Reba organized the tapes in the cabinet, humming softly to herself. She bent over to pick up a new set of tapes. "What chya doin?"
"Ah!" She jumped and tossed the tapes into the air. She turned around, her hand pressed to her chest. She looked over with wide eyes to see Bobby sitting on the desk. "You scared the crap out of me!"
He grinned at her flush faced. "Sorry." She gave him a small smile and bent over to pick up the tapes. He hopped off the desk and helped her. "Why are you doin' that?" He questioned as she continued to organize the rows of tapes.
"Joey asked me too."
"That's not your job ya know?"
Reba paused for a moment before continuing. "I know. But i'm new. I want to get on his good side."
"Then do it by what you're here for. Not by doin' his chores."
"I don't mind helpin' out. I have the free time."
"You know, there's a difference between helpin out and bein his maid."
Reba rolled her eyes and went to pick up a tape. Bobby snatched it from her hands and she looked at him confused. "What are you doin?"
She tried to reach for the tape but he pulled his hand back. "You have been here for a week, and i have not once heard you sing."
She looked down at her hands shyly and shrugged. "So?"
Bobby laughed. "So? Come on, I gotta hear you."
Reba bit her lip and looked up. "I don't have any music."
He grinned before setting down the tape and grabbing her hand. "Come with me."
"I-i have to finish this." She stuttered while he pulled her from the room.
"Let jackass deal with it."
Reba reluctantly followed as he dragged her across the hall and into the recording studio. Her heart beat faster when his hand gripped hers as they entered the dark room. He flipped on a light and headed across the room. "What are we doin in here?"
"Come here." He gestured her to follow him.
She looked over her shoulder before hesitantly going after him, closing the door behind her in the sound booth. "Are we allowed to be in here?"
"Probably not." He casually replied while leaning over and picking up a guitar. Reba's eyes widened and he chuckled. "Relax, the worst that could happen is they kick us out of the booth." He sat down on top of a speaker and began tuning the guitar.
She took a deep breath and looked around. "This so cool."
Bobby smiled and looked up at her, her eyes shining as they darted around the room. "You never been in a recordin booth before?"
Reba shook her head as she ran her hand over the padded lining in the wall. "It's all so real."
Bobby looked at her curiously. "Why are you here Reba?"
She closed her eyes, taking in her surrounding. "Music's always been apart of me." She opened her eyes and smiled. "I don't know how to explain it, it's just somethin i have to do."
He smiled. "I understand." They held each other's gaze, smiling. Reba quickly looked away, blushing, and Bobby cleared his throat. "Let's hear it." He positioned the guitar on his lap and looked up at her. "You know Hank?"
She scoffed. "Of course I do." Bobby smiled for what seemed like the millionth time that day. He began playing the intro to 'You're Cheatin' Heart'. Reba shyly looked down at her feet and began singing the first verse. They got to the chorus and he stopped. She looked over at him confused. "What?"
He looked at her amazed. "Holy shit." Reba's eyes widened and she blushed. "Excuse my language, but... holy shit."
"It wasn't bad?"
"Are you kiddin? Reba that was amazing."
"Thank you." she smiled.
"Just... wow." Reba chuckled and he set the guitar down. "What's your story?"
"My story?"
"Yeah, where are you from, how'd you end up here, that kind of stuff."
"Well, i'm from Oklahoma. I was singin the National Anthem at a rodeo, and Joey saw me, and now i'm here. You?"
"Born and raised here, played in a bunch of bars and built up a reputation, now i've been here for a couple years." He glanced at her as she continued to stare in awe at the booth. "Oklahoma huh? Must be a change, comin to Nashville."
Reba shrugged. "It's different. But it's a good different. My daddy wanted me to stay and help at the ranch, and I did for a little bit, but that's not me. I couldn't spend the rest of my life doin that, it's just not who I am."
"I hear ya. My old man's a doctor, he nearly had a heart attack when I told him I wasn't going to college."
She laughed. "Yeah, my parents went a little nuts too."
Bobby studied her for a moment. "How old are you?"
"Nineteen. You?"
