CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CASH

I’d planned on a good steak, a nice glass of fragrant red wine, and a whole lot of good conversation with Brenda all day long. I’d written a few more lyrics to a new song and then I’d spent the rest of the day with Dad, helping him paint the back of the house, while daydreaming about Brenda and that beautiful smile of hers.

She looked so adorable when I picked her up and I loved that dress on her. She was feminine in it, without being over the top, and I liked her style. I felt kind of bad when she asked if she was underdressed when she saw me and reassured her she wasn’t because I didn’t want her to have to change. I wanted our first real date to be perfect.

I knew I’d made a huge mistake when the valet recognized me. And then the hostess at the door had made it obvious she was flirting. I should have demanded my privacy when the entire staff of the restaurant came out to meet me like I was a spectacle.

Then it progressively got worse as strangers came up. I kept looking around for security, but as I kept reminding myself, they weren’t there. I’d made a mistake and hadn’t scouted the place out first, hadn’t booked the entire place for us, hadn’t had a sensible thought, really. I’d forgotten I wasn’t a normal guy with a beautiful woman waiting to have dinner with him. I was a celebrity, and we don’t always get to have private nights to ourselves.

I hated to turn fans away, hated the idea of making them think I was a jerk, so I signed napkins and touched the necklace Mom gave me, something I always did when I needed to feel in control. Normally, I was very controlling about my privacy, but I’d let that slip while I was home. I’d forgot what it was like. I let the necklace go and signed yet another napkin. How many more people were in this place? Was there a line going around the block, or something?

I looked up, realizing Bren was still gone. She’d said something about the bathroom hadn’t she? Where was she? I gave my plastic smile to the next old lady that wanted to tell me how gorgeous I was and about their beautiful granddaughter, but all I was thinking was, I’m already here with a beautiful woman, you people just won’t let me talk to her.

I was about to lose my cool with the current grandma when I saw someone else go into the bathroom. It was a one person at a time kind of place so I knew Brenda wasn’t in there. Where was she?

“Ma’am, please. Excuse me. I came here for dinner with a lovely young woman and I seem to have lost her. Excuse me,” I said to the woman who was still talking as I walked away.

I shouldn’t have brought her to the city, we should have stayed in Tender Hills, but I had to go and show off, didn’t I? I wanted a stupid Japanese steak and I wanted to impress her. Instead, I’ve driven her outside to get away from the circus. Only, Brenda wasn’t outside, either.

I looked around but couldn’t find her. She wasn’t in my car, so I went back inside and asked one of the waitresses to check the bathroom.

“There’s nobody in there,” the terrified looking little blond girl said.

“Oh. Um. Okay. Thanks. Can you get my bill for me, please? I think there’s just a bottle of wine on it.” Because we didn’t even have time to order food before I got mobbed.

I jetted through the payment process then raced out to get my car, calling Bren over and over again. Only, she didn’t answer. Man, she must be seriously angry and I can’t blame her. I’d blown her off, barely acknowledged her as I dealt with the fans, then I’d barely noticed when she left the table. What kind of date was I?

The jerk kind, that’s what kind, I thought as I drove away from the restaurant and back towards Tender Hills.

But what if that’s not what had happened at all? What if some nut saw her with me and took her because of who I am. It wouldn’t be the first time a jealous fan of a celebrity has done something insane like that. Had that been what happened?

In a panic now, I stop at a gas station and call the restaurant. I ask to speak to the valet and get put through right away.

I told him who I was and the guy sounded terrified. “Um, how can I help you, sir?”

“The beautiful blond lady in the green dress that I came with? Did you see her leave?” I asked, hoping he had, my mind overclocking with possibilities.

“Oh yeah, I called a cab for her about a half hour before you came out to get the car.”

“Okay, good. Thanks. Have a good night.”

Right. So, she’d blown me off, and who could blame her?

I drove straight to her house when I got back to Tender Hills. I got out of the car and walked up to her front door. The lights were off inside and her car was home, but she could be pretending she wasn’t home and I felt like a complete jerk. I had to tell her how terrible I felt about all of this and make it up to her somehow.

But where was she? I drove back to Mom and Dad’s but sat in the parking lot, wondering where she was.

The answer came as my phone began to ring. It was my sister, Stacey.

“Did you really take my best friend out on a date only to ignore her so much she left, Cash? Did you really? Please tell me you didn’t because I hate to make Mom cry by killing her favorite son. Please, please tell me you didn’t sign autographs and flirt with the hostess and everyone else that came near you that was female?”

“It’s what happens,” I started, but Stacey shouted so loud that I pushed my phone away from me.

“You absolute idiot!” She screamed at me, adding a few choice names to the list. Things she definitely wouldn’t call me in front of Mom. “I can’t believe you’d do that Brenda, Cash. She deserves so much better than that. She’s on her way home now, but she’s been on my couch crying because of you and right now? Right now I absolutely hate you for this. You don’t get to come back home after five years of being on tour or whatever excuse you’ve used all these years and treat my best friend like she’s some groupie that you can throw away when it’s convenient. I won’t have it, Cash. I simply will not. You complete and utter ass. I hope you know”

I was about to tell her she was right. I was totally going to tell her that I wanted to apologize to Brenda and make it up to her, but Stacey hung up on me. I deserved that too.

But Brenda didn’t deserve to spend one more moment crying. I had to tell her that I was sorry, I had to promise to never let that happen again. I turned the car back on and back up out of the driveway. I had a huge apology to make. I only hoped she’d let me in to give it to her.