When I had first thought about this story I had envisioned it being sort of a companion to the Chip POV stories, but then decided to just write a standalone Connie story. Timelines and events will be unique.

The flight attendant stopped at their row. "Anything to drink before we taxi out?" he asked.

Chip looked up from the menu card he'd been perusing. "This. A double," he said, pointing at something on the card. He turned to her. "You want anything?"

She thought about it. They'd be pulling out from the gate soon and the drinks would have to be taken up before they could take off. She wrinkled her nose and shook her head. "I'll wait until after we take off." The flight attendant nodded and headed to the row behind them.

Chip took off his glasses and dropped them in his pocket, then reached for her hand and smiled. "Ready to get back to the real world?" he asked.

She smiled back and shook her head. She noticed his hair wasn't all styled like it usually was and she decided it made him look sexier. "Not really," she said. "I mean, I'm ready to see Yoby, but I've really enjoyed our time alone."

He squeezed her hand. "Me too." He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed her fingers. He sighed. "It was nice to be away from everything."

"Yeah, it was." She looked at him for a moment, still wanting to pinch herself when she remembered she was now married to this man. "I love you, Chip," she said.

He leaned over and gave her a peck on the lips. "I love you, Connie," he replied. The way he looked at her then put a lump in her throat and made her want to cry. "Can you believe we actually made it to this?"

She smiled at him. "Would you believe I still wake up every day wondering if I'm dreaming it all?"

He grinned. "Then I'm dreaming it with you." He squeezed her hand again. "And now it's back to the real world."

She breathed out and then laughed. "To be honest, I kind of wish we could stay in our little bubble. Wasn't that amazing?"

He nodded. "It was." Just then the flight attendant was back and handed him a cup with a small amount of clear liquid in it.

She wrinkled her nose. "What is that?"

"Ouzo." He smiled. "It'll help me sleep."

"You're planning to sleep?"

He grinned. "Yes. Someone needs to be rested and pleasant."

She gasped in mock outrage. "Are you saying I'm not pleasant?"

He snickered. "When you don't have enough sleep you definitely lose your pleasing personality."

"Well." She folded her arms over her chest, trying to hold in the laughter. "Drink your sleep inducing booze, then." He put the cup to his lips and tilted his head back, drinking it all at once. Then he coughed and she smirked. "There you go." He reached over and tickled her on her side and she laughed, then noticed people looking at them. "Chip," she whispered over the laughter. "Stop."

He raised one eyebrow and gave her a cheeky look. "That's better," he said, stealing a quick kiss. The flight attendant came by and picked up his cup and then he stretched out on the flatbed seat. "Don't forget to wake me up when the food comes around."

"You're going to sleep now?" she asked.

"Well, no, because they aren't going to let me do this when we take off. I'm just checking it out."

She rolled her eyes playfully. "I would think you wouldn't need more sleep. That's all you've been doing for a week."

He raised the seat up and reached for her hand. "You and I both know that's not true," he said, leaning towards her, keeping his voice low. "I had to keep you satisfied."

She gasped and swatted his arm. "You and I both know it wasn't all me." She smiled at him. "But I certainly am going to miss that."

He raised his eyebrow. "I'm still planning on doing that when we get home, you know."

She could feel herself blush. "You know what I mean."

He chuckled. "You know you have fascinated me from the very moment I met you. And you still do."

She slid her hand under his arm and leaned towards him, resting her head on his shoulder. "And you fascinate me too." She sighed happily. "I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you."

She leaned back in the seat and closed her eyes. She had never really been able to sleep on a plane, not even for an international flight. She could doze, but it was never for long and never restful. She knew she'd feel more exhausted when they got home than when they started. It made her glad Chip had talked her into picking up Yoby the day after they got back. She would want to crash in their bed, his arms around her, and truly sleep.

She opened her eyes again and sighed, then looked over at him. She wasn't a fan of the first class seating these days. She could hold his hand but she couldn't really snuggle into him like she wanted to. She also wasn't a fan of the fact that he could fall asleep anywhere, unlike her. He was laid out in his seat, a ball cap covering his eyes, sound asleep, his hands crossed over his chest. She looked down at his left hand, smiling a little to herself as she looked at the solid silver ring on his left ring finger. She had given up long ago on the idea that she might get married again, not expecting that he would come into her life when she was in her forties.