"Twenty-two." He watched her again before grinning. "How about you go out with us tonight?"
"What?"
He stood up excitedly and walked closer to her. "Me and some of my band are goin out tonight, come with."
"I-i don't know. I'm not really the 'goin out' type."
"Oh come on, have some fun for once!"
Reba stuck her head up and crossed her arms. "I have fun." He raised his eyebrow in disbelief and she stomped her foot. "I do!"
"What do you do for fun?"
"I read." Bobby burst out laughing and Reba frowned.
"What?"
"Did you just say you read?" She nodded and he laughed again. "Oh man, you are definitely comin out with us tonight.
"I don't know. I don't know anyone, and I don't want to intrude."
"You wouldn't be! And that's all the more reason for you to come with! You have been here for almost two weeks and the only people i've seen you talk to is me and Joey."
"Well I like you." Her cheeks went red when she realized what she said and Bobby smiled. "I didn't mean 'like' you like you, i just meant I like talkin to you, not that you're not someone i wouldn't like, cause i would, i mean, but i don't...is it hot in here?" She panted out while tugging at the neck of her shirt.
Bobby held back his chuckle and grabbed her by the shoulders. "Reba, relax. I like you too."
Her heart skipped a beat when he said he liked her. She quickly recomposed herself and smoothed out her shirt. "I'll go." She nodded, answering more to herself than to Bobby.
He smiled. "Awesome! It'll be fun, you'll see."
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Bobby smiled spotting his band buddies in the back of the bar. He looked behind him to see Reba looking around. He nudged her and gestured her to follow him. They made their way across the crowded bar and stopped in front of a rounded booth. "Guys!" He yelled over the noise.
The four guys stopped talking and turned their attention to Bobby and the shy looking redhead next to him.
"Bobby, you made it!" One of them spoke up. "And you brought a friend." He commented while eyeing Reba.
Bobby looked to his side and grinned at her. "Guys this is Reba. Reba, this is Keith, Toby, Jack, and Davis." He singled out each guy as he called out their names.
"Nice to meet you." She smiled politely at them.
Bobby nudged one of the guys over and sat down, pulling Reba with him. One of the guys stood up, he had light brown hair and green eyes. He wasn't extremely tall, but he wasn't considered average height either. "I'm gonna run and grab us some more drinks. Same ol' same ol' Bobby?" Bobby nodded at his band member Keith. "What about you Reba, you want anythin?"
"Oh, no thanks I-"
"She'll have a beer."
Reba shot Bobby an inquisitive look and they stared at each other.
A moment of silence filled the air. "Reba?" Keith questioned, unsure of what to do.
"I'll have a beer." She responded without taking her eyes off of Bobby. She watched as his straight set mouth slowly formed into a wide smile, his eyes gleaming. She bit her lip and looked down at her lap.
Bobby turned his eyes away from the girl next to him, smile still set, and began talking to the band. "Reba, this is my band. They follow me from one crappy gig to the next, and do whatever I tell them too. In other words, they're my bitch." All the guys laughed and threw balled up napkins and empty peanut shells at him. Bobby joined in the laughter and held up his hands to protect himself. "I'm just kiddin! Yeesh, ya sissies." That got more shells and napkins thrown at him. Reba chuckled as a peanut shell lodged into his hair.
"Ya got a little somethin." She commented while gently picking it out of his hair and tossing it to the side. He smiled at her and she smiled back.
"Bobby why didn't you tell us you had a girlfriend." The black haired man, John, quipped.
Reba opened her mouth wordlessly and Bobby shook his head. "We're just friends. Reba, is the new girl on the label."
"Well, sort of." She sheepishly spoke up. "I've just recorded a couple demos, nothin else."
Bobby nudged her. "Are you kiddin? With your voice, don't even worry about it." Reba blushed and Bobby smiled again before turning back to the band. "Toby here, plays lead guitar. Acoustic, electric, you name it. Jack's on steel, and Davis plays the bass. Keith is our drummer. Speak of the devil." He teased as his drummer came back with drinks. "Took you long enough." He grabbed a bottle and handed it to Reba before grabbing one for himself.
