Page 19 of FWB
Kenny
A sheville was incredible. The whole weekend, we rolled around in the sheets when we weren’t checking out the independent shops on the square downtown. It was perfect. The whole time was like we were in our own little world. Unfortunately, we had to get back to real life.
One night in August, I invite Tiegan to my house for the first time.
Sam is out of town for a gig, so I have the house to myself for the first time in ages.
I never bring my hookups home, but I’m dying to see Tiegan in my space.
I want to take her in my soft, king-sized bed, and see her sprawled out naked, giving me a full view of her curvaceous, tattooed body.
She texts me that she’s arrived, and I open the front door for her. My cat, Oliver, comes over to greet her with a loud meow.
“Oh, look at you. Hello. What’s your name?” she coos as she bends down to pet the orange feline.
“That’s Oliver. He’s my social butterfly. You might not see the other two. They’re kind of skittish.” I’m immediately made a liar when Scarlett and Tibbs come sauntering into the living room to see what the commotion is all about.
“I’m the cat whisperer if you didn’t already know.”
“Well, I suspected you knew how to handle your pussy, but I wasn’t expecting this,” I say as I scoop up Scarlett, holding her out for Tiegan to scratch her head.
“Ha ha. Very funny.”
I set Scarlett down and give Tiegan a brief tour of our run-down abode, showing her the spacious, but outdated kitchen, bathroom, and bedrooms before leading her out onto the back deck. I set my Bluetooth speaker up and begin to play “The Winds” by Jessie Baylin.
Tiegan startles at the beginning of the song. “Wait, you’re a fan of Jessie’s?”
“You know Jessie Baylin?” Jessie is a local indie artist that I’ve gotten into recently.
“She’s a friend of mine! This is actually my favorite song of hers. Scratch that—this is my favorite song of all time. If I was on a deserted island and could only listen to one album for the rest of my life, it would be her Little Spark album, just so I could always have this song.”
“Wow! That’s incredible. It seems like you know everyone.”
She blushes. “Nah, I just become such a big fan that I eventually get to know them, and we become friends. They’re usually normal people.
Most musicians are super cool if you talk to them.
Obviously, I don’t break the ‘unspoken Nashville Rule’ about approaching legitimate celebrities if or when I see them out and about.
But if they’re an indie artist, they’re usually pretty receptive to fan interaction. ”
“I guess I tend to keep to myself. I like to admire from afar.”
“I get that. I used to be really shy. I still can be, especially if I’m around people I don’t know. It’s why I never made it as a musician when first moving to town after college. I’m terrible at networking.”
“Wait, you’re a musician?” I ask, stunned.
She brushes some hair behind her ear, embarrassed. “I wouldn’t necessarily call myself a musician. I sing, or I used to sing. It’s what my undergrad degree was in, vocal performance. I can’t play an instrument well, though. I don’t think my brain can properly compute with my fingers.“ She giggles.
“Will you sing something for me?”
“Oh, I don’t know. I haven’t sung in front of anyone in a long time. I don’t know if I remember how.”
I nudge her knee with mine. “Please? I’d love to hear your voice. I can only imagine how nice it is considering your speaking voice is so pleasant.”
She hesitates, then finally, “Okay, fine. Are you familiar with The Civil Wars?”
I nod my head. “I’ve heard a few of their songs while they were still together.”
“Okay, this is my favorite song by them. It’s called ‘Falling .’ ”
Then she closes her eyes and sings the most haunting tale of love lost while still being with that person.
Her voice starts out soft and caressing and progresses to a slightly thunderous volume when she gets to the bridge of the song, before concluding in a decrescendo.
She keeps her eyes shut tight until the last note fades into the night.
I sit there, too stunned to say anything right away. She has the most enchanting mezzo-soprano voice I’ve ever heard. She has such beautiful control over her instrument, and you can tell it’s a skill she has honed for a long time.
“Tiegan, that was incredible. I’ve never heard a voice like yours. Why aren’t you doing something with music? You obviously have the talent.”
She guffaws. “So do thousands of other people in this town. Talent only takes you so far. You have to have the total package and last I checked, I don’t check even half the boxes they’re looking for.”
I don’t have a retort, because she’s right. It’s hard to break into the music business. I would know. Sam has been trying for a decade.
After a beat of silence, she says, “Thank you for inviting me over. You have a lovely home.”
“It’s a shithole. You don’t have to pretend like it’s not.”
“No, it’s not. It’s charming. All it needs is a little updating.”
“Yeah, well for what I’m paying in rent, I don’t see those renovations happening. My landlord gives us a really good deal, but we have to keep up with maintenance in return.”
“I’m guessing you don’t care enough to do the updates yourself?”
“Nah, not really. I’d rather save my money to buy a house eventually. I don’t want to put money into this place if I don’t plan on staying here.”
“Where would you go?”
“I’d stay in Nashville. Everything I know is here. I might get a place a little farther out, but within driving distance to the office.”
“I get that. I live with my aunt, but I don’t think I’ve ever actually explained my living situation. It’s a little strange.”
“Strange how?” I venture to ask.
“Well, I technically live in a shed.”
“Wait, what?”
“Yeah, it’s a lot nicer than it sounds. I promise.
We renovated the old work shed in the backyard into a casita.
We added a bathroom, and I have everything I could want in my bedroom—TV, the internet, my records, and most importantly, my books, keep me entertained.
I just have to walk a few steps across the yard to the main house when I want to use the kitchen or hang out with the family.
I also love having the privacy,” she tells me with a smirk.
“That actually sounds really cool. I’d like to see it sometime.”
“Maybe if you’re lucky, I’ll let you come around.”
“Something tells me I’m gonna get lucky,” I say with a mischievous grin around my glass of whiskey.
“We’ll see.”
“How is your aunt doing, by the way?”
“She’s doing as well as can be expected.
The chemo gets her down a couple of days after administration, but she keeps her spirits up.
Her dogs really help with that. She’s kind of obsessed with them.
We’re a bit of a crazy animal family. I’ve got cats, my mom has cats, and my aunt has dogs.
We also inherited three stray cats when we bought the house, so it’s kind of a zoo over there. ” She laughs.
“That sounds like a blast to me. I love animals, much more than humans.”
“Oh, me too. For sure. That’s why I think I’ll be content with only having animals and no children. It’s overrated and not everyone is meant to be a parent. I’m a first-hand witness to that.”
“You’re referring to your own mom?”
“And my dad. He was never in the picture. I didn’t meet him until I was in my twenties. I still haven’t met my half-brothers, all birthed by different women.”
“Damn. Your dad got around.”
“Yeah, he was a bit of a player in his younger days. Hell, he never really grew out of it, even now.”
“Would you like to meet your brothers?”
“I would, but I’m scared to reach out after more than thirty years. What if they don’t accept me or even know about me?”
“I can’t imagine someone not accepting you. You seem to be the person everyone likes. I’ve not heard a single bad word about you in the office.”
“I suppose you’re right. I guess the worst they can do is ignore my message or say they don’t want to talk to me.”
We spend the rest of the evening talking about everything and nothing.
She’s unlike any woman I’ve ever been with, let alone met.
She’s smart, quick-witted, and gentle, but with an edge to her.
I can see the shield she’s put up around herself.
At that moment, I want to be the one to bring that shield down.
I want to know what makes her tick and what motivates her.
When it’s finally time for bed, I lead her down the long hallway to my bedroom. I’m going to begin to learn all these things, one piece of removed clothing at a time.