It had, of course, not been at all what she would have expected or the way she necessarily would have wanted, but she had known, almost from the moment she met him, that he would be her true love. It had been messy, and people had been hurt, and it had not always been easy. There had been times when one or the other of them would end things, not wanting the potential consequences, for either of them. There was that long stretch of time that had started for the pandemic and didn't end until that was mostly over. But once they had finally been free to be together, she had been grateful they'd never completely lost each other.

She watched him sleep, his chest rising and falling rhythmically. She had always loved watching him sleep. It was almost the only time he seemed completely at peace, when the stress of protecting their relationship, fighting to be the father he wanted to be with his kids, and, later, the burden of carrying a TV show, would just melt away. That wasn't as true anymore. They had weathered his divorce, figured out how to create their blended family, and soothed the hurt and confusion of his fans. Every time she saw him or was with him now, her heart would swell with love and she couldn't help but smile. She had always felt centered, sure of herself, but he gave her the protectiveness and support she had not realized she needed.

He was a good father, a caring human being, a genuinely good person. And he was also a generous lover. Her smile curved a little larger. She thought back to the times they'd made love, in his temporary apartment or at her rented house, those times when Chip and Connie had gotten all mixed up with Deacon and Rayna. And all the other places they'd found to steal some precious time together. As she sat there, she remembered how it had felt, as far back as the very first time they were together. She had not been able to get him out of her head from that point on.

She leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes, knowing she wouldn't sleep, or if she did, it would be in snatches here and there. She smiled to herself. They were heading back home – to their LA home first – and heading back to real life. She couldn't help but think about how long it had taken them to get to this place, but they had made it. She felt tears in her eyes and she opened them, reaching for a tissue and dabbing at them. These were happy tears though. She settled in, closing her eyes, even though she knew she'd do no more than doze, and went all the way back to the first day she met Chip Esten. The day she knew her life had changed forever.

Back to the beginning

She had arrived in Nashville several days earlier, her son and his nanny in tow. They would start shooting the pilot in less than a week. She had spent some time with a vocal coach, because she would be performing in the pilot, and had already gone into the studio to start recording what Rayna would be singing. It made her a little nervous. It had been a long time since she'd really had to sing and, although she thought she was competent, she was portraying a legendary country music artist and she didn't want to blow it before she even started. She had made plans to meet her male co-star, Charles Esten, for lunch, so they could get acquainted before the table read. They had exchanged texts and were meeting at the hotel restaurant.

It was so important to start that working relationship off right. At least for her. She and Kyle Chandler had driven to Texas together. Following each other, actually, but along the way they'd gotten the chance to get to know each other and really think through how they wanted to portray their characters. She wanted to have the same opportunity with Charles. Besides Hayden, he would be her primary scene partner, and because they were closer in age than she was with Hayden – and he was her character's ex-lover – the chemistry needed to feel right.

It was March, so it was still a bit chilly and the skies were overcast. She had lived in LA for so long, she'd nearly forgotten what winters were like in this part of the country. She'd worn jeans and an oversized cashmere sweater. She pulled her hair back into a ponytail and was wearing glasses, because she really wasn't trying to impress him, just get to know him. She had never met him, only seen pictures. Their schedules had never synced for them to read together in person, so she was a little apprehensive about how this would go. His character, Deacon, was supposed to be her character's romantic past. He was described as a recovering alcoholic and it hinted at a volatile past. He was in Rayna's band, so there was still some deep connection. It was important to her to meet him and talk about their characters and how they would work together. That's what she liked to do, coming into a potential new show. Plus she wanted to get to know him. It was important to her acting process.

She was apprehensive too because she'd been a little underwhelmed when Callie had sent over some video of his work for her to see. He'd mostly done comedy, it seemed, based on what Callie sent. He was nice looking, but super clean cut and a little baby-faced, she thought. He did not look like how she'd imagined Deacon would look. She had told Callie she was worried.

"Callie, I trust you, but this Charles Esten? Are you sure he's Deacon?" she asked when she called.

"He can sing. He writes songs. He was surprisingly good in his audition."