"Thanks." She watched as Bobby took a gulp before hesitantly doing the same with her own drink.
"So Reba, what do you do?"
"I'm sorry?" She looked over at the guy named Davis, confused.
"You gotta have a job. Or are you a daddy's girl, blowin off daddy's money until you snag yourself a rich husband?"
Reba glared at him. "I am not a 'daddy's girl'. I have an apartment and i wait tables down at Earl's Diner."
"Watch the tone Red, I was just makin conversation."
"Well, you're implyin some sexist stereotype. And don't call me Red."
"I'm just sayin, Red." He emphasized 'Red' and Reba clenched her fist. "I see no point in you bein' here."
"Davis-" Bobby began.
"The music business doesn't need another woman." He cut Bobby off. Bobby glanced at Reba and could sense the anger pulsing through her body. "Everyone knows woman belong in three places and three places only. The bedroom, the kitchen, and the crowd. Cheerin us men on."
"Shut up Davis!" Bobby glared at his 'friend.' The other band members looked at him disapprovingly as well.
He shrugged. "Just callin' it how I see it." Reba watched him in disgust as he hoped out of the booth and staggered towards the restrooms.
"I should go." She started scooting out of the booth but Bobby stopped her. "No, stay please. Don't go."
She looked at him hesitantly , her eyes shifting to Keith as he began speaking. "Don't let Davis get to you. He's just an ass."
"Yeah." Jack piped up. "Don't worry about it."
Reba smiled at them. Toby grinned and his eyes lit up. "Let's play a round."
The guys nodded in agreement. Reba looked at all of them confused. "A round of what?"
"Beer pong." Bobby glanced at Reba and chuckled. "Don't tell me you've never played."
"I haven't. I've seen people though."
"You're missin' out." One of the guys commented before sliding out of the booth. "Come on." Reba was quick to follow as they made their way to the ping pong tables in the back. Toby unhooked the net on the table and moved it to the side, setting up plastic cups on both ends. He sent one of the guys to grab a couple pitchers. "Jack you're with Bobby. Reba, you'll be on my team."
Bobby frowned. "Why is Reba on your team?"
"She doesn't know how to play, i'm gonna teach her."
"I think I got the basics. Ya throw a ball in a cup, not the most complicated thing in the world." Reba quipped.
"Well I can teach her too. Come on Reba." He pulled her to his side of the table and Toby starred at the both of them curiously. He'd never seen Bobby act this way before. He seemed almost...giddy.
"This should be intrestin."
Reba and Bobby turned their head towards Davis as he approached the small group. Reba refrained herself from rolling her eyes. "Shut up Davis." Bobby quipped. Jack returned with the pitchers of beer and began pouring it into the cups.
"So we just throw the ball into the other teams cups?"
Bobby nodded. "Yup. And if you make it into the cup you throw again. Kinda like when you roll doubles."
Reba nodded and watched as Jack poured the last cup. "How do you know who wins?"
He chuckled. "Everyone wins in this game darlin." She looked up at him confused and he chuckled more. "You win the game by gettin the ball in all of the cups. But when the ball lands in a cup on your side, you have to drink it."
"So the winner gets to win, and the loser gets to drink."
"Pretty much."
Reba chuckled excitedly. "This is fun." Bobby smiled at her as she bounced on her feet.
"Let's get this thing started!" One of the guys called out and the others cheered.
"Reba why don't you go first." Toby tossed her a ping pong ball and she clumsily caught it.
"Alright.." She hesitantly stepped forward and glanced at the cups in front of her. She gently tossed the ball and it bounced off the corner, falling on to the floor. She frowned.
"You're not throwin it hard enough. And you can't under hand it."
"Here, try again." One of the guys handed her the ball back.
She tried again, missing more than the first time. Bobby laughed at her frustration. "Here." He gave her another ball and stepped behind her. He took her hand and his and leaned his other one against the table, unintentionally trapping her between him and the table. Reba took a deep breath feeling his body pressed against hers. He raised their hands and pulled her arm back gently. "You have to stop your arm in the middle, and let go of the ball." He helped her throw the ball and it landed into one of the cups with a plop.
