Page 44 of Open Road (Tattooed Hearts Duet 3)

“Holy pajamas! Darcie, you’re ridiculous. I can’t believe you go from tattoos to getting knocked up. You’re nuts, my friend.” I giggled, wiping the tears from my eyes.

“Hey, I’m just saying. A little nugget that looked like your guys wouldn’t be a bad thing.”

“Anyways, I’m not pregnant. Not married. And the only tattoo I have is the one Slade gave me. But I did sing on stage, and a talent scout approached me.”

“Shut up! Shut the front door! This is amazing, Lennox! What did you say? What did you do?”

“Well, they want me to sing tomorrow while we’re here in Chattanooga. I haven’t decided yet if I’m going to take the deal. It’s a big decision.”

“Um, no. It’s an easy decision. Someone wants to give you a chance to share your gift with others and pay you to do it… winner, winner! What do the guys think?”

“Surprisingly, they’re all on board. Zane said he was my manager, Simon my stylist, and Slade my bodyguard.”

She broke out into laughter, making some of the tightness in my chest ease. “Oh, that’s classic. Can I be your dance instructor? Please! I need to get out of Nashville.” I could tell she was joking, but her voice also had some truth to it.

“What’s going on? I thought you loved your job.”

“Ugh, I do. It’s just… not the same without you.”

I knew that wasn’t all the truth, but all she would give me for now.

“So you think I should say yes?”

“100%! This is an opportunity of a lifetime. Even if you never do anything else with music, you can’t deny that this would be a great experience. You love to sing, and if you got to do it for a while, you might not find it as scary. Think of the stories you can tell your grandkids when you’re old.”

“You know, since we’ve been on this convention competition thing, it hasn’t felt as scary,” I admitted.

“So maybe you just needed to spread your wings a little all along.”

“Yeah, you could be right.” I sighed, smiling.

“I love it when you say that. Say it again!”

“Darcie is right.”

“Damn straight. All joking aside. I miss you, but I think you should do this. What wouldyousay if I was calling and saying that someone offered me this opportunity?”

“Were they deaf? Because you can’t sing.”

“Har-de-har-har. Fine. If it was for dancing, what then, smart ass?”

Laughing, I chewed on my lip, knowing what she meant. “I’d tell you to take it and don’t even second guess it.”

“Exactly. It’s a tour. Not a life commitment. Either you love or hate it, but either way, you’ll know you tried, and I think that’s what you need the most.”

“Yeah. Okay. I’ll hear what they have to say.”

“My job here is done. Now, go and be awesome, and hurry back.”

“Yes, ma’am. We should be back in less than a week. We have a few more days before we’re on our way back to Bowling Green. It’s been fun, but boy, do I miss my bed.”

“Sweet. Let's plan something when you’re back. I need some girl time.”

Again, I could hear the despair, and I knew I’d need to take her up on that and make sure to plan something.

“Absolutely. Love you, Darce. Thanks for being awesome.”

“Back at ya, Lennox. Kisses.”

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