More Than a Song Page 13

  “And yet you wear his T-shirt.”

  “So? I can still give him a hard time. Ain’t that right, Darryl?” Barb shouted at him before he headed to the plate. He promptly hit a three-run home run. When he walked toward the dugout, Barb got off another parting shot. “See! I knew you had it in you, Bip!”

  He chuckled as he headed down the dugout steps and received high fives from his teammates. Only Barb can get away with this, Dani thought. If it’d been me, security would’ve hauled my ass out of here by now.

  “You’re waiting until later next month to go up to Nashville?” Tina asked as she watched the play on the field.

  Dani thought about her answer. Tina clapped when the Braves catcher smacked a single between the second baseman and shortstop to prolong the inning.

  “I didn’t want to tell you, because I figured what your reaction would be. Brenda McFarland called me. Remember her? My friend from New York?”

  “The one who sold you the Gutenberg Bible?”

  Dani laughed. “Yeah, she’s the one.” Dani cracked a peanut from its shell and munched on it. “There’s a three-day conference in Nashville next weekend for feminist and lesbian bookstore owners, plus readers. She asked if I was going.”

  “Hello, Dani. How much more encouragement do you need to take the trip up north?”

  “Don’t worry. I’m calling her back tomorrow to let her know I’m interested. I need to make sure I can still register for the conference.”

  “They sell same-day registration to those things all the time, remember?” Tina nudged Barb who was busy eyeing a very toned and tanned blonde two rows down. “Did you hear that, honey?” Then she saw what had Barb’s attention. Tina nudged her harder. “Do you think you could be any more obvious?”

  Barb turned to her. “What?”

  “You’re freaking hopeless.”

  Barb gave Tina a wicked grin. “But I’m in love with you, my sweet.”

  “You’re forgiven.” Tina stuck her thumb in Dani’s direction. “Did you hear what she said?”

  “No. I was, uh, preoccupied.”

  “She’s going to Nashville next weekend.”

  “It’s about time you took the plunge, Dani. How long has it been since you saw C.J.? Two weeks?”

  “About that, yeah.”

  The Reds leadoff hitter lined a double to right center in the top of the inning. Dani cheered and ignored Barb’s glare.

  Tina changed the subject. “Did you know Monica started dating again?”

  “No.” Now that Dani thought about it, Monica hadn’t been to the last poker night.

  “Seems to be a super nice lady. She’s very affectionate to Monica and treats her with respect. So far, she has the Tina Dewey Stamp of Approval. Now, if she starts screwing up, I won’t be responsible for my actions.”

  “Don’t worry,” Dani said. “I’ll join you in taking her to the woodshed if necessary.”

  Tina had just taken a drink of Coke and almost spit it out when she started laughing. “Good to know you’re with me on this one, boss.”

  The game ended with the Braves on top 5-2. The women made the long trek to one of the far paying lots where Barb had parked her Explorer. Dani was reaching for the back-door handle when she heard Barb shout behind her.

  “Aha! What do I do when I see one of these, hon?” Barb pointed at a bumper sticker on the Prius parked next to the Explorer.

  Curious, Dani joined Barb and Tina as they stared down at the bumper sticker. Dani had seen these bumper stickers before, and they always set her teeth on edge. It consisted of a silhouette of a “boy” stick figure, a plus sign, and a “girl” stick figure, complete with a dress, followed by an equals sign, and the word “Marriage.”

  Tina rolled her eyes. “Oh, Lord.”

  Barb marched past Dani to the passenger side of the Explorer, keyed open the door, reached in, and pulled out a black Sharpie from the glove compartment. She promptly stomped back to the bumper of the Prius.

  Tina peered around, nervously. “Hurry up if you’re going to do it. I don’t want some far-right nut job confronting us.”

  Dani laughed when she saw what Barb was doing. She’d quickly drawn a dress on the male stick figure.

  Barb capped the Sharpie with a flourish. “There. Isn’t that better?”

  Tina grabbed her arm and pulled her toward their Explorer. “You made your point. A good one, I might add, but let’s go.”

  They all piled in and quickly pulled out of their parking space.

  “Barb, you are officially my hero,” Dani said as she craned her neck to see if the Prius’s owners had arrived.