They had initially looked at someone else, a bigger name, for the role, so she was crossing her fingers on this one. "I just had pictured Deacon as, I don't know, someone with more of an edge. Looking like a bad boy."

Callie had laughed on her end. "Just wait. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised."

"Okay. I guess I'll have to trust you."

So she was mentally crossing her fingers on this one.

She took a deep breath before walking into the restaurant. She looked around, not sure if he would already be there or if she'd even recognize him. She saw someone stand up but he didn't really look like Charles Esten, so she waited for the hostess to come and seat her. She could see that the man was headed straight for her, which made her nervous. "Connie?" he said when he got closer.

She looked into the bluest eyes she thought she'd ever seen. He had an infectious smile, a handsome face that looked lived in, and a scruffy beard. Her heart was pounding as she took in his white shirt, the sleeves rolled up to just below the elbows, over well-worn jeans. She wanted to run her fingers through his thick dark hair. He looked familiar and yet he looked nothing like the man she was expecting to meet. "Charles?" she choked out, a little flabbergasted, truth be told.

His smile widened and he laughed just a little. "Please call me Chip," he said. Chip sounded right. But, more importantly, this was Deacon.

There was an ease between them from the very first conversation. They started by talking about projects they'd been in before. She could tell he was impressed – and probably a little envious – of her body of work. He'd never been a series regular, although he'd had several multi-episode arcs on some good shows. She was envious herself about his time on The Office and ER, two great series. He gushed over her work on Friday Night Lights.

"That was like don't miss TV for my family," he said.

She smiled. She never got tired of hearing how much people loved Friday Night Lights. It had been one of her favorite projects she'd ever worked on and Austin had become a home away from home for her. She laughed a little. "I'm betting it was the football part that won you over," she said, thinking that all men loved football.

He made a face and shook his head. "Not really. Although that part was really good," he was quick to add. "But I really liked Tami. I think I actually had a little bit of a crush on her." He laughed a little and she noticed a little pinkness in his cheeks. She kind of swooned a little, thinking how amazing it was to be around a man who wasn't afraid to blush a little.

It wasn't the first time she'd heard a man say he had a crush on Tami Taylor. Kyle always told her she was the true star of the show, that Coach wouldn't have been half as interesting had there not been Tami. She had fought for the role, once she'd taken it, not willing to let Tami be just a coach's wife, the way the character had been in the movie. She was proud of the character. "Well, you know Tami only had eyes for Eric," she said, with a smile.

"Clearly," he said, with a chuckle. "But I have to tell you, I've been a little nervous about working with you."

She frowned. "Nervous? Why?"

"Well, maybe not nervous so much as feeling like I'm really not worthy. You're such an amazing actor and this is really the biggest thing I've ever done." He paused. "There's literally a million different reasons why I wanted to do this, and you're a couple hundred of them."

She checked herself before she responded. She wasn't oblivious to what was written about her, although she'd never held herself in as high an esteem as it seemed others within the industry did. She worked hard, put her complete self into anything she did, and prided herself on a good work ethic and a dedication to the material. She shook her head. "I'm not that big of a deal," she said. "I do like to talk about a scene though, what kinds of emotions might be there, how it will come across, but it's really just feeling comfortable with each other. And I'm sure we will." She smiled. "It's all about communication." Which then naturally seemed to lead into talking about Deacon and Rayna and who and what they were all about.

"What do you think their past was like?" he asked her.

"I've been wondering the same thing," she said with a smile. "I think they had one of those great love stories. They meet young and it's like fireworks go off for them. There's this instant connection, that soul grabbing love they never completely shake. Obviously they have a very painful past and even though the relationship didn't survive, the love did."

"Why would he still be in her band?"

She thought about that. "I'm guessing one part is the familiarity and her success being tied to him. She's married and has a family and can say 'I'm comfortable with my life, so I can let him be part of the professional Rayna'. She probably sees it as the best of both worlds. But I think the real question is why he does it. And why did he keep doing it? I mean, she's married now and has two young daughters."

He looked at her earnestly. "I think he just wants to be near her. I'm guessing he's really never given up on them, even if it makes him look pathetic." He laughed.

