CHAPTER TEN
One week later…
Standing in an elevator heading down to the lobby, Rayna pulled out her cell phone and giggled. Along with a message, Maddie and Daphne had sent her a picture of them both pulling hideous faces. She missed them but knew that they needed to be in Nashville right now. They wanted to be close to their Grandfather after his stint in hospital. Rayna hadn't argued the point and she'd dropped them off to Teddy yesterday before heading out to Los Angeles to re-join the tour. They had said their goodbyes, promising to call and video chat whenever Rayna's schedule allowed them to.
Shifting her weight from one foot to another, Rayna began to write a reply to her daughters, smirking as her fingers moved quickly. The elevator rattled to a stop eight floors from her destination and she looked up as the doors creaked open. Smiling briefly at a blonde headed woman who tentatively stepped in, Rayna returned her attention to her cell phone.
"I'm so late." The woman muttered, pulling at her jacket as she hit the button for the ground floor. Rayna smirked, thinking about how late she was too. She'd told Bucky she'd meet him in the lobby a half hour ago but had gotten delayed talking to the girls on the phone.
"Tell me about it." Rayna chuckled, interrupting the woman's rambling.
"This is definitely not a good time though." The blonde replied, pursing her lips as she blushed. "Someone's waiting for me and its kind of a big deal for him…I guess it's a big deal for me too."
Rayna smiled, looking up from her cell phone screen. "Trust me when I say that stressin' about bein' late is a hell of a lot worse than bein' late…I'm talkin' from experience…I'm sure he'll understand."
The woman let out a long breath, returning the smile. "Being late makes for a bad first impression doesn't it?"
Rayna watched her, unable to place how strangely familiar she seemed. There was something about her that she couldn't place. Pushing it out of her thoughts she stood quietly, curiously taking in the conversation that was unfolding before her. This woman was either very good at being discreet and respecting privacy, or she had no idea who Rayna was. Rayna didn't go out with the expectation that people would recognise her, but it was often times like this where she would get stuck in elevators and end up signing autographs and answering people's questions about the tour, a new record or anything they'd stored in their minds for the off chance they'd meet her. Sometimes, this could be rather confronting but over the years she had gotten used it, taking it in her stride. After all, it was part of the territory when you had been branded as the 'Queen of Country Music'. However, this conversation was nothing like those. It had quite possibly been the most normal conversation she'd shared in an elevator with a stranger.
"First date?" Rayna asked, tapping the send button on her cell phone. The woman shook her head and Rayna tried again. "If it's not a first date, you look like… are you meetin' the family?"
"You could say that I guess."
Abruptly the elevator came to a halt, jerking both women out of conversation and putting them back into reality as the doors opened.
"As long as you get to wherever it is you're goin'…I don't think he'll mind too much." Rayna offered, stepping out of the elevator and into the lobby. "Smile…try smilin' when you get there…it helps to cover up the fact you're freakin' out."
Rayna caught sight of Bucky and waved before looking back at the blonde headed woman. Already walking backwards towards the main entrance, the woman smiled at Rayna and waved, breaking eye contact with her as she pulled out her ringing cell phone and turned on her heel. "Hi….Yes this is she, it's Stacey."
Walking up to Rayna, Bucky cocked his head as he let his eyes find what she was looking at. She stood numbly, still in shock as her memories crashed into one another. The Country Club, the talk with Deacon at the restrooms and the woman he had kissed shortly after he'd walked out. That was her, she was Stacey. She was Deacon's Stacey. Bucky cleared his throat and spoke reluctantly. "Hey..Are you ok? You look like you're about to be sick."
- NASHVILLE -
"You work with all these people?" Stacey smiled, looking around as she and Deacon walked the busy passageways backstage.
"Yeah most of them." He replied, pointing loosely to a room on their right. "That there is the VIP room for afterwards."
"Oh nice." She laughed, watching Deacon as he quickly said hello to a few people as they walked past.
"Over there's the crew." Deacon continued, gesturing to people as he quickly listed their responsibilities and names. "And that there…is my boss."
