of performance, not perfection of voice.
Jolene’s insecurities about her voice were her own problem, though. While she didn’t think Tennyson was flirting with Chance, Jolene thought she had an angle for sure. She just hadn’t figured it out yet, though her assumption was Tennyson wanted to further her career, which Jolene couldn’t fault her for. It was smart to take every opportunity afforded to you in this business. That didn’t mean she liked her boyfriend laughing and achieving some kind of songwriting simpatico with Tennyson though, which seemed to be happening as the morning faded into the afternoon.
“Look who showed up,” she said cheerfully as she led her sister out onto the back patio. “Tennyson, this is my sister, Elle.”
Tennyson and Chance stopped strumming. “Hi, it’s nice to meet you.” Tennyson stood up and held her hand out for Elle to take.
“Nice to meet you,” Elle said. “I’m not staying.” She leaned over, her dark hair falling across her face as she petted Dolly’s head. The dog was lazily lying in a sun spot. “I just needed to have Jolene sign something. Now I’m off to a coffee date with someone I met online. I’m sure this one will be as bizarre and soul sucking as the last three online dates I’ve gone on.”
“As long as you’re going into it with optimism and an open mind,” Chance said, not looking up, his fingers still gliding over his guitar.
When he looked like that, distracted, at peace with his music, Jolene was overwhelmed by how hot he was. She should be sexually satisfied by now after all the loving he’d been giving her the last few days and she was, sort of. But there was that whole emotional and physical cocktail of loving him, wanting him, never being able to get enough of him. She just wanted to lie on top of him and tangle up all their bits and waste yet another day.
It was a problem.
But then she became aware of what Chance was actually playing on his guitar. That was not their sound. This was a new direction, more bouncy, with a hint of pop music in it.
“I’m not sure about that,” she told Tennyson. “I don’t think there is enough ‘Jolene’ in this melody.”
Tennyson gave her a searching look. “Well, what is Jolene? I mean, it’s one thing for you to feel like this isn’t your sound, but if you want it to be you, who are you?”
The question took her aback. “Um…” She looked to her sister for help. It wasn’t something she’d straight up been asked before and she wasn’t sure what the hell her answer was. “I’m not a pop star. This sounds pop star.”
“But that’s not actually what you said. You said it’s not Jolene.”
“She can’t just give you a description of herself and you toss it into a song,” Elle said. “You need to capture her emotions, and frankly, those are universal. She was angry and sad when she and Chance broke up. What’s so hard to interpret about that?”
Exactly. “Our sound isn’t perky and upbeat. It never has been.”
“I did say we were doing a breakup album,” Chance said. “We should focus on that arc.”
“I’m out of here,” Elle said.
Tennyson was scrawling on a notepad. For some reason, Jolene was jealous of her being left-handed. When she was a kid that had seemed so cool.
She waved to her sister. “Thanks for the bag. I’ll talk to you soon.”
Elle looked like she wanted to shake her. Instead, she just shook her head. Chance gave Elle a distracted goodbye then turned back to Tennyson.
“So what do you suggest? A classic breakup song?”
“I want to dig into the aftermath,” Tennyson said.
Yay. That sounded fun. Jolene plunked herself down onto a chair and put her feet up on the chair opposite her. She might as well be comfortable being uncomfortable. “What do you mean?”
“Like for example, Jolene, did you sleep with anyone else in the months after you and Chance broke up?”
The gate slammed behind Elle.
“Excuse me? I don’t see how that is relevant.” Her cheeks burned.
“Everyone does, of course. I don’t mean it as a judgment. Just that I was thinking I could play around with your numbers, and write a rebound song, how that’s always a mistake.”
“Go ahead and say it,” Chance said. “I don’t care. It’s not going to bother me. Water under the bridge.”
Was he for real? Sure, she’d told him they needed to talk still but she just knew this was one