  “Aw, Dani. You say the nicest things.”

  On the drive home, Dani thought of her last conversation with C.J. the week before. C.J. told Dani that the record company booked her at Mickey’s Place. The clan had made a few trips to Nashville, and they frequently hit Mickey’s while they were in town. It was a lesbian nightclub but was also straight-friendly. Mickey, an older lesbian who had owned the place for over twenty years, was very influential in the Nashville music scene. A lot of lesbian artists, as well as straight female artists, got their big breaks there.

  Dani hadn’t heard from C.J. since last Wednesday, but she was sure C.J. was busy getting to learn the area and working on her recordings. She knew where C.J. was staying, but she wanted to surprise her at the nightclub first.

  Dani leaned her head back on the seat. Although Barb had the air on full blast in the Explorer, she had cracked the moon roof open. They were on a state road now, and the lights from the city had long faded behind them. She took in the Georgia sky through the opening. If she could write a song, it would be about the stars of Georgia. She drifted off with one of C.J.’s tunes playing through her mind.

  * * *

  “You guys are sure you don’t mind babysitting him?”

  It was early Friday morning. Barb and Tina were over at her house watching Dani descend the stairs with her suitcase in tow. They had readily agreed to take Frodo home with them for the weekend and stopped by to pick him up.

  “Would you please stop asking us that?” Barb said. “Does it look like we have a problem here?”

  Dani set her suitcase down in the living room. Barb and Tina were perched on the couch with Frodo between them. They were petting him, and he looked like he was in heaven. He hadn’t even come over to sniff the suitcase and didn’t seem depressed about her leaving.

  “Okay, I get your point.”

  Barb and Tina stood up and gave Dani a hug. They started out the door with Frodo.

  “Hey, little man, don’t you want to say goodbye to Mommy?” Dani asked.

  Frodo stopped and turned. She could almost see him sigh before he sat down for Dani to pet him.

  “I’m so sorry,” Dani said with a laugh. “I swear when you stay with Barb and Tina, it’s like I don’t even exist.” She leaned down to pet him, and he licked her hand. His eyes said, “Don’t worry, Mom. These guys have it covered.”

  Barb lifted Frodo into the back of the Explorer. They hopped into the driver and passenger seats. Barb started the engine, and Tina powered down her window.

  “You have a good time, Dani. Let us know when you get there.”

  “You’ll be okay with the store over the weekend?”

  “For the umpteenth time, yes,” Tina said, this time with a little irritation.

  “Sorry. I think I’m nervous.”

  “Nah. Never would’ve guessed.”

  “In answer to your question, of course I’ll call when I get there. Take care of my little guy.”

  Tina waved as they pulled out of the driveway.

  Dani double-checked her bag. She scrolled through her cell phone contacts to make sure she had Brenda’s number and the hotel where they’d be staying. She was to call Brenda when she got close to Nashville. She had already entered the hotel address into her car’s GPS system. Brenda still insisted she call as she got closer, because, as Brenda said, “Sometimes
those GPS directions suck.”

  Dani grabbed a bottle of water from the refrigerator and headed out to her car. She opened the hatchback to the MINI Cooper and set her bag inside. As she backed out of the driveway, she smiled. She wasn’t overly impulsive. Her last impulsive act was to close the shop on a Friday and drive with Barb and Tina to Macon for a blues concert. That was a year ago.

  “Hope you’re ready for me, C.J.,” she said as she merged onto the Interstate.

  Chapter 16

  Traffic was always crazy around Nashville. During rush hour, it was especially horrendous. Dani had left at the right time from Francis, though. After her four-and-a-half-hour drive, she hit the outskirts of Nashville at ten Central Standard Time. Sometimes she loved Daylight Savings Time—especially when she gained an hour.

  Traffic slowed enough in front of her that she could reach Brenda on the car’s Bluetooth device.

  “Made good time, huh?” Brenda asked in her strong New York accent.

  “I’m just now entering Nashville.” Dani told her where her GPS was directing her to make sure it jibed with Brenda’s directions.

  “What do you know? The GPS doesn’t have you driving in circles. I’ll be down in the lobby after you get your car valeted.”