She laughed too. "I don't know that I'd say pathetic. Maybe long-suffering." She thought for a moment, then tapped her fingernail on the table. "When I originally read the script, I immediately thought of this Fleetwood Mac song, Silver Spring, I think. A Stevie Nicks song. She obviously wrote from a female point of view, but it could be a guy's story. The whole 'I'm going to haunt you, you'll never get away from me' thing. Not in a creepy way, but kind of saying you can pull away from me, but you'll always love me and you'll never be able to completely forget me."

He raised his eyebrows. "Makes sense." He grinned, then chuckled a little. "I'm gonna have to find that song now and listen to it."

She smiled. "So tell me about your family."

"Been married for 20 years. 3 great kids – Taylor, Chase and Addie." She could see the pride in his face, the love in his eyes. She felt a little envious. It had always been what she'd thought her life would be like. She felt an unexpected wistfulness and an even more unexpected sense of disappointment.

"Will they, um, come to Nashville with you if the show's picked up?"

"We've talked about it and no, not the first year. If the show's renewed, then more than likely, yeah." She made herself smile. He smiled back. "And you have a son."

She gave him a genuine smile then. "I do. And he's just the best kid," she said proudly.

He chuckled. "Kids are the best, that's for sure."

They kept talking, about their lives and growing up in Virginia, about school and college and their hobbies and interests. He told her about his daughter Addie's cancer when she was a toddler and his commitment to LLS. She talked about the causes near and dear to her, how involved she had become in them, and her desire to make a difference in the world. Yoby had awakened something in her that felt compelled to give back and she was happy to see how interested he was in what she had to say.

More than what they said, though, it was what was left unsaid. They were both touchers, emphasizing a point with a gentle press of fingers on arms or a touch of an index finger on the top of a hand. The way he looked into her eyes started a gentle warmth that seemed to slowly roll through her body. There was an intimacy to the look in his eyes and then he would chuckle, almost as though he'd been caught, and he'd look away briefly. He was a gregarious man. That was all it was, she kept telling herself. He was easy to talk to, seemed to love to talk himself. He seemed at ease with her, despite what he'd told her about how he felt getting to work with her. Her original vision of him as a clean-cut, almost boyish looking man had been completely replaced by the man sitting across from her, with the smoldering sexiness of the tiny lines at the corners of his eyes that crinkled when he smiled. The scruffy beard and casually unstyled hair gave off an intense heat that she could feel all the way to her core. She could almost forget everything else when she looked into his deeply sensuous blue eyes. She was transfixed.

It was such a simple thing, then. The server left the bill on the table and they both reached for it. When he touched her hand, it set off a spark that almost instantaneously roared into a fire. She could see he felt it too. She knew she needed to pull her hand away, but she couldn't. She looked into his eyes and she could tell he was not only feeling what she felt but that he was fighting a tug of war of his own. She breathed in deeply, watching him watch her. He gently tugged the bill from her. He dragged his eyes away long enough to sign it and then looked back at her. She felt like she couldn't breathe, like she was helpless to do anything other than let whatever was going to happen next play itself out.

They didn't have to wait. The lunch was being charged to the room, which the production company would ultimately pay for. She wondered what he was thinking right then. Was he battling with himself? Trying to focus on his marriage, his family? Weighing the two alternatives and the potential consequences? She could see on his face it was a battle. She wondered if he could see the same on her own. She was not someone who would sleep with another woman's husband. She was not someone who would deliberately break up a marriage, not that that was a foregone conclusion. That was the part that she struggled with the most.

He had a family. She had a son. It would be messy, hurtful. If they did this, would it cause irreparable damage to the work relationship? Even to the show itself? Was it worth it? Was it worth blowing up their lives?

Was it what they were meant to do?

She could scarcely breathe as they walked out of the restaurant towards the elevator. Neither one spoke to the other and so she wondered if he was feeling the same way she was. Her whole body was tingling in that way that signaled extreme sexual attraction. She could feel how hard her nipples were and she was so aroused she thought she was going to come before they even crossed the lobby. A part of her knew she should not be doing this, but she felt like a runaway train that couldn't stop.

When they got on the elevator, he hit the button for the 10th floor. She inwardly breathed a little sigh of relief that he was not on the same floor she was. He hooked his thumb in his pocket and jingled his keys. She tried to breathe and then let her eyes slide down until she focused on the bulge in his jeans. She thought she was going to faint right there.

