‘Yep,’ Josie confirmed. ‘G.R.I.T.S – mean as hell and sweet as honey. We act all innocent and naive, but we play dirty – the kind of dirty that men love.’ She indicated the front row once again. ‘And those girls right there, they’ll snap like gators and bite like rattlesnakes. They’re basically Jersey Shore on steroids.’
‘Hold on,’ Mary said, her stare bouncing between the stage and Josie. ‘You think that Luke and I are like…’ Instead of finishing her sentence, Mary widened her eyes at the bartender.
‘Girl,’ Josie said in return, her eyebrows lifting at the center. ‘I saw the way you were looking at him… and I don’t blame you – that boy is a barn burner.’
‘So,’ the cowboy on stage announced. ‘Before these beautiful ladies over here lynch me off the stage, here he is again – ladies and gentlemen – to delight us all with another incredible acoustic set – Luke Jenkins.’
The entire place erupted in applause and cheers.
Luke cleared the back curtains and stepped on stage – a spotlight following him – and he looked like a rock star. The ripped trousers were gone, substituted by a pair of stonewashed, bootcut jeans. The t-shirt had also been swapped for a black, western button-up shirt, with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. Instead of white sneakers, he was wearing black cowboy boots, with silver metal tips. His hair had also been let loose, under a dark-brown cowboy hat. His acoustic guitar hung from his neck – Elvis Presley style.
‘Good evening, y’all,’ he said, as he reached the microphone. ‘Thank y’all so much for coming out tonight. Your support and love is very much appreciated.’
More cheers and screams, especially from the front row.
Right then, Luke’s eyes moved left, in the direction of the bar. They stopped when they reached Mary. ‘It’s nice to see you here.’ The sentence was delivered with a coy smile.
Without noticing it, Mary bit her bottom lip.Damn, that boy was one smooth operator.
‘The good news for you over all those G.R.I.T.S,’ Josie said, pouring another shot of bourbon for her and Mary, ‘is that it looks like Luke likes you too.’
Mary felt a giddy smile start to blossom on her lips, but she was able to keep her poker face solid. ‘This one is on me,’ she said, nodding at the shots before placing a twenty-dollar bill on the counter. They clinked glasses again and downed the shots in one.
On stage, Luke tapped his foot to a count of four before the sound of his guitar took over, soon followed by his voice. Maryturned to face him again and as she did, she felt her entire core shake. Josie was right – Luke Jenkins wasn’t just good… he was fucking great.
Fourteen
‘Thank you all so much,’ Luke said, raising his right arm up in the air, as if he’d just finished playing Madison Square Garden… and from the crowd’s almost hysterical reaction, one would be forgiven for thinking that he had.
His set was fantastic. Mary couldn’t argue with that. Not only did Luke’s voice sounded perfect, but he was also a very accomplished guitar player. The icing on the cake had been his charisma. He hadn’t lied when he’d told Mary that he knew how to get a crowd going. Despite being a small stage, Luke had owned it as if he’d been born on one, a total natural. The cherry on top of the icing had been his original songs. They were definitely catchy with ‘hit’ written all over most of them.
‘If anyone is interested,’ he continued, ‘I have a few CDs that you can take home today. I’ve recorded fourteen original songs, including all the ones I’ve played in tonight’s gig. They’re only ten bucks a piece and your support will be very much appreciated.’
More applause and woo-hoos.
‘Thank you all so much again and…’ He gave the crowd one of his sexy winks. ‘I’ll see you at the bar. Please come say “howdy”.’
As Luke disappeared backstage, Mary had another sip of her beer, trying to decide if she should wait for him, or simply make her way home. From all the women on the front row, she had already identified at least three who truly seemed to snap likegators and bite like rattlesnakes – and they were already heading towards the bar.
‘G.R.I.T.S,’ Mary whispered to herself, while shaking her head. ‘You learn something new every day, I guess.’ She finished her second beer of the evening and right then, decided that her best move was to go home. Luke had more than enough company for tonight. She just needed to visit the ladies’ room first.
What an unexpected evening,she thought, as she slipped into one of the five cubicles in the ‘Cowgirl’s’ bathroom. But despite unexpected, Mary had to admit that she had thoroughly enjoyed her night out. Since she’d moved to Nashville, she hadn’t really talked to many people. That was the idea, anyway – keep herself to herself, spend six months to a year living in Tennessee, and then relocate somewhere else – but Mary did miss socializing… she missed having friends with whom she could go out for a meal… share a beer or a bottle of wine… watch a gig… all the common things that friends did together.
As she left her apartment earlier that evening, thinking that she would just spend some time walking by the Cumberland River on another mundane Monday night, Mary never expected the evening to be the best she’d had in quite a while. Frankly, she couldn’t even remember the last time that she’d had that much fun. She’d even flirted with someone, and that hadn’t happened in years. Luke was definitely cute, sexy and very talented – too bad that she couldn’t really let her guard down… or could she? For one night only?
Right then, Mary heard the bathroom door being pushed open, followed by a high-pitched and overexcited voice. ‘So, is he hot, or is he lava?’
‘Damn! I wasn’t expecting that,’ a second woman replied. ‘That boy is about ninety in the shade… and then some… and I’m not even talking about how good he was on stage. Seriously, I’d ride him like a bronco.’
‘Well, get in line, Pam,’ the first woman said back.
‘And it will soon be a very long line,’ Mary heard Pam reply. ‘Cause he’s not just hot, he’s also fucking good. With that voice? He’s gonna make it big. It’s just a matter of time.’
‘Well, if I have my way tonight, that boy is waking up in my bed tomorrow morning.’
Definitely time to go home,Mary thought, as she stood up and flushed the toilet.Before I’m forced to witness one of the G.R.I.T.S dry-humping Luke’s leg at the bar.
She stepped out of the cubicle and approached the sinks.
