“Spicy. I like it.” I position myself to face her and tilt my head to the side, taking her in. “Let me guess. You’re like that song; are you one of them girls who peels off the Bud Light label?”
She lets out a sharp laugh, obviously not expecting me to say something like that, but knowing exactly what song by Lee Brice I’m referencing. “No, I won’t run the pool table”—she holds up her finger to make her point—“but don’t you dare call me an angel.”
I smile, digging the start of our conversation so far. “Noted. So, tell me, Kara, how long have you been singing in bars like this?”
“That was my first time.”
“Then, I’m glad I could be part of your first audience. You did good up there. How long have you been singing?”
“Since I was a little girl. My daddy led the choir at our church, and he always said I was his little angel who could sing.”
I grin from ear to ear. “So, I can call you an angel?”
She drops her head with a laugh. “No. He can call me that. You can’t.”
“Is this your dream? To make it in the music industry?”
“That’s why people come to Nashville, right? Trying to get discovered.”
“Then you’re not from here?”
She shakes her head. “Nope. I’m from a small town in Ohio called Willard.”
“Then, how long have you lived in Nashville?”
She stares at her water glass, spinning it in her hands. “About six months.”
I lean my head down, trying to get her attention. “Why the somber stare?”
She sighs. “Just wonder if I’m doing the right thing. It took me six months to get on that stage.”
“But you did indeed get on that stage, and you did great!”
She grins in my direction, but it’s still guarded. “I had to beg them to let me do it for free.”
“And look, they allowed it. The March family is awesome like that. They probably would have let you go on sooner. Did you not ask until now?”
“No, I didn’t. But you’re probably right. After I was turned down for what felt like the millionth time, someone suggested I come here.”
“Looks like they were right. How was it up there?” I nudge her playfully. “Everything you ever dreamed of?”
“I was worried I wasn’t doing too well since there wasn’t a big crowd in here, but having you cheer like that definitely lifted my spirits.”
I nudge her again, more in a flirty way this time. “Glad I could help. I wasn’t cheering just because I think you’re gorgeous. You did a really good job. I found myself listening a few times while hanging out with the guys.”
I love the way she blushes, but she’s quick to move the conversation off of her.
“Are those your friends?” She motions to where they are all sitting at the other end of the bar.
“That they are. We all work the same shift, so we’re more like family.”
“Same shift? What do you guys do?”
“We’re all firefighters downtown at Station 47.”
“Firefighters, huh? Do you guys come here often?”
Thoughts of what actually brought me here tonight flash in my mind, but I tuck them aside, not wanting to go back down that rabbit hole—and more importantly, not wanting to drag her down it with me.
