Chapter 1: Monica Calling

It was no surprise to Trent that Monica called; he was just surprised that it took her almost three days to do it. By then, Trent and Bree had begun to settle into a routine of sorts. He spent much of the day exploring the market for starting a new accounting firm in Nashville and went to see her play her gigs at night. They’d eaten breakfast together each morning and dinner together every night, and he could see himself fitting into her world, especially when she was on stage, playing her heart out, and he was sitting on the front row, cheering her on.

Then, Monica called, crying, and Trent was forced to rethink everything.

Not because he was considering getting back together with her but because Monica was so demanding. “What are you thinking, Trent? You can’t possibly think this will work with her, do you? You know she’ll just put her career in front of you, like she always has before.”

“You were going to do that,” he pointed out to her, no longer feeling the need to be nice to the woman who had cheated on him with his best friend.

“I never would’ve done that!” she exclaimed. “I thought you supported my modeling career!”

Realizing there was no point in arguing with her, Trent let out a sigh and said, “Monica, what did you want? Other than to tell me what an awful person I am?”

“I didn’t call to tell you you’re an awful person. I called to tell you that I love you, that I want to give it another try. Please, Trent. I’ve changed. I’ll never, ever cheat on you again. I’ll never lie to you again.”

“Sorry, Monica. I don’t give second chances to people who break my trust the way that you have.”

“But Trent… we have a life together!”

“Had,” he said. “We had a life together. We don’t have one anymore. I’ve gotta go, Monica.”

Trent hung up and put his phone back on the table. He was in a cafe, looking at the newspaper and trying to decide whether or not a few properties he’d seen recently would work for a new firm. He also wondered if any of the people who currently worked for him would be willing to relocate from Louisville. He thought some of them might be, but for the most part, he’d be hiring a brand new staff. It would be a lot of work, but it would be worth it if it meant he got to spend all his free time with Bree.

He hadn’t been studying the properties long when his phone rang again. Assuming it was Monica, he moaned, but then he saw that it was Bree and his face lit up. “Hey, what are you up to?” he asked with a smile.

“Well, my record company just called and asked me to come in tomorrow. They’ve decided it’s time to take things to the next level.”

He could hear the excitement in her voice. “What does that mean, exactly?” He couldn’t help but grin, knowing how happy she was.

“I think it means… they’re putting together a band for me! So that when I play live gigs, I’ll have an entire backup band. Isn’t that amazing? I mean, I’ve worked with different musicians in the studio, but it’ll be different to be on stage with them.”

“Wow--that’s awesome!” He knew this had always been a dream of hers. “How does that work, exactly?”

“I don’t know. My manager just said there were a few people they wanted me to meet. I guess I’ll just come in, listen to them play, maybe play with them, and see what we think. This is Nashville, so there’s got to be a million musicians just waiting to be put in a band with the potential this one has, now that they’re booking such large venues for me.”

“Yeah, I’m sure you’ll find some really talented people.” Trent couldn’t get the smile off of his face, he was so happy for her.

“Would you… want to come with me?”

He raised an eyebrow. “Tomorrow? To listen to them?”

“Yeah. I’d really appreciate your opinion.”

“I’d love to come with you, Bree. I just… don’t know that much about music.”

“Sure you do. You know what sounds good, and what sounds bad, right? That’s all that matters.”

“Will they mind if I’m there?”

“No, I asked my manager if you could come, if you wanted to, and she said that would be great, that she’d love to meet the man who inspired my hit song.”

“Cool. Sure. I’d love to. I’ll be there.”

“Awesome. Thanks. I guess I’ll see you in a few hours.”

“Bye.” Trent hung up, still smiling on her behalf. It was amazing to see Bree’s dreams finally coming true, and the fact that he was getting to be part of it made him feel completely blessed. It seemed like everything was finally going right, and he was excited about what the future might bring for both of them. Now, if he could just get lucky enough to find the right personnel for his accounting firm, they’d be all set.