When they reached the 10th floor and the elevator doors opened, he grabbed her hand and they practically ran down the hall. He stopped at a door and had a little trouble getting his key card out of his pocket. He growled a little in frustration, then finally got it out and waved it in front of the door. He pulled her in and then closed the door behind her. As he pressed against her as she leaned back on the door, he slid the key card back in his pocket and reached around her to bolt the door. He looked down at her then. His erection was pressed firmly against her and she was still struggling to breathe. She hardly had time to think about it though because he took her mouth with his, pushing his tongue into her mouth. He slid his hands around her and pressed them on her lower back, pulling her closer. She arched her back slightly and felt her nipples rubbing against his chest. The kiss was fierce and raw and sensual. She wrapped her arms around his neck and hungrily kissed him back.

As he gently pushed her towards the bedroom of the suite, her lips never left his. She loved the feel of his lips on hers, explored his mouth as he explored hers. She felt like she needed to breathe, but she didn't want him to stop kissing her and she damn sure didn't want to stop kissing him. He finally, reluctantly, pulled his lips from hers and looked deep into her eyes, rubbing himself sensuously against her. She was panting. "You sure?" he asked, his voice low and gravelly.

"Are you?" she responded breathlessly.

He answered her by pulling her sweater up over her head. He swiftly unfastened her bra and then palmed her breasts, breathing in and out heavily, teasing her rock hard nipples. She moaned. She reached for his belt, unfastening it and then started on the button and zipper of his jeans. She slid her hands down the sides and when he sprang free, she wrapped her hands around him. His breathing was labored and she was feeling woozy from not being able to pull in a deep breath.

He took her hands and started walking her backwards, stopping twice to kiss her deeply. When she felt the back of her legs touch the bed, he let her go and pulled back the covers. He gently pushed her back onto the bed and removed her boots, jeans and panties. She scrambled back onto the bed and she watched him as he removed his own. He didn't bother to take off his shirt and she didn't care. He put a knee on the bed, in between her legs and then leaned over, slid his hands under her bottom and lifted her slightly. He settled in on top of her and then pressed into her in one long, swift motion.

"Oh, my God," she groaned as she felt him pushing relentlessly inside her and she quickly, almost instinctively, shifted to accommodate him. She was so aroused by that point that she came almost as soon as he was fully inside her, an orgasm that rocked her and left her breathless. She rocked her hips against him, letting herself feel the rush that spread through her, leaving her feeling like she was on fire.

As she was coming down from her high, she could feel his rhythmic movement inside her. She gazed into his eyes as he hit all her sensitive spots. She moaned over and over, running her hands up and down his back. He leaned down and took her left nipple in his mouth, alternately letting his tongue swirl around it and then sucking hard on it. She arched her back, her breathing quickening again. He moved to her other breast and repeated his ministrations. She squirmed underneath him as he moved faster and harder inside her. He lifted his head and stiffened, then pushed hard inside her again, shouting incoherently as he spilled himself inside her. Suddenly there were fireworks behind her eyes as she came a second time, grinding herself against him until she finally felt the pulses subside. He was lying on top of her, his shirt damp with sweat and his scruffy beard pressed against her shoulder.

After a moment, he rolled onto his back. She stared up at the ceiling, not quite believing that had just happened, but she was naked and she could hear him breathing hard. What have we done? Tears were gathering in her eyes and she breathed in slowly and deeply. Then she felt his fingers graze hers. She turned her hand so her palm was facing up and his fingers threaded hers.

She heard him sigh. "What in the hell was that?" he asked.

She said the first thing that came into her head. "I'm not sure." Suddenly she had a lump in her throat, as she realized the enormity of what had just happened. She had no idea how he felt, if he regretted what they'd done. This wasn't like her. She bit her lip, still staring at the ceiling. He was still holding her hand, but she could sense he was feeling some of the same things she was feeling. "I don't think it's something we should do again," she whispered.

She heard him breathe in, then sigh. "I know," he whispered back.