"I hope you don't expect me to remember names…I'm real bad with names." Stacey begged. Deacon laughed before catching Juliette's attention.
"Hey."
"Hey yourself." Juliette grinned, sending her assistant away on an errand before she turned to give them her full attention. Juliette assumed a sugary tone and held out her hand to Stacey. "You must be Stacey…It's a pleasure to finally meet you."
"Thank you, I've heard so much about you." Stacey nodded.
"Really? Well I can't same the same." Juliette smiled at Deacon. "Deacon's been pretty closed when it comes to sharin' his feelings…or relationship status for that matter."
Deacon shot her a look, pulling Stacey tighter into himself as Juliette held a steady smile.
"Don't worry, what I've heard…it's all been good." Stacey assured.
Juliette let out a low laugh, looking from Deacon to Stacey. "Oh well, he must not have told you everythin' then."
Stacey smiled awkwardly before turning her head in the direction of the doors that led out into the arena. Music fell into the passageway; guitars, drums, mandolins, violins and keyboards playing the familiar riff to the beginning of Already Gone.
"Well…" Juliette spoke, breaking the silence as she looked around. "We're all about to head into the main arena if you wanna join us?"
Deacon did a double take, sizing Juliette up as he wondered what she was talking about. "When do you ever go to Rayna's sound checks?"
"I had this revelation that I need to be doin' everythin' I can to develop and expand who I am as an artist…and I thought…Who better to learn from than Rayna?" Juliette exclaimed sarcastically, grinning at Deacon who wasn't buying the lines she was spinning. "I mean I just love her...Stacey, you'll really like her too-"
"-Is that right?" Deacon questioned.
"And if y'all are headin' that way…I definitely don't wanna miss it." Juliette smirked, tilting her head as she gave Deacon a knowing look. Deacon chuckled, realising her game.
Juliette had appeared to be happy to have met Stacey but she didn't believe it for a second, believe that Deacon was happy where he was. Deacon had done his best to ignore Juliette's less than subtle comments that involved Rayna, but his actions did everything they could to give him away. Juliette wasn't stupid. If Stacey was going to meet Rayna, she wanted a front row seat.
"See you in there." Juliette grinned, patting Deacon on the shoulder as she and a few of the crew headed for the main arena.
Stacey let out an uneasy laugh, eyes wide as she looked at Deacon. "Wow. She's a real firecracker isn't she?"
"Mmmm." He agreed, thinking about how Stacey had thought Juliette was intense. She hadn't met Rayna yet.
- NASHVILLE -
Rayna stepped away from her microphone stand, angrily pulling out her earpieces before speaking into the microphone. "I can't hear myself through these…If y'all could sort it out that'd be great."
"Someone's got their knickers in a twist." Liam mumbled, stepping up to centre stage to stand next to Rayna. "…That someone being you."
Rayna scoffed, picking up a water bottle. "They're messin' with the fold back…how hard is it to-"
"-I suggest you untwist those knickers of yours if we're all gonna make it through this sound check in one piece."
"Funny…You're hilarious." She replied dryly, keeping a straight face.
"Stacey is a common name you know….But-"
Rayna rolled her eyes, avoiding his gaze as she smiled at a crew guy running across the stage.
"I doubt it was her…a million people have that name…lot's of Stacey's in L.A…I can feel it." He joked, stepping away from Rayna out of fear he would get slapped.
"I do not have anythin' in a twist." She shushed, ignoring his attempts to rationalise away the elevator experience she'd told him about when she'd arrived at the arena.
"Really?" He laughed, looking her up and down. "You could have fooled me."
"If Deacon wants to bring someone on the road…good for him…." She choked out, the words tasting sour in her mouth as she forced a smile before quickly adding. "But if that's what he wants to do…I really don't care."
"What was she like?...Stacey…"
"Seriously? I dunno Liam…It's not like we exchanged numbers…It's not like you can do a hell of a lot on a ride down to the lobby in an elevator." She scoffed, recoiling after the last sentence. She had practically walked into having to wear whatever smart comment he'd be sure to make.
