Disclaimer: I do not own Nashville or any of its music, characters, and dialogue.
Nashville's Sweetheart
7
Cologne. Strong, intoxicating cologne. On his neck, in his hair, on his clothes – everywhere.
Lips. Forceful, tender lips. On her mouth, on her neck, on her chest – everywhere.
They were still in the bar, but Rayna felt herself grow hot and anxious. She didn't know exactly why or what for, but she felt it, and it felt good. She wanted him in that moment more than she had ever wanted everything, but all she could do was swoon as he picked her up and kept on kissing her, their bodies intertwined and their hearts beating as one.
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
"Rayna? Rayna." Very slowly, Rayna's eyes opened and adjusted to see Tandy sitting on her bed, her hand roughly shaking Rayna by the shoulders. "Get up and get dressed. We have to go to Daddy's Christmas brunch. Don't you remember?"
Crap. Rayna had completely forgotten, to be honest. Groaning, she sat up and brushed the hair out of her face, and it was then that she realized that she had a pounding, splitting headache. It was enough to make her slink back down onto her pillow again, closing her eyes and willing for it all to stop.
It had been a crazy night, not that Rayna could really remember it. She vaguely remembered kissing Deacon and Deacon kissing back, and then she remembered somehow having another drink. Or three. She didn't quite remember how she had gotten home, though, and, warily, she leaned her head up and stared over at Tandy.
"You don't remember how you got home last night, do you?"
"No, Tand. I don't."
"You're hungover!" Tandy jumped off the bed and stood in front of her, her finger waving in the air. "I knew you had gotten wasted! You came home at two in the morning and practically woke up the entire neighborhood."
"Did I wake Daddy?" Rayna was suddenly paralyzed with fear, for that would indeed be the end of everything as she knew it.
"No," said Tandy, and her voice was softer now, though still firm. Rayna let out a sigh of relief. "But you nearly did. I came out and helped you get into bed before you knocked down all your furniture. Where did you go last night?"
"How did I even get back?"
"I think you took the bus." Tandy sat down again, her curiosity now transcending her anger. "I didn't see or hear a car, so I think you definitely took the bus."
Had Deacon let her go, then? Rayna honestly couldn't remember. She remembered being at a bar (though which bar she couldn't recall), and she did remember drinking. Suddenly she was worried about Deacon and was worried about how he had gotten home, but she had no way to contact him. She still didn't even have his phone number.
"Well," said Rayna, sitting all the way up again and lifting her legs outside of the covers, "I guess I better get ready. Can you get me some aspirin, please?"
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
At the brunch, Rayna avoided eye contact as much as possible and busied herself with looking at all the trophies a the country club. She hated the trophies, really, and hated what they stood for, but at that particular moment, she just wanted to blend in the background and blend out of focus.
Her head still ached with pain and with pressure, and her mind was still trained on Deacon. She really wanted to see him, and she really wanted to make sure that he was alright. What had happened last night? Gosh, it was embarrassing not to remember, and it was so unlike her. Rayna didn't know what she was like when she was drunk, so she really hoped that she hadn't done anything she would regret.
"Rayna! Hello, dear." Groaning inwardly, Rayna turned around to see one of the country club women hurry over to her. She recognized her to be Mrs. Hensworth, who was the mother of one of the girl's in Rayna's grade. Rayna didn't really talk to Tina Hensworth, but apparently Tina Hensworth talked about her if her mother knew who Rayna was.
"Hi, Mrs. Hensworth," said Rayna in that soft, sing-song voice she had been trained and encouraged to always use with people. Her mama had taught her that and her father had reinforced it, and it was just the thing to do in situations like this.
After a couple minutes of pointless chit-chat, Mrs. Hensworth went in for the kill: "Any boys in your life?"
"No." Rayna said it too fast and she felt herself blushing, and Mrs. Hensworth squealed in delight. These people always loved a good story and a good bout of gossip.
"I know that look well enough to know that there is some boy." Her voice was gentle and not exactly probing, but Rayna still didn't like the type of social intrusion that was accepted in a place like this. Secrets were treasures waiting to be unearthed, and Rayna hated that entire culture. But, she couldn't be rude, so she made up some crush about one of the boys in Tandy's grade, praying that Mrs. Hensworth wouldn't tell Tina and that Tina wouldn't get too focused on it.
People eventually came up to them and captured Mrs. Hensworth's attention, so Rayna gradually slipped away, moving to search for Tandy and her father. They'd been there for a couple hours, so surely it was almost time to home? Rayna needed to sleep for another few hours and recover for her next gig that night.
But as she scanned the groups of people for her family, her thoughts again wandered back to Deacon. Really, she wondered how she had gotten home, and she wondered how Deacon had gotten home. If she had gotten this drunk, wouldn't he have been drunk, too? And would have driven this drunk? Gosh, Rayna hoped that he wouldn't have, but she didn't know! And there was no way for her to find out right now!
She had to wait until Monday to see Deacon again. It was Saturday and she had no idea where he could be or how to get a hold of him, so she'd have to wait the couple days to finally see him at her usual Monday night gig. Rayna didn't know then that this wouldn't be the first time she worried incessantly about Deacon's whereabouts and his well-being, but it might have been the moment where she first realized that she was at least partially in love with him.