Love Songs
Page 26

“He’s here. He even bought a ticket and one for tonight.”
Clara turned to her. “You let him buy tickets?”
Carrie smiled. “He was very final about it.”
Clara smiled and gave Carrie a nod. She had told her to watch for him, though she hadn’t expected him to come. Warner should have been writing songs and practicing, but he had even bought a ticket to see her perform.
Suddenly she was more nervous that she’d ever remembered being. At least at last night’s show she knew where he would be. She knew where to look and where not to look. Tonight he hid, among the many reviewers, in the seats of the small but crowded theater.
It shouldn’t be like any other night, so she wasn’t going to let it be.
Soon it was time for her to make her way into Tony’s life and forget about Warner. But in a mere few hours it looked as though she’d be changing careers. She was about to be performer of a whole new kind. She was the voice to Warner’s songs, unless she could convince him that he should be, then she’d be along for the amazing ride.
Warner was possibly in the furthest seat from the stage, but he liked it. This way he could really focus on her and the crowd.
It was hard to focus at all; he had to admit to himself. He had a song running though his head and he needed to get it on paper.
He could have stayed home and worked all day. She hadn’t asked him to come see her, but he’d wanted to. He’d found the review from the man he’d confronted the night before. It was nasty, just as Patricia had promised it would be. But when Clara hit the stage anyone in that audience who had seen the review knew it was all lies.
She was remarkable—though he knew she would be. And next week she’d promised they’d record all week. By the end of the week he’d have his demos. But even that thought wasn’t right anymore. He wanted more.
Oh, having a woman love him and believe in him gave him a whole new lease on life. No longer did he want anyone else to sing his songs. He wanted to sing them. And why not? He was the one who felt them. It would be nice if she’d sing them with him.
After hearing what she and Randy had done to Love Song he simply couldn’t imagine anyone else recording it.
Then he thought about Jordan Farr sitting on Patricia’s couch. He’d thought perhaps the man would have given him a chance. He’d been the only one not to shut the door in Warner’s face. It was no use. He was just going to have to battle Patricia till the bitter end. Only now he wanted to. He had a secret weapon and her name was Clara Keller.
At intermission the lights came up and Warner stood to stretch his legs. The man next to him turned toward him. “Are you Warner Wright?”
His chest tightened and he felt as though he’d been socked in the stomach. “Yes.”
“I thought so.” The man eagerly extended his hand toward him. “Jeremy Smith, with Smith-Parks Entertainment.”
The tightening in his chest continued as he shook the man’s hand. Smith-Parks Entertainment was the company that had first put the Nashville Ex’s on TV, before selling it off to a bigger studio. Warner could feel his jaw tighten.
“I hear you’re a song writer,” Jeremy Smith said with an enthusiastic smile.
“I am.”
“And I hear that Clara Keller is going to be recording your songs.”
This man was good. He had some spies in some pretty remote places. “Yes, that’s the plan. She’ll be the voice on the demo tracks.”
“I’d love to talk to you about a new show I’m putting together. It’ll follow the careers of three different song writers and singers trying to make it to the top. You have a great angle already.”
And there was the catch. The man knew that if he could get Warner on TV and Patricia could get her claws into him even more publicly it would be a TV frenzy.
“Mr. Smith, I appreciate it. But I certainly don’t have the same appeal that Patricia Little does. I don’t think anyone would want to watch me.”
Jeremy Smith’s smile didn’t diminish. He pulled a card out of his shirt pocket and handed it to Warner. “I hate Patricia Little. If I’d have cast her I’d have kicked her off the show. They hired her after I sold the rights.”
Warner looked at the business card and then back at the man standing before him.
Jeremy reached for his coat which hung over the back of his seat. “Give it some thought. I’ll be in touch. You have a good nature, Warner. I think people would be happy to see it, especially now that they know what kind of bitch you grew up with.”
Jeremy started out of the aisle and turned back. “By the way, I was here last night too. Her performance was spot on and that review that weasel put up about her was phony. I brought a few tonight to write some real reviews.” He gave Warner a wave. “We’ll talk soon.”
Warner looked back down at the card. It was as if he were holding Willy Wonka’s Golden Ticket. He could have everything he’d ever wanted if he just didn’t mess it up.
Jeremy Smith hadn’t come back to the vacant seat. Not that Warner had really expected him to.
Now his head was buzzing with the thought of the TV show. That song was still whirling around in his head and Clara was kissing that guy on stage again.
He looked down at the card to take his mind off of that kiss.
When the show was over he poured out of the theater with the rest of the patrons and waited in the lobby. Clara probably didn’t even know he was there, would she know to come find him?
He took out his cell phone, turned it on and the text message pinged in his hand.
I’ll find you when I’ve changed. Thank you for coming.
So the girl at the ticket counter did tell her he was there.
Warner looked up from his phone and a man stood right before him. “Warner Wright? Can I interview you?”
He felt as though he were walking in some alternate universe.
“And you’re?”
“Sorry. Cal Carson. I’m with channel five.”
“Right. What can I do for you?”
“I just wanted to get your take on the performance and the theater.”
Warner looked at the man, who now held his iPhone out in front of him as a recording device just to catch his voice, but he didn’t have a camera.
“I thought the performance was spectacular.”
Cal raised an eyebrow. “Anything else?”