“I know,” she said, softly. “I told you, this isn’t your issue, it’s mine. Because I do care about those things, Mav.”
“What?” Codie had never had a materialistic bone in her body. And she’d never given a rip about celebrities. “What are you talking about? No, you don’t.”
“I don’t care inthatway,” she said, obviously weighing her words carefully. “I’ve certainly never been a fame-whore. In fact, given the chance, I’d turn down opportunities to have the limelight on me.”
I closed my eyes, trying to steady my breathing and slow my racing mind. “Okay, so why should it matter if you’re famous or I am? We’re still just us behind closed doors, right?”
“Well yeah, but when you’re dating someone famous, you get swallowed up in their identity, whether you like it or not. People don’t even see you as a person anymore, they just see you as the partner of this famous person.”
I could understand how that would bother someone as strong and independent as Codie, who’d worked so hard to build her own identity. But there wasn’t a damn thing I could do about it. The country music world already knew my name and it was too late to change that now.
“And you can’t live with that?”
“I don’t know.”
At least she wasn’t saying no. I had to hang on to that. “Listen, I get that you need time to think, to work through this, with your therapist or whatever, but can I see you this weekend, so we can at least talk face-to-face?”
“I can’t fly out—”
“No, I’m coming back to Nashville. Trey’s dad is having surgery on Friday, so we had to cancel a few shows.”
“Oh no, I hope it’s nothing serious?”
“Not too serious, but he wants to be there. And that means I can fly back home for a few days. I’d love to see you.” I prayed she wouldn’t shut me down.
“Um, my shop is hosting a fundraiser for the local children’s hospital on Friday night. My artists and a few friends are showing up.”
“Can I come?”
“Mav—”
“I know what you’re thinking. It’s Nashville. If I show up, the focus won’t be on the cause anymore, but think about it, I might be able to help you raise more money.”
“How?”
“You could advertise that I’m going to be there. I could sing.” I would do anything for her, and the causes that were important to her were important to me.
“You would really do that?”
“Of course.”
“Wow.” She exhaled slowly. “I’m not even sure my shop could accommodate all the people that would show up just to see you.”
“No offense to your artists, I’m sure they’re well-known and incredible, but having me there might drive up the price of the tattoos, right? I mean, is that how it works, an auction-type thing or—”
“Yeah, people bid on the artists they want to do their tattoo and the highest bids win.”
“Cool, so the more people you can draw in, the more they’re bidding and the more money you raise.”
“Don’t you have to talk to your people or something, before you make a commitment like this?”
I did have handlers, but I was still my own man. For now. And I was sure no one would mind if I lent my voice to a cause raising money for the kids’ hospital in my hometown.
“I’ll look after things on my end, and if you want, I can spread the word on social media that I’ll be there?”
“Um, if you do that, I may have to look for new venue. Like I said, my shop isn’t huge. It couldn’t accommodate hundreds of people.”
“I know you’re not doing this for the publicity and you don’t need it, but this would be great P.R. for your shop if it swelled to something bigger and got lots of love on social media and in the local press, wouldn’t it?”
