Page 22 of When in Rome

Noah’s sisters are unlike anyone I’ve ever known before. They pulled up outside his house and then honked their horn for me to come out. Literally. They honked. When I stepped outside, they catcalled and yelled, “Woo hoo, princess of pop coming out to Hank’s! Hop in the back with Annie!”

And by the back, they meant the back of their truck bed. If Susan could see me now, bobbing around on this pitch-black back road in the bed of a truck with no seat belt, looking like a popcorn kernel in a pan, she’d die. She’d just keel over on the spot. It’s going to be a rowdy night, I can feel it in my bones. My jostling, jerking bones.

Unfortunately, all this bumping around is starting to trigger a headache. It might be nothing, or it might turn into one of those whopping migraines I’ve started getting more frequently. My doctor says they are stress induced and that I should take more breaks. But I haven’t had time for breaks, so that’s why I have prescription-strength ibuprofen in my purse, which I fish around for right now.

Finding the little orange container, I discreetly unscrew the lid and take out a pill, using my spit to swallow it before Annie sees. Idon’t know why I feel silly about this. It’s only a strong ibuprofen, but people tend to get weird ideas in their heads when they see celebrities popping random pills, and I don’t feel like launching into my whole medical history with the ladies right now. I toss the container back in my purse just as we pull up to the bar and Madison sticks her head out the passenger-side window, shouting, “Look out, y’all! Teachers gone wild!”

“You guys are teachers?” I ask Annie, gripping the side of the truck as Emily turns sharply into the gravel parking lot.

Annie smiles. “They are, but they’re on summer break right now. I own a flower shop right next door to Noah’s pie shop.”

Flower shop.Suddenly, the bouquet on his table makes more sense. “So you must be the one putting fresh flowers in Noah’s house?”

Annie laughs and shakes her head. “Sort of. Noah comes by the shop almost every day and buys a bouquet from me to take home. I think he’s secretly worried I’ll go out of business if he doesn’t.”

Uh-uh. Don’t you do it, heart. I feel you trying to squeeze, but I won’t allow it. So what? He’s a good brother.

Big. Freaking. Deal.

Emily and Madison unload from the truck and come around to let the gate down for me and Annie to hop out. When I look at Hank’s, my stomach jumps into my throat. It’s a smallish bar, in basically the middle of nowhere, surrounded by a gravel lot and stuffed to the brim. A neon sign flickers above the bar confirming that we’re indeed atHank’s Bar,and there are so many trucks here that the parking lot is packed in like Tetris. Those who got here first won’t be able to leave anytime soon. Through the window, I can see that the bar is dimly lit, but there’s so many people in there I know it’s got to be breaking a fire code.

“Everything okay?” Annie says, stopping beside me and reading my nervous expression.

I swallow and gesture weakly toward the bar. “It just looks…busy.”

Emily comes up on the other side of me. “ ’Cause it is. Everyone…and I do mean everyone, comes to Hank’s on Friday nights. It’s the only fun thing to do in the whole town so no one missesit.”

Oh super. Everyone stuffed into one building and me without any sort of real protection. What are the odds anyone in there is obsessed with pop music? Suddenly, I wish Noah were here, which is such a ridiculous thought in and of itself. I’ve only known him for a few days, but somehow I know he’d make sure I was safe.

“There’s not like a…back entrance we could go in, is there? And do you have a hat in your truck? I didn’t realize this was going to be so crowded or I would have—”

Madison starts pushing me from behind. My body is being propelled toward the front door, and I look like a cat approaching water. She laughs. “This town is harmless. Trust us. We’ll take care of you. And Emily runs the roost around here, so they’ll listen to her.”

Mm-hmm. Then why do I feel like I’m being offered up as a sacrifice to the neon beast?

Annie opens the door for all of us and gives me an empathetic smile when the country music spills out. It’s loud and rowdy in there. Thrilling and terrifying. “Let Emily go first.”

I hang back as instructed and practice a few breathing techniques I use before going on stage when my nerves get the best of me. I don’t get through my second breath before Madison grabs my hand and yanks me inside with her.

I swear the next thirty seconds happen like this:

We walk through the door.

All heads swivel in our direction.

The group of people line-dancing in the middle of the room come to a swift halt.

The music cuts off.

Everything goes so silent we can hear the click of the door shutting behindus.

And everyone stares atme.

As it turns out…these people are familiar with pop music. Or at least just celebrities. Because they are definitely looking at me like I am one. The heavy scent of beer and sweat, mixed with the way my heart is ramming against my chest, makes me feel like I’m going to be sick. This was a bad idea. Leaving Nashville was a bad idea. Why in the hell did I think I could just slip into a town undetected and spend time here in blissful solitude? Now they all know I’m here and my peace has run out. Forget Monday, I’ll have to leave tonight because any second now they’ll lift their phones, snap photos, and upload them to all the social media platforms. Paparazzi will be here within the hour. It’s how it always goes.

I turn to rush out the door, but Madison catches my forearm. “Hang on. It’s okay.”

She nods at Emily and I watch in amazement as the woman hops up on the top of the bar and cups her hands around her mouth. “All right, listen up, all you fellow hillbillies! I’ve got my friend Rae Rose here and she’s looking for a good time and zero bother. So act like your mama taught you some manners and let’s treat her with respect! Also, she’s flying under the radar in our town for the next little bit, so do her a favor and pretend you never saw her. Everybody gotit?”

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