Another Day in Nashville

Chapter 4-

The bar was louder than usual. Lots of rowdy hockey fans out celebrating the win. A couple of the players and their wives and girlfriends showed up, but not Mike or Carrie. James, Rich and I found a quiet table in the back. "Donahue, you enjoy the game?" Rich asked

I nodded, "Yeah. It was lots of fun."

"Yeah you seemed to be enjoying the view." Rich teased nodding towards James.

James hit his arm, "Knock it off, Dickie. I'm going to get a drink? What would you like Emilee?"

"I'll come with you." I replied following him

James smiled over at me as we walked up to get our drinks, "Thanks for coming to the game tonight."

"Thanks for inviting me...oh I almost forgot!" I replied grabbing his VIP pass from my purse. "Here you go!"

James smiled and grabbed it, shoving it in his suit pocketThank-you."

"What can I get y'all?" The bartender asked

"Jack and Coke." James replied, "And whatever the lady would like." He said bidding towards me as he handed the bartender a $20

"I'll have a Kinky and Sprite."

"We just have pink, is that okay?"

I nodded, "yeah."

James smiled over at me as the bartender made our drinks, "So how are you liking Nashville?" I asked

"It's okay. Different from Pittsburgh..."

"How so?"

"Oh in Pittsburgh there's so much media presence because of Sidney Crosby...like I couldn't be in the bar without being bothered by someone. It's a little quieter here."

I chuckled to myself. Nashville? Quiet? Far from it, but I guess from a hockey stand point he was right. I mean people here loved the Preds, but it wasn't nearly as crazy as Pittsburgh or Chicago... "Yeah, I guess that's true."

"Here ya go." The guy said handing us our drinks

"Thanks." James and I both said heading back to our table, "So, I take it you aren't actually from Pittsburgh."

James laughed "No. I'm from Whitby."

"Huh?" I asked, confused

"Whitby, Ontario. In Canada. It's like half hour outside Toronto." James explained

"Oh!"

"Are you from Nashville originally?"

"No." I laughed, "I moved here from Tampa."

"When did you move here?"

"When I was 20..." I started

"Why did you move here?" He asked taking a drink

"My ex boyfriend..." I started

James' eyes widened, "Oh...I'm sorry...I didn't mean to..."

"No, it's okay. I don't mind talking about it. I had moved here to be with my ex, Josh..."

"What happened..."

"Things just didn't work out and in the end, he chose some other girl over me."

James took another drink, "Well he's a dumbass if he chose any girl over you."

"Thanks, James." I smiled. "I wonder where Cluner went..."

"Oh, he probably found some girl."

I laughed, "True."

A few hours had passed, many kinky and sprites later, I found myself feeling more than buzzed. "Are you two ready to go?" Rich asked coming up to us

"Cluner!!" I slurred hugging him "we found you!"

"More I found you...dammit, Nealer. How drunk did you let her get?!" Rich barked, glaring at James

James mouth hung open as he looked from me to rich and back "I uh..."

"He did nothing, Richie. I'm a grown woman!"

Rich rolled his eyes "well it's time to go!"

"Maybe I don't want to go, Richie!" I yelled, "I want to stay and have fun." And I don't know why, but I got up from the table and stumbled off

James grabbed my arm, "Emilee, Dickie is right. We should go..."

I pulled my arm away, "Don't tell me what to do, James Neal. Like I just told Rich, I am a grown woman and I can make my own choices!!"

With that, I stormed off leaving James and Rich stunned. I went back up to the bar, ordering another drink. The bar tender brought it to me and I downed it. Ordering another. I felt someone slide up next to me and I sighed, "Richie, just leave me alone!"

"Whoa...I don't know who 'Richie' is." a guy responded

"I'm sorry...I thought you were my friend trying to get me to go..." I said to the guy

"Oh, it's okay. " the guy replied, "My names Jake."

"Emilee." I replied smiling

"What are you having?" he asked

"Kinky and sprite."

Jake motioned to the bartender ordering me another drink. I heard my phone ding and turned around to grab it. Seeing it was Rich calling, I swiped ignore and turned back over taking a sip. "So did your friend just ditch you then?" Jake asked

"Oh, probably. I don't know..." I replied, feeling dizzy as I finished my drink "I should prbably find him though and get going..."

Jake grabbed my arm, "Nonsense. I can take you home."

My head was swimming, "No, thanks...I should just find Rich." I replied, reaching for my bag to get my phone.

Jake snatched it from me, "No. You're coming with me."

"Give me my bag back..." I demanded trying to grab it back from him, but stumbling. Jake grabbed me and started to pull me away. I tried screaming but it only came out as a hoarse whisper, "Let me go!"

Just then, I heard someone coming towards us and Jake releasing my arm. I fell against a table as I heard voices arguing. Everything was spinning and I couldn't focus. I felt someone grab me and I tried fighting, "Let me go!"

"Emilee, it's James..." his soft voice said back before I passed out.
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I woke up with a horrible headache. "Ugh..." I looked around realizing I was not in my own house. Looking around even more, I realized I was in a strange bedroom. The previous night had been a blur, where was I? I looked around, there was no one else in the room with me, I was still clothed and my bag was on the nightstand beside me.

The sun was peaking in through the blinds. It was morning...I got up and stumbled to the door and down the hallway. Richie's...I was at Richie's house. But why? And how? I headed down the steps smelling French toast. "Richie..." I called

"Hey! You're awake." Rich said smiling as he flipped a piece of French Toast on the pan, "You okay?"

"Richie...what happened?"

"Well, you got mad at me and Nealer for trying to make you go home. So you stormed off. I wanted to just leave you and let you find a cab, but Nealer insisted we stay. I tried calling you, but you ignored me. So James and I were heading out when we saw a guy trying to pull you out the door. Nealer ran over to you and pulled the guy off. They started fighting and the bouncer came up and we explained to him what happened. He took the guy out and James grabbed you. You tried fighting him and then passed out." Rich explained, "We didn't want to go through your stuff so we brought you in here and Nealer put you in his bedroom." I must've made some type of expression cause Rich turned to me "He slept on the couch...don't worry. He's not like that."

"Where is he..." I asked

"Outside on the phone." Rich responded

I headed to the sliding glass door that led to Richie's back yard, hearing his voice. "No, Paulie...because." James sighed, "I don't know..." he saw me standing there and his expression changed, "Paulie, I gotta go." he said hanging up the phone as the person on the other end protested. "Hi."

"Hi." I said looking down, "James, I..."

"Don't." he started "You don't have to thank me...or apologize to me..."

"Yes, I do."

James shook his head, "If I had been drunker and you had been pulling me away, I probably would have done the same thing...and as for that whole douchebag thing...no need to thank me. I was just doing what any decent person would do. Are you okay?"

"I have a horrible headache, but I'm okay."

James smiled, "I'm sure Dickie's got some Tylenol."

"He's also making French Toast." I smiled

James laughed, "Awesome. Let's go inside." he said following me back inside.

Notes