She rolled over and got up off the bed, gathering her clothes. She headed for the bathroom, closing the door behind her. She faced the mirror. She was holding her clothes in front of her naked body. Her hair was tousled around her shoulders and her face had a faint redness from the roughness of his beard. She felt tears welling up in her eyes and she swallowed hard, trying to keep from crying. She turned away from the mirror and got dressed. She turned back and ran her fingers through her hair, trying to return it to some semblance of order. She wasn't sure where the hair band was she'd been using. She sat on the edge of the tub and pulled on her boots. Then she splashed water on her face and patted it dry with a washcloth.

She hoped they'd be able to get past this, be able to work together as colleagues without letting this lapse get in the way. They would be working together a lot and it was important for them to be professional. She took another deep breath, gave herself another quick lookover in the mirror, and then opened the door. The bedroom was empty and she headed for the living room. He was sitting on the couch, dressed, and he stood up. She walked over and picked up her purse and jacket. Then she turned back to him.

"I hope we can..."

He shook his head. "We're good. We are."

"It's just that I really think this could be a great show and I want to do a good job with it." She waved her hand back and forth between the two of them. "We're going to be working so closely and we've got to be okay being around each other."

"We will," he said, his voice very calming. "It happened. It won't happen again. We're good." He smiled, a hopeful smile. "We'll be great friends and coworkers and we'll make magic happen. On the set."

She breathed in deeply, then nodded and smiled. "Yeah, we will. Um, so, I guess I should go." She headed for the door. "Thanks for meeting me." Lunch felt like it had happened so long ago. She turned back to face him. "I'm really looking forward to working together."

He smiled. "Me too."

"So, I'll see you in a few days then." She turned back to the door and let herself out.

I am in serious trouble here.

When she got back to her room, she let herself in and closed the door, leaning back against it. She breathed in deeply and then let it out in a rush. She closed her eyes. I've just had sex with a man I'd never met before today. I've just had sex with someone I now have to work with. I've just had sex with a married man. That last part seemed to pierce her heart. She couldn't help the hot tears in her eyes, that spilled out and down her cheeks, even with her eyes closed. She opened them and felt a knot of guilt in her stomach. But she also still felt the sting of his scruffy beard on her face, a sting that sent zingers throughout her body. She could still feel his slightly calloused fingers on her skin, each touch creating a river of desire coursing through her. And the delightful tingle between her legs reminded her of how he'd felt inside her, of how expertly he'd brought her to the most amazing, fulfilling orgasm she could ever remember having. In spite of all that, the tears came again as she considered the consequences of what she'd just done. Of what they'd just done.

I've just had sex with my soulmate.

She needed to go check on Yoby, who was with his nanny in her hotel room, but she felt like she smelled of sex and his scent. She headed for the bathroom, shedding her clothes as she went. She turned on the water in the shower and, as she waited for it to heat up, she wrapped a towel around her hair. Then she got in the shower and thoroughly washed herself, the hot tears spilling down her cheeks again. She wouldn't see him again for a couple of days, until they sat down for the table read, and she hoped by then she could pull herself together enough to conduct herself professionally. For both their sakes.

Since the cast was mostly all staying at the hotel, a large meeting room had been arranged for the table read. As she was getting dressed that morning, she chose carefully. She wore an old, baggy Dartmouth sweatshirt and jeans, along with a pair of Uggs. She didn't style her hair, just ran her fingers through it. Then she wore her most oversized tortoise shell glasses. She wanted to be comfortable, since they'd be sitting most of the day, but she also wanted to downplay her appearance in general. She was nervous about where everyone would be seated and prayed silently Chip would not be next to her or across from her or somewhere in her vision line. Which, she realized, didn't leave very many places for him to be. They hadn't talked since that afternoon in his hotel room.

She walked over to the crib the hotel had arranged for her. Yoby pulled himself up to a standing position and raised his arms for her to pick him up. She smiled at her son. She'd been so lucky with him. He was an easy baby, traveled well, adjusted to new people with ease, and always had a smile on his little face. She reached for him, settling him on her hip. She looked at him. "Hey there, Mr. Yoby," she said. "Mama has to work today, so I need you to be good for Katie, okay?" He laughed and waved his hand in the air. She picked up his diaper bag and then headed for the door.