  “See you in about thirty minutes.” Dani ended the call and concentrated on the Exit signs.

  After a semi almost ran her off the road, she swung off the Interstate and maneuvered the turns in the city to the Nashville Marriott at Vanderbilt University. She pulled up in the roundabout, and the heat slapped her in the face when she stepped out of the car. The valet hustled over to take her keys. Dani walked to the back of the car to grab her suitcase. She had a brief tussle over the bag with a bellhop. He relented when she practically shouted, “Thanks, but I’ve got it.”

  As she walked into the hotel, she heard someone holler from the other side of the opulent, marble-floored lobby.

  “Roberts!”

  Dressed in cargo shorts and a polo shirt, Brenda hurried to meet her. Five-two, if even that, she was in her early fifties with short gray hair. She gave Dani a tight hug.

  “You look fantastic as always,” Dani said as she held Brenda at arm’s length.

  “Why don’t you get checked in, and I’ll take you to brunch.”

  “Food sounds like the ticket.” Dani picked up her suitcase and started for the front desk. After she obtained her key card and took her bag upstairs, she joined Brenda again in the lobby.

  “There’s a great place within walking distance that serves fantastic omelets,” Brenda said as they left the hotel. “And it’s not so far that we’ll be puddles of goo before we get there.”

  “Good. Damn, I thought Atlanta was bad in June.” She had to pick up her pace to keep up with her diminutive friend.

  A wave of cool air rushed to greet them when they entered the restaurant.

  “God, that’s almost orgasmic,” Brenda said under her breath.

  After the hostess seated them and they had placed their orders, Brenda peppered Dani with questions. She asked about business at the store, about Dani’s ex, and if Dani was dating anyone new. On the last question, Dani hesitated.

  “Dish. You can’t squirm your way out of this one.”

  Dani filled Brenda in on her relationship with C.J. and told her C.J. was recording in Nashville. “She’s also performing at Mickey’s Place tonight.”

  Brenda sat back in her bench. “Oh, I see. You’re not simply here for the conference or to meet up with your old friend, Brenda. It’s to vo-dee-o-dodo with your new girlfriend.”

  “Please don’t give me a hard time. C.J. wanted me here with her sooner. I told her I didn’t think I could visit until later this summer, but I managed to get away early. The conference is important and seeing you is important to me, too. I hope you know that.”

  “Oh, please. I was teasing.” Brenda thanked the server after she brought their coffee. “What can you tell me about this Ms. James?”

  Dani recounted how she first heard of C.J., ordered her CDs, and after a lunch outing, had started dating her.

  “She’s going places, Brenda. I think she’ll make it regionally, but she just might make it nationally. The music business is a funny thing, though.” Dani took a sip of coffee and changed the subject. “What time is the first meeting today?”

  “Clever, Ms. Roberts, clever. We’ll return to this topic again, I hope you know.” Brenda pulled out paperwork from one of the side pockets of her cargo shorts. “Our first meeting isn’t until one o’clock back at Room 3 at the hotel. We have plenty of time to catch up on everything.”

  Over their omelets, Brenda talked about Brooklyn and competing with other bookstores in her area. “It’s not like Francis, Dani. It can get a bit ruthless, you know? More and more of the brick and mortar stores are closing in the city. Then there’s Amazon. Good God. How do we compete with that, plus the other online ebook stores?”

  “What about including a children’s section in your store? That’s worked for me. Or maybe add a small area for coffee and pastries. Please don’t give up the business.”

  “I’m fine for now. I have enough traffic coming in daily. I’ll give your other ideas consideration, though.”

  “We’ve been pretty lucky. There’s another bookstore in town, but they sell mostly old books. Great guys, though.” She thought about Phil and Ben and their ten-year-old golden retriever that greeted everyone who entered their store.

  They finished their omelets, paid their bill, and walked back to the hotel.

  “I’m going to take a shower and change,” Dani said when they entered the lobby.

  “I’ll see you back here, and we’ll head to the first panel discussion.”

  After meeting up again, they left for Room 3. God, it was nice seeing all of these women, Dani thought. Every size, shape, and color. It was empowering to know that each of these women either owned their own bookstore, no matter how big or how small, or were lesfic readers.

