.

“Stupid?” Jesse scrapes his foot along the ridge in the floor.

“No,not at all.”

“I tried.” He shrugs.

“Jesse, you look great, and super handsome.”

“Do you think?” His eyes light up.

“Seriously, I’m impressed.” She points towards the hallway. “Show me your runway walk.”

Jesse shakes his head. “Absolutely not.”

“Spoil sport.” Peyton sticks out her tongue. “Now I feel underdressed.”

What do you wear to perform at the Bluebird? It was the question of the week. The spotlight would be on her for roughly ten minutes. Never again will she Google what to wear for a performance. How on earth is she supposed to create a vibe, set the atmosphere, enhance her performance, and build a story around her music with one outfit? It was too much pressure to put on the sales assistant at T.J. Maxx.

“You look perfectly country.” Jesse smiles.

The green lace plunge dress was a bargain she found at a second-hand shop.

Peyton is a firm believer in accessorising until you set off the security barriers at the local grocery store—a good selection of jewellery compliments any outfit. The only difference is the silver bangle from her mother’s jewellery collection; it rarely makes an appearance these days. She toys with it. Her wrists are a little slimmer than her mothers were, so it slides up and down with ease. The sensation is strangelycomforting.

There’s a gap on the wall in the hallway where Jesse’s Taylor 12-Fret V-Class guitar usually sits. Peyton noticed the vacant space a few days ago.

“Hey, where’s the V-Class?”Peyton asks.

Jesse scratches his head nervously.“The what?”

“The V-Class?” She pointsat the gap.