Page 40 of The Bachelor

NINETEEN

Avery hoped that wasn’t a bad sign, that Jolene was shoving everyone else out of the room. All things considered, she thought she’d done just about the best she could, given her nerves and her lack of range. For a second, when she had stared at Chance, she had thought she was going to swallow her tongue. He had been friendly, professional. If he had been a cold jerk, she would have gotten angry and that would have given her sass. As it was, she’d been overcome from a sense of melancholy for what had never been for her mother. For herself.

She’d always tried really damn hard not to look at Shane, whose gaze had been drilling into her. Hopefully, her discomfort hadn’t been too obvious and she had thought she’d pulled it together enough to give a decent representation of what her song could be as song by the right voice.

But now she had the sinking feeling Jolene hadn’t liked it, and it occurred to her in that second, she shouldn’t have allowed her thoughts to run too far ahead. It was a hard business. She steeled herself for rejection. Told herself it was to be expected.

After the others left the room, Jolene gave her a searching look. “Can I be honest with you?”

Avery was startled at her earnest tone. “Yes, of course.” She prepped herself for an honest critique. Whatever was said, however painful it was, she would learn and grow from it. She was a novice and there was no getting around that. It was amazing that she’d gotten to at least play the song for Jolene, all things considered.

“I like the song. I really do. I want Shane to put a hold on it for me. But we’ll get back to that in a second.”

Avery was nodding before Jolene’s words hit her. “Wait, what? Really?” She had been sure Jolene was going to tell her she wasn’t ready for Nashville. “Thank you so much!”

Jolene nodded. “We need to get something out of the way first though. I see the way my brother looks at you.”

Damn it. Was this how it was going to be? She felt like grinding her teeth together. “How is that?” she asked, even though she knew. She had felt his eyes on her the entire time she’d been singing.

“Like he wants a piece of you,” Jolene said bluntly. “I was a young girl in Nashville myself and it’s easy to fall for the flattery and the pretty words, you know what I’m saying?”

Avery’s heart plummeted. She knew there was no way to keep Shane’s interest in her a secret. He was far too obvious, and now Jolene thought she was going to tumble head over heels for him. She wanted to make it clear she had no intention of doing that. “I know he’s flirting with me, but I don’t take it seriously, I promise you. I know I’m just the new girl and that I might catch his eye for five minutes.”

It was the truth. What surprised her was how much it hurt to actually voice it. Maybe she cared more than she thought she did.

Jolene rolled her chair back to the sideboard and popped a strawberry in her mouth. Then she grabbed two of the mimosas off the tray and used her feet to bring her chair back to the table. “Mimosa?”

“Oh, no, I shouldn’t.” Avery shook her head.

“Just drink it. No one ever got stupid off one mimosa.” Jolene handed the flute to Avery. “At least I think there is champagne in here. If not, I’m going to be disappointed.”

Avery’s throat was dry so she took a sip. That was some bubbly deliciousness right there. “Thank you.”

Jolene took a sip of her own drink. “I don’t want to make you uncomfortable or have you think I’m calling you naïve, because I’m not. I can see you’re wary of him. But you find him cute, you can admit it.”

“He ain’t ugly, that’s for sure,” Avery said vehemently.

Jolene laughed. “I agree, even though I would never admit that in front of him. It’s easy to say you’ll never do something until suddenly you do, then you’re feeling things, and then there are drunken tears at midnight outside a bar, and your heart is broken. Been there, done that.”

“That’s exactly what I’m trying to avoid.” Avery wouldn’t have had sex with him if she’d had any clue who he was before their clothes came off, she was sure of it. As for getting her heart broken, she’d prefer that to be over her songwriting skills, not a man.

“That’s good, because honey, my brother is Mr. Stick It In, not Mr. Stick Around.” Jolene put her hands up. “That doesn’t sound pretty, but it’s the truth.”

Avery couldn’t help but give a startled laugh out of embarrassment. “Now that’s one way to put it. I swear to you, I didn’t know who he was when I met him.” She brushed her hair behind her ear. “I appreciate what you’re saying. I know I’m not anything special.”

“See, there’s where you’re wrong. You are special. Because my brother has met a dozen pretty little songwriters and he’s never talked to me about a single one of them.”

Her mouth went dry and she took a huge gulp of the mimosa, almost choking. She wanted to know what Shane had said about her almost more than anything. But even more than that, she didn’t want to screw this opportunity up.

“I may not be the most experienced woman in the world when it comes to men, Ms. Hart, and I have made mistakes in the past.” She thought of Ben. “Big ones. I’ve learned from that.”

She didn’t mean to get personal with Jolene, but it was important to her to make it clear that under no circumstance was the history with Shane going to affect her ability to do her job and do it well. She also thought if Jolene knew how well she could keep a secret, she might be impressed, but there was no way to share that given the secret was her connection to Chance.

“Show me a woman who hasn’t.” Jolene shrugged. “I certainly have. My mother took up with every idiot who drove an eighteen-wheeler after my parents split. Heart as big as Texas, but way too trusting.”

Avery could sympathize with that all too well. “Exactly.” This was an awkward conversation in general, but she wanted Jolene to understand she wasn’t going to tumble head over heels for Shane. Even if she already had, just a little. “But I’m here to start my career, not find a boyfriend.”

That was the truth of it.

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