  Brenda and Dani registered, entered the room, and took their seats. The first panel discussion was about the difficulties in maintaining a lesbian and feminist bookstore with the main brick and mortar stores closing. It was such a small niche in the book world anyway.

  The rest of the afternoon proved to be just as interesting. It wound down around five-thirty. Dani and Brenda talked with a couple of the women as they left the building. They made quick introductions.

  “Hey, some of us are heading over to Mickey’s Place tonight to hear this new musician,” the woman named Nikki said. “What was her name, Donna?” She turned to the woman who was her partner.

  “C.J. James, I think,” Donna answered.

  Dani thought Brenda was about to say something about her relationship with C.J., so she nudged her. Brenda glanced at her and nodded slightly. Dani was glad she caught on that she didn’t want the women to know that she and C.J. were dating.

  “That sounds great,” Brenda said. “What time are you going to be there?”

  “I think she starts at eight,” Donna said. “We thought we’d meet up at seven.”

  Brenda and Dani agreed. When they walked away, Brenda asked Dani if she would mind sharing the evening with others instead of being at the nightclub on her own.

  “Nah. It’s a surprise that I’m here this early anyway. I’ll see C.J. after the show.”

  Brenda gave Dani a wicked grin. “Yeah, I just bet you will.”

  Dani playfully shoved Brenda as they stepped into the elevator.

  Chapter 17

  Dani decided to dress up a bit for the show. She pulled a pair of black slacks off the hanger, laid them on the bed, and flipped through her dress shirts. Indecisive at home, she brought three with her. You’d think this was a first date, she thought. She settled on a white cotton shirt with black pinstripes. She threaded a thin, black belt through her pants loops and finished the outfit with her black half-boots.

  After running gel through her hair, she left the hotel
room for the elevator to meet Brenda in the lobby. Brenda, who stood by the entrance, had also dressed up in slacks and a cotton shirt.

  “Hey, girl, you look spiffy,” Dani said as she approached.

  When Brenda turned, the expression on her face let Dani know she’d accomplished what she’d set out for in her appearance.

  “Damn, woman, you look hot.”

  An elderly couple was walking nearby. Their jaws dropped when they overheard Brenda’s exclamation. Brenda and Dani saw their reactions at the same time and burst out laughing.

  “Guess they don’t see too many lesbians where they come from,” Brenda mumbled as they headed outside.

  It didn’t take long to hail a taxi. Mickey’s Place was about a fifteen-minute drive. Well, the way the cabbie was zooming in and out of traffic, maybe five. On the way there, Brenda asked Dani to fill her in on C.J.’s music.

  Women were lined up outside the club when the taxi stopped under the awning. Dani and Brenda walked to the back of the line until they heard Donna and Nikki shout at them. They motioned for Dani and Brenda to join them farther up in the line. Normally, Dani hated to cut in front of people. She always knew how she felt when a group of friends “held places” in line for their other friends. Tonight, however, she was thankful. She wanted to be able to grab a table in the club.

  The doors opened. Dani and Brenda handed over the admission fee. It didn’t take long at all for the tables toward the front to fill up, but they were able to get one in the middle of the club. When they sat down, Donna introduced everyone else. As always during mass introductions, the names went in one ear and out the other for Dani.

  She ordered a beer, and Brenda ordered a Scotch and water. The hour seemed to drag, but eventually the houselights went down. The place erupted in cheers.

  Mickey Cunningham made her way to the microphone in the center of the stage. Short and stocky with salt-and-pepper hair, she was dressed in a black suit with a white shirt and black string tie. And cowboy boots. It was Nashville, after all.

  “Hey, everyone!” she boomed. She didn’t really need the microphone. “If you haven’t seen tonight’s artist perform yet, you’re in for a real treat. She hails from Cincinnati, O-hi-o, but we won’t hold that against her.” Laughter rang out in the club. “She recently signed with Different Drummer Records based right here in Music City. I’m excited she’s with us. I know you will be, too, once you hear her fantastic voice and wicked gee-tar playin’. Ladies,” she said as she put her hand over her eyes to peer out in the crowd, “and a few gentlemen.” Everyone laughed again. “Please give a warm welcome to C.J. James.” She swept her hand with a flourish to the side of the stage.