When she left her room, she went to the room two doors down and knocked. It took a few seconds for the door to open, but then Katie, Yoby's nanny, opened it. She smiled. "Hey there, come on in," Katie said. "Hey, Yoby!" Katie held her hands out for Yoby and he went to her easily. Too easily, she sometimes thought, but then she was glad to have such a good caregiver for him, and someone he liked.

"So, I'm thinking it's going to be an all day affair," she said.

Katie shook her head. "No worries." She looked back at Yoby and smiled. "Yoby and I are going to have a great day."

She put her hand on the back of her son's head and gave him a kiss on the forehead. "Be good, buddy," she said, grinning at him and giving him a little wave. Then she walked to the door and let herself out, heading for the elevator. She waited for the elevator to arrive, feeling a knot in her stomach. When the doors opened and she got on, the knot seemed to get larger. As the elevator descended and then let her out, she felt like something was wrapped around her chest, keeping her from breathing deeply. The other elevator dinged and the doors opened. She turned and saw him walk out into the elevator lobby. He looked back at her, raising his eyebrows.

She felt that particular heat from being near him course through her like white lightning. The palms of her hands felt damp and she wondered if her face was red. She blinked and then she put a smile on her face. "Hey," she said.

"Hey," he said, smiling back a little hesitantly. "So, does this sort of feel like the first day of school to you?"

She just stared at him for a second, then she laughed. "Yeah, I guess it sort of does."

"Yeah, like you're at a new school so you don't know anybody and you don't know where to sit or whether you wore the right clothes or not." He shook his head, chuckling. "I was always the one cracking jokes, trying to make everybody laugh so they wouldn't point out if I'd worn the wrong kind of jeans or didn't have the right book bag. So, I apologize in advance if I end up telling a bunch of dad jokes. Just please don't roll your eyes."

She couldn't help but smile genuinely at him. "I'm sure your jokes won't all be dad jokes. And we'll probably all appreciate getting to loosen up a bit."

He raised his eyebrows again. "So, you ready?"

She nodded. "I'm ready." She fell in step with him and they made their way to the meeting room. She was already feeling a little less anxious.

It turned out they had seated him next to her. Just what she didn't want. Her skin felt like it was on fire the entire time. Her heart was pitter-pattering the whole morning. She was glad she could break free at lunch time to go see Yoby. She practically raced to the elevator and was grateful when the doors opened immediately. She tapped her fingers impatiently on the bar that ran around the walls of the elevator, wondering why it was so unbelievably slow. When the doors finally opened on her floor, she hurried down the hallway to her room. As she opened the door, she felt silly. She was acting like a teenager and she laughed a little to herself.

She stood in front of the mirror in the bathroom and pulled at the neck of her sweatshirt and pulled it back and forth, creating a little breeze at her neck. She lifted the hair off her neck and waved her hand back and forth. Then she walked to the closet and pushed off the Uggs with her feet, stepping into some ballet flats. The soles of her feet felt a little dewy and she stepped back out of the shoes. She went into the bathroom and grabbed a small hand towel and wiped off the bottom of her feet, then slid them back into the flats.

She checked her face in the mirror and was happy to see she didn't look flushed. She grabbed her purse and slid her key into her back pocket, then left the room and headed down to Katie's room to spend some time with her son.

When she got back to the meeting room, she slid into her chair. Chip wasn't there yet, so she had a moment to collect herself. The call sheet for the next day was lying next to her script. They were going to be filming at the Grand Ole Opry House, which was exciting. Actually they would be there for several days, since much of the beginning of the episode was focused there. She would be onstage, in one of the dressing rooms, in the main room area near the dressing rooms, as well as the backstage area. There were other scenes in the hallways with other characters, scenes she would not be in, as they worked on setting up the various characters. The plans were to do a lot of location filming during the season, which she was excited about. She would be filming at one of the most luxurious homes in the old money section of Nashville, standing in for Rayna Jaymes' home, as well as another home that stood in for Rayna's father's home. She and Chip would be filming on the pedestrian bridge that crossed over the Cumberland River as well. And they would be filming some rehearsal scenes behind the stage at the Opry House.