Reba turned her head and smiled at Bobby. "Thank you."
Bobby smiled back at her before he slowly let go of her hand. "Let's kick some butt."
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"You ok there Red?" Bobby helped her stand straight after she stumbled into a table.
"Oh i'm great." She giggled then hiccuped, causing her to giggle more.
"You're drunk." He chuckled out, helping her to their booth.
"And you're cute." She slurred out. He helped her sit down and she slumped against the padding of the booth. She closed her eyes and let her head fall back.
"Reba?"
"Hmm?" She lazily responded without opening her eyes.
"I'm gonna go get my keys...and find your shoes. Then i'm gonna get you home."
"Okie dokie!"
Bobby suppressed a laugh and went off to find their things.
Reba opened her eyes and glanced around the bar, her eye sight blurring. She tried to focus on the table in front of her. She flinched feeling the booth shift. Her eyes lazily shifted from the table top to the man sitting next to her. "Hi." she hiccuped.
Davis smirked and scooted closer to the clearly intoxicated redhead. "Hey little Red. What chya doin all by yourself?"
"I'm not by myself. I'm with Bobby."
"Where's Bobby?"
He smirked as she swung her head, looking all around. She looked back at Davis frantically and confused. "Where'd Bobby go?"
"I'm not sure." He scooted even closer and subtly wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "Maybe he left."
Reba frowned, not acknowledging his arm. "But he's my ride." She slurred out, her eyes lazily darting around the room. She closed them and leaned her head back.
"I could be your ride home."
Reba chuckled and shook her head. "You dunno where I live."
"Then tell me."
She went to talk but suddenly closed her mouth; her eyes opening wide. "I don't know where I live." She leaned up and looked at him panicked. "I don't remember."
"Hey, hey." He grabbed her chin and turned her, not so gently, to face him. "Don't worry about it baby. I'll take you home."
Reba nodded hesitantly, her mind too incoherent to think straight. Her heart pounded as he moved forward and pressed his lips to her. His lips felt rough and cold, and Reba squirmed uncomfortably when he moved his hand up her thigh. She moved away from him when his hand moved to the back of her neck, trying to deepen the 'kiss'. "I wanna go home."
He nodded and moved his hand higher up her thigh. "We will baby."
Reba shook her head. "Where's Bobby?"
"He's not here."
"I want to go home." Her words were still slurred and her head was spinning. She kept repeating the words in her head, trying desperately to make sense of everything going on around her.
"Just relax. We'll leave in a little bit." He leaned forward and kissed her again, his hands pulling her closer.
She pulled away and pushed at his chest, shaking her head. "No."
He ignored her protest and grabbed her face in his hands, roughly pulling her to him. She squealed when his tongue tried to make it's way past her lips and she tried to slap him the best she could. Her limbs felt like jello, and the alcohol running through her prevented her from full control of her body movements.
Bobby stopped half way between the booth and he frowned. He quickly shook it off. It's not like he had any say, who cares if she's making out with someone. He turned around and went to walk away but stopped. She was really drunk, and he couldn't just leave her there. He turned around and slowly began walking back to the booth.
"Stop it!"
He lifted his head to see Reba weakly trying to push herself away from Davis. Him doing the exact opposite. He picked up his pace and with a few short steps he was in front of the booth. He grabbed Reba's arm and pulled her away from Davis, helping her on to her feet. The moment she hit the ground her legs buckled, knocking her over. Bobby caught her before she came in contact with the ground and pulled out a chair at the table behind them. "Reba, darlin' why don't you sit for a little bit." He stopped one of his passing band members. "Keith, will you get Reba some water?"
"Sure. You ok man? You look pissed."
He gritted his teeth. "I am." He stopped him from questioning. "I'll tell you later, keep an eye on Reba." He walked back to the booth and glared at the man drinking a beer. "What the hell's the matter with you?"
"What?" He questioned innocently.
"She can barely walk right now, and you try to take advantage of her?"
