“As long as I’m not fired, we’re good,” Lizzy said.
Bristol’s cheeks were still burning after ending her toxic relationship with a company that cared only about how much money she could bring to the table. The meeting had been moved to Friday at nine. It was cordial and friendly at first, but once Lizzy dropped the news, the gloves came off, and they called in their team of lawyers. It was after noon when they were done. Lizzy had her team of entertainment lawyers on standby in case Top Shelf threw them a curveball, but after pointing out that Bristol had fulfilled her contractual obligations, they had no choice but to accept her resignation.
Bristol should have felt elated, and a part of her was, but she was also melancholic. Half of her life was Top Shelf. Every major milestone had happened when she was with them. First girlfriend, her parents’ divorce, learning to drive, first platinum record, first world tour, first Grammy, first ulcer, first nervous breakdown.
Bristol stopped. “Oh, no. You’re not fired. You’re too good at managing everything else of mine. Just don’t ever come at me with a music contract.”
Lizzy held her hands up. “Never again. I’ll maybe tell you about an event, but I won’t book anything unless you give me the okay.”
They had never talked about Bristol leaving the afterparty early or what had happened after. It wasn’t Lizzy’s business, and now that they weren’t on tour, Bristol had the upper hand again.
“Want to do lunch next week?” Lizzy asked.
Bristol slipped on her sunglasses as they walked out of the building and shook her head. “You’re lucky I left the house for this one.”
Lizzy rolled her eyes. “It was necessary. Also, can we talk about how Sterling almost popped a vein when you told her you were done? Tyson had to loosen his tie. Oh, shit. That was priceless.”
Bristol smiled for the first time in hours. “It was pretty incredible.” Her driver waved her over the moment they stepped out of the building. “Listen, if I go dark for a month, don’t worry. I’ll check work emails regularly, but don’t text me unless it’s an emergency.”
“Reach out if you need me, and sleep a lot. Get caught up. Maybe get back into a comfortable routine,” Lizzy said.
Bristol didn’t want to tell Lizzy she was writing new music because she would subtly push and force a deadline. Bristol didn’t want that. Writing music was always cathartic, and she had a lot of new emotions to work through. “Oh, getting back in a routine will be nice. Pilates, maybe I’ll start cooking. I mean, I have a massive kitchen and don’t know how to use most of the appliances.” She stood outside her limo and hugged Lizzy. “Go home. I’ll call you next week if I’m in the mood to be around people.”
“I know I’m not perfect, but thank you for being a friend. And for keeping me around,” Lizzy said.
Bristol wondered if she would even reach out to Lizzy in the next month. Everybody from the tour was playing catch-up with life except Bristol. She was hiding from it. Her mother and brother had come over one night for dinner earlier in the week, but that was it. Bristol worked out, spent a huge amount of time in her studio, and binge-watched shows that people had recommended over all social media platforms.
Her mother wasn’t giving up on her and Annie. She pressed Bristol about the two of them every time they got together. Bristol said it was just a one-time thing and for her to let it go. Tonight was different. For the first time ever, she gave Bristol love advice.
“Maybe Annie’s okay with your choices and your lifestyle.”
“How could she be, Mom? She’s destined for stardom. People love her onstage. If she wants the success I have, she has to go in a completely different direction than I’m headed. Watching somebody I care for experience even a little of what I did would be too brutal for me. I would speak my mind, and we would end up fighting and resenting one another. I want to be a part of Annie’s life. In a good capacity. If that means we’ll only be friends, that will have to be enough.”
“Even if that means giving up somebody you’ve come to love?”
Bristol turned quickly away from her mother to hide the tears that sprang to her eyes. She let them fall when she felt her mother pull her back into a hug.
“She’s the real deal, honey. I can tell. She’s not using you at all. I think if you opened yourself up, you would find that she picked you, not your success. I saw the way she looked at you. You can’t fake that.”
Bristol turned to face her mother. “It’s too late, Mom. She signed with Top Shelf.”
“How do you know? Did they make an announcement?”