She was excited about the premise of the show, telling the story of the country music industry, and portraying one of the top female country artists. She had spent time learning more about the industry and the state of country music in 2012. She was intrigued by the idea of playing a female country artist who had been at the top of her game, but was facing the issue of relevancy as younger, more crossover artists like Hayden's character were on the way up. She liked the focus on female artists, even though she knew they struggled to find radio play.

The one thing that still made her nervous was singing. They would only pretend to be singing for the pilot. Callie's husband, who would be the music director for the show, had met her at a studio in town to work on the music that would be used for the pilot screening, which would be dubbed in later. She really did hope they got picked up, in spite of the fact that she'd made the mistake of already sleeping with her costar. She was sure he was regretting it as much as she was. Or at least wishing they could have controlled themselves. It would just complicate everything. She felt a hand on her back and she looked up, startled to see Chip standing over her.

"You get a chance to eat anything?" he asked.

She nodded at first, unable to speak. Then she found her voice. "Yeah, part of a sandwich."

He frowned slightly. "You want some fruit or something? There's still a ton of food."

She started to say no, but then thought better of it. "Fruit sounds good." She started to stand, but he shook his head.

"You're okay. I'll go get some for you. Any kind you don't like?"

She was sure there was something, but she couldn't think what it was. "I like most fruit. If something doesn't appeal, I can always push it aside." She smiled and he smiled back.

"Okay, I'll be right back."

While he was gone, she looked at the little girls sitting on the other end of the table. They were playing Rayna's young daughters. She smiled to herself. She liked the idea of Rayna having this normal family, even when her life was decidedly not normal.

"They're adorable, aren't they?" She turned at the voice behind her, looking into the face of Judith Hoag, who was playing Rayna's sister. She and Judith had met in LA and she liked her a lot. She was hoping Judith would be a regular around the set. She really liked the idea of delving into Rayna's personal life, which Callie had assured her was more layered and complex that it would appear on the surface.

She smiled back. "They are. They both seem so precocious." Judith sat in Chip's chair. She reached out and put her hand on Judith's arm. "I don't know about you, but after this morning's read, I'm getting excited about the show."

Judith nodded. "I am too. I know it's something different – and it's country music – but I think it could really have appeal beyond that. Two strong female characters and the whole show really revolves around them."

She smiled. "Other than the fact that I'm scared shitless of the singing, I do agree with you." Judith looked up and she felt Chip's hand on her shoulder as he leaned over and placed a plate of fruit in front of her, along with a fork. She turned slightly to look at him, hoping Judith didn't see the heat in her face. "Thank you," she said, smiling. He nodded.

"Hope I got the right stuff," he said.

She glanced at the plate. "Looks fantastic. I really appreciate it."

He raised his hand. "See you when we start back up." And then he walked away.

She let her eyes follow him for a moment, then turned to Judith, who was watching as he walked around the room. Then she looked back. "God, he's so hot," she said, fanning her face and neck. "Lucky you." She got up and headed back to her chair.

All she could do was laugh, sounding nervous to her ears. She picked up the fork and stabbed a piece of pineapple, popping it into her mouth, her eyes following Chip as he walked across the room. She realized what she was doing and forced her eyes away and then onto her plate. She focused on clearing her mind and then she pulled the script closer to her. She flipped the pages back to the scene they'd just read through, about midway through the episode. Rayna and Deacon were walking together and talking and the scene gave more insight into the background of the characters in terms of their relationship to each other, but in subtle ways. As it was written, and as they'd read through it, it seemed like it was designed to show how the two of them had been able to slide into a different kind of relationship, but she wondered if that was really the right way to play it. Maybe there needs to be kind of an undercurrent of attraction. She thought she might bring that up later.

Just then she could feel him walk behind her – a heat that felt like he was touching her, although he was not. She had noticed he didn't seem to have a cologne scent to him, but he had a scent of woods and a touch of evergreen that had felt comfortable, inviting. She felt a slight dampness between her breasts and she breathed out slowly. Then his hand touched her shoulder and he slid into the seat next to her. He looked over at her and smiled. Her heart was beating hard. Then he looked down at his script and she wondered if he was feeling the same seductive pull towards her that she was feeling towards him. She knew without a doubt she wasn't going to have any trouble at all feeling that undercurrent of attraction.

Until I finish my Deyna story, updates to this one will be slower to come, but hopefully it'll be worth the wait.