The two women were retouching their makeup in the mirror.
Mary made light eye contact through her reflection and gave them both a very polite and cordial smile.
‘That’s a very nice shade of red,’ she said, nodding at the lipstick that one of them was applying.
‘Right?’ the woman said back, her high-pitched voice seeming to find a new octave.
She looked to be around twenty-five years old, with wavy blonde hair that just touched her shoulders. She was definitely attractive, in a ‘girl-next-door’ way. Mary had noticed her earlier, in the front row, by the stage. She was one of the three women that Mary had imagined would snap and bite.
‘It’s called Showstopper,’ she told Mary. ‘It’s from Bobbi Brown.’
Mary smiled again. ‘It really suits you.’
‘Oh, thanks, hun.’ The blonde woman stretched out her arm. ‘I’m Vicky.’
‘Mary, nice to meet you.’ Mary dried her hands before shaking Vicky’s.
‘I’m Pam,’ the other woman said, also offering her hand. She was at least a couple of inches taller than Vicky, with long black hair, twisted sideways and thrown over her left shoulder – mermaid style. She too was very attractive, but in a more conventionalway – high cheekbones, full lips, light-brown eyes, incredible skin, and a killer smile.
‘It’s nice to meet you both,’ Mary said.
‘I can tell from your accent that you’re not from round here,’ Pam said.
‘New York, actually.’
‘Oh,’ Vicky sounded genuinely surprised. ‘So, what brings you to Nashville?’ She immediately paused and raised a hand at Mary. ‘Scrap that question. The answer is always the same – music, right? Music is what brings everyone to Nashville.’
Mary found it easier to simply agree. ‘What else?’ She smiled again, this time, shyly. ‘Anyway… enjoy the rest of your evening.’
‘You’re not staying?’ Vicky asked, as she pressed her lips together before blowing out the letter ‘P’ a couple of times at the mirror. ‘Come hang out with us. Now the dancing starts. This is when it gets real good.’
‘Tempting,’ Mary replied, doing her best to keep the sarcasm off her tone. ‘But I’ve really got to get going. It’s only Monday and I’ve got quite a few things to do tomorrow morning,’ she lied.
‘Aww, pity,’ Pam commented. ‘But in that case, you’ve gotta come back here either Friday or Saturday. That’s when The Whiskey goes ballistic.’
‘Yes, I’ve heard,’ Mary lied again. ‘I’ll try to make it this weekend.’
‘We’ll be here,’ Vicky said in reply. ‘We can hang out and I’ll introduce you around. Seriously, you won’t regret it.’
That was the second time that Mary had heard that phrase tonight.
She nodded goodbye at the girls and stepped out of the bathroom.
‘Mary,’ Luke called from the bar, waving at her. He was already surrounded by G.R.I.T.S.
Mary waved back and gestured towards the front door. ‘I’vegot to go,’ she mouthed the words, while zigzagging through the crowd.
Luke’s disappointment was clearly visible in his frown. ‘What?’ he mouthed back, before excusing himself from the group of drooling women that surrounded him and quickly making his way towards Mary. ‘What do you mean you’ve gotta go?’ he asked, as he intercepted her halfway between the bar and the door.
‘I’ve got things I’ve got to do tomorrow morning,’ Mary lied again.
‘But we didn’t even have our shot together,’ Luke tried.
Mary’s gaze skipped to the bar. The G.R.I.T.S were all looking back at her with fire in their eyes. Vicky and Pam had just joined the group.
‘I think that if I do have that shot with you tonight,’ Mary replied, ‘I might be eaten alive by your fan club.’
‘Fan club?’ Luke’s eyes widened at her. ‘I don’t have a fan club.’