“No, but one of their assistants told one of Lizzy’s assistants that she was there earlier in the week.”
Vanessa scoffed. “That doesn’t mean she signed.”
“Well, she’s not here, is she?”
“Well, you’re not in Denver now, are you?”
Bristol sat at the kitchen table. “No, I’m not.”
Vanessa set down her mug of coffee and sat across from Bristol. “Love is the best reward, baby. Nothing else matters.” She grabbed Bristol’s hands and squeezed them. “I can’t promise that it won’t hurt or tear you apart inside, but it will also make you feel amazing things and lift you up so high. You deserve true love. Hopefully it’s with Annie, but if it’s not, just be open to the idea.”
“How do I know if I’m in love?”
Vanessa smiled at Bristol. “You’ll feel like your world has been turned upside down and the only thing that makes sense is the person who occupies so much of your head and heart. When they are with you, everything seems perfect.” She finished her coffee and stood. “You’ll figure it out. I trust you. Now, I have to make sure your brother doesn’t sleep the day away. It’s been a rough week getting him out the door and to school on time.”
“Good luck there.”
“How did two completely different children come from the same womb?”
Bristol held up her hand. “No. I refuse to believe that. He’s adopted.”
Vanessa cupped Bristol’s chin and pushed her hair behind her ear. “But he looks just like you.”
“Purely coincidental, I swear.”
“Get some rest. I’ll call you tomorrow.”
Bristol washed their cups and wiped down the counter. She had nothing to do. Nothing needed her immediate attention. Bristol’s financial advisors had instructions on what to do. All her emails had been answered by Lizzy’s team. They forwarded any that they felt required a personal touch. She was officially bored. It had been a week. One week.
When the doorbell rang, Bristol laughed. “Mom, you can use your key. I promise it’s okay.” She opened the door and had to hold the handle to keep from falling to her knees. She couldn’t find her words. She could only stare.
“How do you feel about cats?” Annie stood in the entryway with a guitar and a small rolling suitcase.
“What are you doing here?” Bristol asked.
Annie didn’t falter. “How do you feel about cats? This is a very serious question. This could make or break us.”
Bristol teared up and laughed. “I think cats are amazing. I’ve never had one, but I hear they’re sometimes a lot of fun.”
“Would you be okay with one who maybe wanted to kill you in your sleep?”
Bristol pulled Annie close. She was here. She came back. “We could give that cat an entire wing of the house. I mean, maybe we’d see her sometimes, but we’d keep her out of the kitchen, well, because of knives.” She hugged Annie tightly. “You came back. How did you get through security?”
“Your mom told Mac to let me in. And yes, I came back. Can I come in?” Annie asked.
Bristol grabbed Annie’s suitcase and rolled it inside. She quickly shut the door and reached for Annie again. “What’s going on?” She couldn’t stop touching her.
“Can we sit down? It’s been a long day already.”
“Of course.” Bristol didn’t let go of her hand until they sat on the couch.
“I’ve been thinking about everything. The tour, what you said, what I want. As much as I loved being on tour and getting all the attention, I didn’t love being away from the important people in my life. There are other ways I can succeed as a musician.”
“Did you find a manager?” Bristol asked.
“I’m talking to one. I would be his first client. He knows what I want, and having spent a great deal of time recently on the Angel/Devil tour, he knows it’s not for me.”
Bristol frowned. She had no idea who Annie was talking about. “Who? I mean, most of the guys were stagehands.”
Annie smiled. “Vaughn. He quit Lizzy’s firm and asked if I would be his first client. Who better than somebody who just witnessed what went down the last eighteen months for you and everybody?”
“I should probably check my emails more.” Bristol couldn’t believe that Annie was here. Or that Vaughn had struck out on his own.
“I know we’re talking about my professional future, but we’re forgetting about the most important part.”
“Which is?”
