Chapter 5

I hurried down Broadway toward my car, and pulled up in front of the Double Shot Saloon a half hour later. I looked down at how I was dressed before going in—I was still in my jeans and a T-shirt, so I unzipped my suitcase and grabbed my sky blue blouse and black strappy heels. The shirt looked great on me and the heels would look good with my jeans. I hurried across the street to a nearby café and changed, then looked in the mirror. My long, sun-streaked blonde hair was disheveled and my makeup had rubbed off. I quickly grabbed a vent brush from my purse and ran it through my hair, and then applied a bit of eyeliner, mascara, eye shadow, and some lipstick. When I looked in the mirror one last time, the eyeliner and mascara accented my bright green eyes. At least I looked a bit more presentable. Satisfied, I hurried across the street to the Double Shot Saloon.

As I entered the nightclub, the sound of clanking glasses and people talking loudly filled the dark room. Suddenly, a spotlight came on, illuminating the stage.

“Ladies and gentlemen, put your hands together for one of our own, Tasha Granger!” the announcer said over cheers and hoots as Tasha took the stage.

“Where do you think you’re going?” a bouncer asked. “There’s a ten-dollar cover charge tonight.”

“She’s okay, Zane. She’s with us.” When I looked up, it was Frank, one of Tasha’s bodyguards.

“Entrée,” Zane said, smiling as he motioned me in with an elaborate flourish.

“Thanks for that,” I said to Frank as we walked through the crowd.

“Did you bring your guitar?” he asked as he led me toward the stage, but stopped as he awaited my answer.

“It’s out in the car,” I replied. “Was she serious about me bringing it?”

“As serious as I’ve ever seen her,” he said. “Come on. I’ll walk you outside so you can get it.”

I nodded, unable to believe what I was hearing. A few minutes later, I had my guitar and was standing with Frank again.

He looked down and smiled. “Ready?”

I nodded. “As ready as I’m going to be.”

Frank laughed. “Come with me,” he said with a kind smile, letting me go ahead of him as he placed a guiding hand on the small of my back, leading the way.

We walked to the side of the stage to a small set of stairs. Frank held a finger to his lips with a kind smile as he took my guitar case. When I looked up, I realized that we were standing in the wings on the side of the stage and Tasha was singing her heart out to the cheering crowd. Adrenaline filled my veins as I watched her fearlessly belt out song after song.

An hour later, she said to the crowd, “I’m getting a little tired, folks, but I have a special treat for you…”

“Here; put on your guitar,” Frank said, handing it to me.

The crowd went wild. “This little lady is new to Nashville, but I’m sure you’re going to love her!” The crowd cheered as they stomped their feet against the hardwood floor. “Let’s give a warm welcome to … Alyssa Case!”

She stepped back and motioned me onto the stage with a warm smile.

Something took over as I stepped out onto the stage, and my nerves suddenly turned into energy.

“Knock ‘em dead,” she whispered, giving me a wink as she stepped into the wings and Frank handed her a glass of water.

“How about Tasha Granger? Isn’t she great?” I asked the crowd into the microphone as I adjusted my guitar strap, and the crowd went wild once more. I walked over to her band behind me and said, “Follow my lead in the key of G.”

“You got it!” the lead guitarist said as the drummer and bass guitarist nodded.

My hands flew up the neck of my guitar in a long rift, and the crowd went wild. “So, you ready to Rock It Country?” I asked as the crowd cheered. Then, I went right into the rift as I sang into the microphone. Rock It Country was one of my fast, up-tempo songs guaranteed to make people want to dance. Soon, the crowd started swaying to the music. Even though it was a country two-step, there wasn’t enough room to dance, but everyone clapped and danced along anyway. “Take it!” I yelled into the mic halfway through the song to the lead guitarist. I leaned my back against his as I played along to his rift. He threw it back to me and I stepped back up to the microphone, belting out the final stanzas of the song all the way to the end. When I hit the final chord, the crowd was on their feet, cheering. “Thank you, Nashville! And thank you, Tasha Granger!”

The crowd cheered as they applauded and whistled their approval. And the more they applauded, the more energy and adrenaline ran through my veins. It’s true what all musicians say: you feed energy from the audience and they feed from you, making the performance all the better.

“Thanks, Tasha! That was great!” I said to her as she passed by, but stopped when she gently grabbed my arm.

“Is that the first time you’ve played to a live audience?” she asked with wide eyes.

“Yes; other than in church…”

She laughed so hard that tears sprang to her eyes as she pulled me back onto the stage with her and walked up to the microphone. “What do you think, everyone? Would you like to hear her do one more?” The crowd went wild as people started stomping on the floor and clapping, shouting their approval—literally raising the roof. She motioned me forward and said, “Knock ‘em dead.” A broad smile spread across her face as she backed away into the wings, letting me take the stage once more.

“Wow! Thanks, everyone! Nashville, you’re the best!” I said into the mic, and they roared as my fingers flew over the neck of my guitar in another rift. The lead guitarist stepped forward, playing rhythm until I started singing one of my wildest songs: Firebomb. Between lyrics, I ran across the stage, playing to the audience on the other side and back to the microphone just in time, then I leaned back in another rift as the drummer took a solo and I played next to the lead guitarist. Then, I ran back up to the mic and finished off the song, falling to my knees without missing a beat as the crowd cheered.

I bounced back up onto my feet with ease and said into the microphone, “Let’s hear it for Tasha Granger!” The crowd went wild as she stepped back up to the mic.

“What do you think about Alyssa, everyone?” The crowd cheered, hooting and hollering their approval, and I was in Heaven. This was the best drug in the world, and I was hooked. “You want her to sing a song with me?” The crowd cheered as energy and electricity filled the room, passing between the crowd and the performers.

“Are you sure?” I asked in her ear, away from the mic.

“Hell yeah!” she said, jumping up in the air and coming down hard as she strummed her guitar and the crowd cheered. Frank brought out another microphone as Tasha muffled the mic and asked me, “Do you know With the Heart of a Soldier?”

It was a new song that had just started playing on the radio, and I just about died when I realized that it was hers. “Oh yeah!” I said over the roar of the crowd.

“Let’s do it!” she said, and then yelled, “With the Heart of a Soldier,” over her head to the band. They all nodded, and the lead guitarist started the song with a complicated rift. She took the lead, and then I joined in with the chorus. It was an upbeat song, and the crowd was pumped as we sang. Then, she stepped back and let me take the second verse solo. On the final chorus, she sang the lead and I harmonized with her, our voices blending together perfectly. When we finished, the crowd was on their feet, applauding, cheering, and stomping their approval. It was the best night of my life. After the song came to a close, she said into her mic, “Let’s hear it again for Alyssa Case! Remember that name, because you’re going to be hearing a lot more from her soon!”

As I raised my hand to wave to the crowd, momentarily blocking out the spotlight, I almost fell over when my eyes fell on Logan standing in the back of the room, leaning against the wall. He raised his beer to me as a broad smile spread across his lips and his friends cheered. I walked off the stage and stood in the wings to watch the rest of the concert.

“I’ll be right back,” I said to Frank after a while, and then gently pushed my way through the crowd.

“Man, you were good!” a voice said behind me when I stepped down the hallway headed toward the bathrooms. I looked up, and when I saw who it was, my heart was suddenly in my chest.