Jan 24th, 1990

Dear Diary,

I snuck out tonight. Watty got me my very first gig at the Bluebird. I was terrified alone onstage. The crowd seemed to like me despite my horrible guitar playing. Watty said I did great, and he has someone in mind to help me out with guitar next time so I can concentrate on just singing. I'm not so sure it was me they clapped for, or the fact that when they announced me, they made it a point to say my mother was Virginia Wyatt. Either way, I loved every second, and can't wait to do it again in a couple weeks. Watty says once I have a guitar player, he can get me scheduled to play the Bluebird a couple times per month. Now I just need to figure out how to keep daddy from finding out. He thinks I was at Jenny's studying.

A couple weeks later…

"I dunno Wat. Playin guitar for some spoiled little rich girl isn't exactly what I pictured when ya said ya had work for me. How old did ya say this kid is?" Deacon asked as he sipped beer next to Watty at the bar.

"Rayna is 17. She's good, Deacon. Really, really good. She just needs a little help. A guitar player, and maybe some help with her lyrics. She's got some good ideas for songs. They just need a little something extra. Just listen to her tonight, and think about it, OK?" Watty asked hopeful

"I'll hang around and listen after my set. No promises. Vince wants me to meet up with some girls we met last night. I can't stay too long." Deacon quipped as he ordered another beer

"Thanks, Deke. You're gonna love her."

A couple hours later, Deacon finished his set. He stepped out back to talk to Vince who'd just finished his shift as a dishwasher at a local BBQ joint, his 4th job in only a few months. Vince wasn't great at keeping jobs. He'd work long enough for beer money and then usually fail to show up, resulting in yet another firing.

Vince had moved to Nashville and in with Deacon just a few months earlier. Neither had much interest in anything except drinking, and women. Both were decent guitarists. Watty saw a bright future for Deacon in music, if he'd only apply himself a little more. Deacon loved to play small venues for some extra cash, but had little interest in anything bigger.

"Will ya look at that?" Vince quipped as a small red sports car pulled into the employee lot behind the bar and parked not far from where they were standing.

A 17 year old Rayna Jaymes stepped out after several minutes. She'd stripped off the clothes covering her real outfit for the night. She'd finished applying makeup and made sure every stand of her long red hair was perfectly in place. Last, she slipped on her turquois and pink lucchese custom cowgirl boots, grabbed her perfectly matched leather purse, and locked her BMW.

"THAT must be what Watty wanted me to see." Deacon stammered, mesmerized as she approached the back door

"Her? No way, Deke! That hot little red head can't be barely 16. She's nothin but trouble. Don't even think about it. Judgin by the looks of that car and those clothes, her daddy's got money. I'm sure he'd have your ass if you sour his little precious princess in her prissy ass boots." Vince laughed as Deacon watched her cross the lot and step in the back door

"He wants me to play guitar for her, dumbass! I'm not talkin about sourin nothin." Deacon snapped

"Yeah, I see that look in your eyes. She's trouble, Deke! I'm tellin ya. I have a bad feelin bout this. Let's just go. The girls are waitin."

"You go on ahead. I'll catch up with ya later. I just wanna see if she's as good as Watty says."

"Don't do it, Deke!"

Before they could get back inside the back door opened again. An irritated Rayna Jaymes traipsed back out to her red BMW, clumsily pulling an old beat up guitar case from the back seat. She cursed under her breath as she banged the case against the door frame going back inside.

"Maybe she does need a guitarist. She can't even carry it in the case." Vince sarcastically quipped

"Shut up, Vince!"

"Why so protective? You don't even know the chic."

Before Vince could stop him, Deacon was headed back inside. Watty and Rayna seemed to be having a bit of a heated conversation in the back room.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart. I tried to get a guitarist. He's just not available tonight." Watty said

"I haven't practiced in two weeks. I thought you had someone lined up for me." Rayna was near tears

"Look, I'll do it myself tonight, OK?" Watty was trying to prevent a meltdown

"What I tell ya, Deke? Not only a prissy rich girl, but drama queen too!" Vince whispered as they passed Watty and Rayna arguing

Deacon elbowed Vince in the stomach to shut him up as Watty and Rayna took their seats in the small writers round area

"What the hell did you do that for?" Vince whined rubbing his stomach

"Will ya just shut the hell up! I just wanna hear one song, and we'll go, alright?" Deacon snapped

Deacon was mesmerized once more as Rayna began singing. He'd never heard such a beautiful voice. He couldn't take his eyes off Rayna as she sang. She was gorgeous. He'd never seen a more beautiful woman. Everything about her was perfect. By the 3rd song, Vince was irritated with the delay.

"Deke! C'mon…the girls are waitin, and I need to get laid tonight. This chic is WAY out of your league, not to mention she's jail bait. You don't need that shit no matter how good lookin she is. Let's just go, OK?"

"Yeah, guess you're right." Deacon sadly admitted knowing for once in his life, Vince was actually right

They slipped out the back before Watty realized Deacon was gone.

"You lookin for somebody?" Rayna asked as Watty looked around the bar

"No, I guess not. You were great tonight, Rayna. I'm sorry about the guitarist. I'll see if I can find someone else."

"It's OK. Thanks for helpin me out tonight, Watty. I'm horrible with guitars. Definitely didn't get my mama's instrumental abilities." Rayna laughed nervously

"Yeah, but you more than make up for it with that voice, kid. Don't ever let anyone stop you. You're gonna make it big one day. You better get yourself home before Lamar suspects anything. Same time, same place in two weeks?" Watty asked

"I'll be here." Rayna smiled as she hugged Watty before heading to her car