Davis snorted. "Took advantage? Please, she was leading me on."
"She's no where near in her right mind, even if she was 'leading you on' you should have enough sense to leave her alone."
He got up from the booth and faced Bobby. "What are you tryin to imply?"
"I'm not implyin anything. Just stay away from her."
"She wanted it."
"She said no. Now apparently you must be screwed up in the head, because no, means, no."
He crossed his arms and glared at Bobby. "Don't treat me like the bad guy." Bobby rolled his eyes and turned around, heading for the table. "You're pickin her side?"
He stopped and turned around. "There's no sides here! You're an idiot, that's all there is to it."
"Sure, pick your whore's over your friends."
He stepped forward and clenched his fists. "Watch it."
"Are you screwin her? Is that why you're takin her side, afraid you'll get cut off?" Davis stumbled back at the impact of Bobby's fist. He quickly caught himself and swung his own fist, making contact with his lip. They went back and forth before their friends quickly broke them up.
"Bobby, Bobby!" Toby stopped him from charging at Davis again. "Go help Reba. We got it handled here."
He glared at Davis one more time before nodding and moving away. He turned his attention to Reba. "Hey." He looked down to see her arms folded on the table and her head on top of them. "How you holdin up?"
She shook her head. "I don't feel good, and I wanna go home." Her voice was still slurred and she was close to tears.
"I'll get you home. Come on." He leaned down and wrapped her arm around his neck, helping her up. He supported most of her weight as he helped her out of the bar. They made it outside when Reba stopped him. "What's wrong?"
"I'm gonna puke." Her face was flushed and she clenched her eyes shut.
Bobby helped her to a near by trash can. He rubbed her back as she clenched the metal rims. All of a sudden she leaned forward, throwing up. He pulled her hair from her face and held it up, his hand still rubbing her back. "It's ok. Get it all out." they stayed their for a moment before he helped her stand up straight. Taking her to his truck, he got her buckled into the passengers seat. He jogged around the front and hopped in. "Ok where am I going?" he waited for her to respond. "Reba?" He turned his head and sighed, seeing her asleep. He thought for a minute before starting the car.
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Reba woke up with a pounding head ache, her stomach churning. She shifted and frowned. Opening her eyes she shot up straight, looking at the unknown surroundings, glancing at the pull out bed she was on. "Oh god." She whispered to herself. "Oh god, oh god, oh god." She continued, her voice getting more high pitched with each one. She was about to jump out of bed when a bedroom door opened and Bobby stepped out. "Bobby."
"Hey, glad to see you're awake."
"What am I doin here?"
He walked towards the small kitchen. "You passed out last night and I had no clue what your address was." Reba nodded in understanding, calming down a bit. "Coffee?"
"Yes, please." She stood up slowly and made her way to one of the stools at the counter. She put her head in her hands, closing her eyes. Bobby chuckled and pushed the coffee cup towards her, along with a couple of aspirins. She took them both quickly. "Thank you."
"No problem."
She studied him and frowned. "What happened to your lip?"
"I got into a fight."
Reba's eyes widened. "What, when?"
"When we were gettin ready to leave."
"Who was it?"
"Davis."
She frowned some more. "How'd that happen?"
Bobby shrugged. "He was just being an ass."
She stood up and walked around the counter, getting a better look at his lip. "It's all swollen. Do you have an ice pack?"
"Reba, i'm fine. Really." She ignored him, grabbing a rag and opening the freezer. She emptied half the ice tray into the rag before twisting it and tying it off with one of her ponytails. She held it up and gently pressed it against his lower lip. He flinched back.
"Sorry."
He shook his head. "It's fine."
She stepped forward and pressed the rag to his lip again. He held still this time and her eyes traveled across his face; checking for any other signs of bruising. "How's that?"
His eyes studied her face, his mind deep in thought. "Perfect." Her eyes moved to his and he shook his head. "I mean, great, it's fine. Thank you."
She smiled. "It's no problem. Thanks for not lettin me sleep at the bar."
"It's no problem." He repeated her words and Reba laughed. He smiled hearing her laugh. It was nice. Really nice.