“Us. I want there to be an us. The time we had together made me realize that what I really want isn’t a world tour.” Annie looked at their hands. “I want you, Bristol. Time spent with you was the best time of my life.” She put her hand on Bristol’s heart. “Not the famous international pop star, but Bristol Baines, the shy woman who has the biggest heart and would do anything for anyone. The woman who helps people out because she can, not because she’s contractually obligated. And the woman who is playful and fun and likes to eat ice cream in bed and watch bad television from the eighties.” Annie moved closer. “The woman who makes my heart feel like it’s going to burst out of my chest whenever I see her.” Tears welled in the corner of Annie’s eyes. “Just hearing your voice makes me want to curl up in your arms and stay there for as long as I can.”
Damn all the tears today, Bristol thought. She dabbed the corners of her eyes with the sleeve of her sweatshirt. “Are you sure about this?” Her heart sounded like thunder in her chest as she waited for Annie’s answer. She was rewarded with Annie’s full lips pressed against hers.
“I want us. More than anything else. I want to see you when I want, and I want to see my family when I want. I don’t want to miss Peyton growing up. I can still have a music career.”
Bristol wanted to believe her. Everything inside her wanted to fall into Annie’s arms and never leave, but she’d been hurt before, and it was hard to trust people. Annie said this now, but what if she was wrong? What if she resented Bristol for giving up on her dreams?
“Bristol, look at me,” Annie said gently. She dropped to her knees in front of Bristol. “I know we haven’t spent a lot of time together, but that’s why I’m here. I love you. Do you hear me? I love you. I don’t have to compromise anything. I can have you and my music and my family. I don’t need to sign with a huge label to have the career I want. I might not be as famous as I could be, and I’m one hundred percent okay with that.”
Bristol broke. She dropped her head into her hands and cried. She cried because for the first time in a very long time, she was happy. She felt complete with Annie in her life. Her mother had just told her that the only thing that would right her world was love, and she was correct. Annie straddled her lap and moved Bristol’s hands away from her eyes. She kissed the tears on her cheeks.
“Bristol, I love you. We can have this together. I know we can. We can still have careers, and I know you’re worried that I won’t be happy in the future, but I was happy before. You gave me the opportunity to shoot straight to the top in the business, but you also gave me love. And I can have both. I want both. Not everybody can handle your level of success, but I can handle what I’ve been given because of you. Does that make sense?”
“Repeat the first part.”
Annie laughed. “I’m running on caffeine and emotion right now. I can’t remember what I said, but in summary, I love you, and I’m here to make it work.”
“You love me.” Bristol wasn’t being snide. She was repeating words she didn’t think she would ever hear from Annie.
Annie nodded and smiled. “I definitely do. I mean, not only are you incredible in everyday life, but twenty-four hours in your bed solidified my opinion.” She playfully fanned herself with her hand.
Bristol had never blushed more than when she was with Annie. The fact that Annie brought up their lovemaking made her feel invincible, empowered, and loved. She pushed aside the cautious words that threatened to spill out of her head and instead let the ones from her heart speak up. “I love you, too, Annie Foster.”
“Woohoo!” Annie threw her hands up. She would have fallen off Bristol’s lap had Bristol not grabbed her thighs. “I knew it.” She cupped Bristol’s face. “Nobody fucks like that without being in love. That’s how I knew.”
Bristol feigned shock. “Ms. Foster. That mouth of yours.”
“Needs to be all over your body. Why are we still here and not back in that giant bed of yours?” Annie asked.
“Good point. Less talk, more kissing.” Bristol grabbed Annie’s hand, turned on the security system in case her mother decided to swing by unannounced again, and led Annie back to her bedroom. Bristol had thought about her life over the past two months. She had gone from being depressed to finding the love of her life. Maybe she’d needed to walk away from the only life she ever knew in order to appreciate Annie and accept the love she offered.
“I really do love you,” Bristol said.
Annie stopped and held Bristol two steps from the bedroom. “I know. I knew before you did. I wouldn’t have been brave enough to come here if I didn’t believe it.”
“What did I ever do to deserve you?” Bristol asked. Her arms were still wrapped around Annie. She was afraid to let her go.
“You gave me a chance, Bristol. A chance at a career, but more importantly, a chance at you.”