So, she doubled down. “I know you don’t actually want to make peace with me. You literally told me that yesterday. So, the only way I’m letting you in is if you’re honest with me.”
Juliet’s immaculate smile froze in place, and it really was fascinating. To see the look that flickered over her face in a blink-and-miss-it moment, as she clearly internally wrestled with what she wanted to do.
Finally, Juliet came to her conclusion. Her smile faded into a serious expression, and she measuredly held Darcy’s eyes with her own. “Fine, then. In the nature of beinghonest, I…” She trailed off, seeming to have to force the words out. “I really want to do ‘Porchlight’ on this album. Working on a song like that on Shelby’s album would mean a lot to me. And I can’t do it without you.”
Darcy’s eyes widened, shock blasting through her. “Wow. Idefinitelydidn’t expect that.”
“Don’t flatter yourself; I mean, I literally cannot do it without you. The label wants us to record as a duet or they don’t want it at all.”
Neither Juliet’s words nor her tone were light or funny or friendly in the least, but Darcy found herself smiling, anyway. There it was. The real, honest reason Juliet was here.
“So, you need me.” A smirk tugged at her lips; it was far too satisfying to say that. To watch the expression that slid over Juliet’s face as she took in Darcy’s words.
Juliet’s eyes glittered at her, narrowing into a glare. “I wouldn’t quite phrase it like that.”
“How would you phrase it, then?” She challenged.
“I’d say that we, unfortunately, have to partner with one another in order to accomplish a goal due to circumstances beyond our control.”
A laugh escaped her, admittedly impressed with Juliet’s immediate reply to reframe this situation in a more palatable way. “I mean, that’s a long-winded way of saying: you need me. But I’ll accept your request to have dinner together to hash things out.”
Mostly because it was what she wanted, too. But also because Darcy wasn’t a total asshole; if Juliet could make the first overture, she could be open to it.
With that, she stepped back to allow Juliet in.
Imperiously, Juliet sailed past her. “How magnanimous of you.”
They set up out on the balcony at Darcy’s insistence. If Juliet was going to unexpectedly invade her space, she was going to have them sit where she was most comfortable.
The first thing Juliet pulled out of her bag and set on the table was a bottle of Château Cheval Blanc, causing Darcy to double-take. She could only theorize about the price after heryears in bartending. “Did you bring a five-hundred-dollar bottle of wine to have with dinner?”
“It’s eight-hundred, and it’s an enticement. If we can get on the same page and complete our song, we will have a glass in celebration tomorrow.”
Darcy, as a rule, would never really understand anyone spending that kind of money on a single bottle of anything, and she couldn’t help but eye the bottle, skeptically. “I’m more of a whiskey person.”
“Of course you are,” Juliet muttered, as she reached back into the bag and took out two containers. She set one in front of Darcy, placing the other in front of herself.
Darcy took in the label on the containers, surprise blasting through her. No way this could be a coincidence. “Did you get us hot chicken from Trudie’s?”
Juliet pointedly did not meet her eyes, taking out napkins from the bag. “Yes. You’ve referenced that as your favorite place to eat in Nashville, and I don’t come unprepared to a parley.”
Trudie’swasDarcy’s favorite place to eat in Nashville, but she couldn’t remember when she’d talked about it publicly. Obviously, she had at some point, but it wasn’t like she’d done an ad for them or something. Which meant that Juliet had watched one of her smaller interviews and had remembered this about her.
There was something about it that settled in the pit of Darcy’s stomach. She’d wanted Juliet to juststoptalking about her. She really had. But there was also this… obsessive feeling inside whenever Juliet had hit back.
Unhealthy? For sure. Uncontrollable? Also yes.
“Oh, whatever with the smug look on your face right now. You literally wrote lyrics about me, saying that you live rent-free in my mind. YouknowI’ve watched your interviews. It’s not likethis is news,” Juliet huffed out, snapping a napkin down in front of Darcy.
“I didn’t say anything, did I?” She managed, around the self-satisfied smile that she was positive was still on her face.
But Juliet had actuallyadmittedto it. She’d admitted, aloud, that Darcy lived rent-free in her mind.
It sent a thrill through Darcy that she hadn’t anticipated, buzzing through her veins.
Juliet arched both of her eyebrows up at Darcy, as she shot back, “Don’t act like you haven’t watched and read my interviews. I know you have.”
Of course Juliet knew, because with the back and forth they’d had through the media, Darcy had to come prepared. Juliet had seemed to know so much about Darcy and was so good at picking at the things Darcy was insecure about, she’d had to be able to do the same thing right back.
