Nashville? She glanced at her phone.
Pia: Hope you're up for a good night.
Zoey sent a picture of her with Archer and the four wine glasses in front of her.
Zoey: Ready, freddy!
Pia: Uh oh, I knew I shouldn't have let Archer near you. ;)
Archer scoffed when Zoey showed him the text. "You get Pia Marino drunk once and you never hear the end of it!" He said, laughing.
"She's just jealous that we're best friends," Zoey said.
Archer leaned over, taking a selfie with Zoey. "I'm sending this to her."
They landed and exchanged numbers before Zoey descended the stairs and opened the door to a car that was parked on the tarmac.
She gasped in surprise to see Pia sitting in the backseat.
"Welcome to Nashville," Pia said, standing up to hug her.
Zoey wrapped her arms around Pia, hugging her tightly. "I've already had the best time. I could just fly around with Archer all the time," she said.
Pia grinned, shaking her head as she got back in the car. "Should I be jealous?"
Zoey laughed, sliding into the seat beside her.
The driver seemed to already know where they were going, because Pia didn't have to tell him anything as he turned out of the airport and began heading towards a destination.
"What are you up to?" Zoey said, turning in her seat towards Pia.
Pia shrugged, smiling, but didn't turn her head toward Zoey.
"Did The Shrikes perform in Nashville?" She asked instead.
"Yep," Zoey said, looking out the window at the buildings as they passed. "At the War Memorial. It's my dream to play the Ryman, though."
Pia nodded. "It's the best," she said.
"Is that where we're going?" Zoey asked, tilting her head.
"Nope," Pia said, reaching to put her hand over where Zoey's sat on the seat.
They pulled up in front of a small venue with people standing around the front. She glanced up at the name over the door, barely able to make it out: The Blackbird.
She turned, furrowing her brow. "Isn't this a famous singer-songwriter place?"
Pia shrugged, grinning. "Is it?"
They were ushered in a side door and led to a small, dark corner of the already tiny and packed bar. They had a perfect view of the stage, but they were hidden away from most of the crowd and lights. A server placed two glasses of white wine on the table in front of them.
"Wow, is this where you take all your dates?" Zoey asked, quirking a brow.
Pia sipped at her wine, not answering her.
A three-person band walked onto the stage, picking up their instruments as the crowd applauded them. One had a banjo and the other had a bass. Zoey nearly choked on her wine when she saw that the pianist had carried a melodica on-stage with her.
She pointed towards it. "A melodica!"
Pia laughed, reaching down to pull Zoey's chair closer to hers with her hand and foot. She wrapped her arm loosely around the back of Zoey's chair without another word.
The applause from the crowd died down and the adorable lead singer of the band smiled out against the lights, dimples popping in her cheeks. "Thanks everyone. We're The Blue Jeans and we sure hope you have a glass of whiskey in your hand," she said before stomping to begin the song.
Zoey watched in amazement as the tiny three-piece band commanded the crowd, their sound filling the small room easily. Her cheeks began to hurt from smiling.
After about four songs, Zoey leaned into Pia's ear to say, "I love them!"
Pia nodded. "I hoped you would," she said back.
So close to her in the dark with the music swelling around them, Zoey leaned forward slightly, wanting nothing more than to kiss Pia again.
Pia's gaze dropped to her lips, then back to her eyes. Her body was leaning forward, too.
Zoey was a swirling mess of excitement and interest and terror and fascination. Her eyes fluttered closed as Pia's lips brushed hers ever-so-gently.
"We have a special guest in the crowd today," Zoey heard the lead singer say from somewhere very, very far away. "Zoey McCarren, where are you hiding?"
The crowd applauded politely, but it was clear her name wasn't ringing too many bells for a country songwriter venue.
Zoey registered her name and leapt back, her chair sliding in her urgency to put space between her and Pia.
Pia didn't move, but her brow dipped slightly as she looked from Zoey to the band. "Oh yeah, I told them you might want to sing a song with them," she said, leaning in so Zoey could hear her. "Bad timing, though."
The lead singer turned back to the crowd. "How many of y'all are fans of The Shrikes?" She said and the crowd applauded louder than before. "They've been a huge inspiration to us, and it'd mean the world for their Renaissance Woman of a keyboard player to get in on this next song with us."
Pia gave Zoey a small shove, and before she knew it, Zoey was climbing onto the tiny stage, waving to the crowd. She was so grateful she changed out of pajamas.
"Zoey, we think you may recognize this one," the lead singer said as the pianist gestured for her to sit on the bench as he stood, grabbing a tambourine.
The lead singer played the first few notes to Tidal Wave, the third single from their first album. She smiled, her hands automatically finding the keys. As she began playing, the crowd applauded again, recognizing the song.
The Shrikes had never played in a venue so intimate. They had played in countless shitty bars and venues where only their friends and family had shown up, but the atmosphere of The Blackbird was so specific. Special. Warm. Inviting.
She sang the harmony into the small microphone hooked to the side of the piano, closing her eyes, the swell of performance and pride and joy cresting within her.
The song ended and she hit the last note. A moment of silence fell over the crowd — perhaps even half of a millisecond — but she glanced behind her to see Pia, raising a wine glass in her direction.
She stood, hugging the other members of the band as the crowd applauded. "That was gorgeous," she said to the lead singer. "Thank you so much for letting me be a part of it." She hugged the pianist and the banjo player, then ducked off-stage with a wave toward the audience.
She slid back into her seat beside Pia, suddenly self-conscious and aware that anyone could be looking over at any moment.
Pia leaned in to say something in her ear and Zoey pulled back, worried that someone might see them.
Pia gave her a strange look. "Everything okay?"
Zoey nodded. "Yeah, can we go?" She asked.
Pia gave her a concerned look, but gestured for her to lead the way.
They snuck out the side door and the warm, humid air smacked Zoey in the face. They were in a deserted alley.
"What happened in there?" Pia asked.
"I just... everyone was looking," Zoey said, shrugging her shoulders, knowing it sounded stupid as soon as it came out of her mouth.
"You didn't want anyone to see you with me?" Pia asked, looking hurt.
Zoey shook her head. "It's not like that," she said. "I've had a wonderful evening, and that was honestly incredible. Please just understand where I'm coming from."
Her phone dinged and she pulled it out of her pocket.