"Well you and Deacon sur-" He started, smiling wickedly only to be interrupted.
"-No no, don't go there." Rayna bit her lip, shaking her head.
"You went there first."
"Trust me, it was not intentional."
"You seemed to find enough time to give elevator Stacey relationship advice…You're such a kind soul." He teased, patting her arm as he raised an eyebrow. "Whatever, you can't even be sure it was who you thought it was-"
"-Ok enough…this conversation right here is exactly what's makin' it difficult to 'untwist' anything." She interjected, loosely making quotation marks in the air. "…and you..Now you're just annoyin' me."
"I thought you said you weren'-"
She smiled gratefully as a voice echoed through a fold back at the front of the stage to tell her to try her earpieces again, cutting Liam off mid sentence as he looked around to pay attention. Rayna turned around to face the band, smiling as she pulled her microphone off the stand and walked towards them. "Alright y'all, how about we try goin' from the second chorus of Stompin' Grounds? See if my foldba-"
"-You may wanna rethink that idea." Liam said slowly, his eyes fixed on the sound desk towards the back of the arena.
"What? Why?" She squeaked, her hair flying everywhere as she spun around to look at him.
"You know how you were saying you didn't care?" He asked, still looking straight ahead. Rayna shrugged, crossing her arms as she frowned at him. "Might not be a bad idea to remember that right about now."
"What are you talkin' about?" She asked, straining to see what he was looking at as she walked up to him.
"I think someone's gone and made today 'Bring Your Girlfriend To Work Day'." Liam replied, clenching his teeth as he smiled at her. Uneasiness fell across Rayna's face as she looked from Liam to the sound desk, discomfort filling her from head to toe. Her silence was enough of an indicator for Liam to know not to make any wisecrack jokes. "That's her isn't it?…elevator Stacey."
"Hey guys…why don't y'all take 5 ok." She instructed, disregarding Liam's comment as her eyes stayed firmly on the activity surrounding the sound desk.
Amongst a frenzy of laughter and hand shaking with different musicians and crew guys stood the woman she had met on the elevator hours before. She thought about how much it resembled a family gathering; that moment when you bring someone new into the circle and you wait to see whether they are accepted or rejected. She let out a low laugh, cursing herself as she thought back to the conversation in the elevator. Meetin' the family? You could say that I guess. Rayna stood soundlessly, suddenly feeling someone's eyes on her. She caught her breath when she found the culprit. Deacon. Their eyes locked for a brief second before he and Stacey began to move, smiling at one another as they walked. Rayna swore, forcing herself to stay put as she watched them head her way.
- NASHVILLE -
"Oh my gosh I know her!" Stacey shrieked, cutting Deacon off mid sentence as he was explaining the workings of a tour that had two big headliners.
"Who?" He asked, looking behind him to see who she was talking about.
"Not that way." She sighed, pulling him around to face the stage. "Up there. Her."
"Who? Rayna?" He choked, looking from Stacey to the stage where Rayna stood awkwardly, clearly pretending that she hadn't seen them. Out of the corner of his eye, Deacon saw Juliette's mouth drop, eyes wide as she made a face at him. He glared at her, shaking his head fleetingly before he looked at Stacey. Of course Juliette had heard that.
"Yeah."
"You know who Rayna Jaymes is? I thought you said you didn't listen to Country m-?"
"-What are you talking about? I just met her today." She said, confused as to what he was talking about. "Back at the hotel. She was really-"
"-She...she's who you met her today." Deacon grinned, masking the panic that was going on in his mind as he tried to imagine the two women meeting. "That's would have been fun."
"I want to go and say hi." Stacey smiled, pulling Deacon towards one of the isles that led down to the stage. "You know so I can tell her about how you're the one I was late meeting."
"Yeah, I'm sure she's gonna love that." He mumbled, drawing the words out as he forced excitement. He knew Rayna was not going to love this at all.
"Hang on…that's not." Stacey started, looking up at him as they walked. "Rayna Jaymes as in this is her tour you're working on Rayna Jaymes?"
"That would be her, yes."