Page 7 of Before the Encore

She wobbled as she placed the glasses on the polished bar top and caught a nod of acknowledgement from the bartender.

“Leaving so soon?”

The soft voice made her turn her head.

The blonde from earlier regarded her, lips pursed, eyes curious as they wandered Madison’s tall frame.

“Afraid so. I’ve got an important meeting in the morning.”

“That’s a shame.” Her mouth puckered as she sipped a fruity cocktail through a straw. “I was hoping to get to know you better.”

She leaned against the bar. Glasses clinked behind them, conversation and laughter dissolving into the music.

Up close, she was nothing like the little diva. Both blonde and curvy, sure, but that was where the similarities ended. Bonnie’s skin was smooth like a porcelain doll, her bow-shaped lips held in a permanent voluptuous pout. Naturally pretty and naturally annoying, the perfect vintage pin-up—if they did a sparkly Barbie version.

This woman was older, hiding behind cosmetics that made her lips a little too full and her skin a little too tight—not that Madison didn’t appreciate an older woman. She most certainly did.

“Mads.” Kam appeared beside her. “You coming?”

She let her gaze linger on the woman a few seconds longer. “Yeah. Yeah, I’ll be right behind you.”

Kam didn’t say anything, but the eye roll told a different story. She lingered a moment before disappearing back through the crowd.

Madison flagged down the bartender.

One more drink couldn’t hurt.

Chapter Three

Bonnie

A welcome ache pulled through her muscles, and she inhaled. Abs firm. Legs straight. On the exhale, she squeezed her body tight and held a perfect V-shape. The first glow of morning sunshine teased at the darkness behind her eyelids. After a minute, she relaxed, letting her limbs rest back on her yoga mat.

“I am grateful. I am open. I trust in the universe.”

She opened her eyes, her heart rate slowing back to its natural rhythm. She breathed steady and deep, her anxiety fading as orange and purple bled into the darkened sky, bringing the first signs of daylight from behind the shadows of the mountains. Jagged rock and dense greenery formed a natural wall around the property like a protective crowd. A perfect place to relax—or hide away—when the world grew too loud. A secret, just for her.

God, she loved this view.

She swung her legs around to sit back on her heels, leaning into child’s pose. Her forehead rested on the mat, with her arms stretched out in front. Inhale. Hold. Exhale. Nerves loosened in her muscles, fading at the edges.

“I am grateful. I am open. I trust in the universe.”

She stood, rolling her spine up one vertebra at a time, feeling the mantra settle deeper into her bones.

Yes, yesterday hadn’t gone her way, but today was a new day.

The infinity pool glistened, mirroring her house behind her. It was a simple build, considering some of the more extravagant homes in this part of the city—pale stone with a wide terracotta roof. Large glass windows lined each wall, which allowed sunlight to spill in from every angle. A balcony ran the length of the upper floor, providing an even better view. Bonnie frequently sat there to write lyrics in her notebook.

She doubted her latest entry, which she lovingly titled ‘Fuck Off Madison Moore’, would ever make the cut. Though, the lyric ‘If looks could kill, you’d be choking on your ego’ had a certain ring to it.

She finished the last of her water, letting her gaze pass over the hillside, slowly awakening with the rising sun. In the distance, the dark waves of the sea shimmered.

Her alarm buzzed, and she swiped it off. Time for breakfast.

She hummed to herself as she cooked scrambled eggs on brown toast, a staple favourite for recording day, and sat back outside in one of the plush cream chairs. Light peeked over the mountains now, wildlife buzzing in the brush, the California sun warming her skin. It’d been nearly seven years since she moved, and though she loved spring in LA, before the heat became too stifling without the AC, her house in the hills never felt quite like home.

Home had been a complicated topic for a while now.