Morgan Wallen as Himself

+++

"Have a nice night." Kate says, sliding her tray off the table in the diner she's working at. She sighs to herself as she rings out the bill and pockets the change for a tip.

After she graduated with a degree in music business, she moved back to Sneedville temporarily- until she finds a high paying job and a place of her own in Nashville.

Every shift, she's one step closer to finally leaving Hancock County and the unpleasant memories behind her.

She's been working overtime, working her country ass off to get out of town sooner. She's given herself a year at most to get the hell away from here and with her next paycheck and next weeks tips, she'll have enough to put a down payment on the house she's in contract with.

"It's seven." Katie says. "I'm off."

"Sure." Isaac, her boss, says. "See you tomorrow mornin'."

"Bright and early." She smiles back, picking up her purse.

She sighs as she twists her key in the keyhole of her car door, pulling the door open. She grunts softly as she lifts herself into her car; an orange 1971 Chevy Blazer. She rides off to the house she's living in until she finally leaves, her dad's house.

+++

"I'm gonna miss you, baby girl." Aaron, Katie's father says, watching her push her final box into the back of her Chevy.

Like her moving out makes a difference. He's always out driving semi-trucks and is gone for weeks at a time.

"I'll miss you too, daddy." She responds, closing the back hatch. "I'll be back to visit, though."

"You better." He smiles weakly back, tears in his tired brown eyes. "You best get goin'."

"I'll call you when I get there." She gives him a hug then hops up into her car, driving to Nashville by herself.

+++

With a soft thud, Kaitlyn flops back on the mattress that's laying on the floor. She's totally exhausted but she's got everything moved into her new house. She reaches over and picks up her phone, tapping around to call her friend.

"Hey!" Taylor answers. "I was just thinkin' 'bout you, Kay!"

"Guess what!"

"What?"

"I'm finally in Nashville." She has to pull her phone away from her ear when Taylor starts squealing. "I wanted to see if you wanna get a drink- okay! Okay! I'll see you at Kid Rock's bar." She laughs as she hangs up.

Kate stands and rifles through her boxes to find her dresses. Her tired eyes land on her favorite red dress and she pulls it on, looking at her reflection in the mirror that's leaning against the wall.

She steps into her slip on's then she's out the door to her SUV.

It's a quick yet stressful drive to Broadway. Katie parks in a garage a few blocks away from downtown; it gets cheaper and cheaper the further you get. She's fine with a walk. Her sneakers scuff against the sidewalk as she heads down the street to the bar.

She gets past the bouncer and wades through the shoulder to shoulder people. She should've know better than to agree to meet a bar on a Friday night on Broadway.

It's always crazy busy this time of the week.

She orders a drink from the bar then starts to make her way around the perimeter, looking for that short yet totally noticeable girl she calls her best friend.

Her brown eyes glide across the crowd. They stutter when the run over a guy that looks insanely familiar.

"Kate!" Taylor shouts, her voice clear over the crescendoing volume of the crowd.

Her head snaps up and her brows furrow. "Taylor?" She shouts back. Kate jumps when she feels a finger jabbing her in the ribs. She laughs and wraps her arm around the short girl's shoulders.

That familiar boy looks over his shoulder at the sound of squealing. He rolls his eyes at first but stops when he sees an equally familiar girl.

He can't help the smile that tugs on his pretty lips when he watches her laugh, her light brown hair cascading down her back as she throws her head back.

Those butterflies he feels instantly go away when he realizes who that girl is.

Katie Hurst.

The girl that left him.

He watches he flirt with a guy who's obviously into her and his jaw clenches. He had no idea she'd be in Nashville, back in Tennessee, in this bar at the same time he is.

He figured she'd be off living high and mighty in Atlanta.

She's always told him that she couldn't see herself saying in Sneedville. He just never believed that she'd actually leave.

Katie takes the stranger's hand and lets him lead her out to the dance floor, that pretty grin on her face the whole time.

Taylor keeps her hand clutching her best friend's drink as she watches the two dance. She glances off and her eyes land on her old friend. She waves to him and he sends her a half hearted one back. The look she gives him has him walking his sorry ass over to her.

"Morgan!" She shouts, giving him an energetic hug.

"Hey Taylor." He responds. "What's goin' on?"

"What's goin' on? Nothin' too excitin' over here but I heard you on the radio the other day! Holy shit, man!"

"Yeah, it's- it's nothin'." He rubs the back of his neck.

"Wallen, let's go!" Someone shouts.

"It was nice seein' ya!" Taylor says, hugging him again. He smiles back then disappears back into the crowd.

"You wanna get outta here?" The guy asks heavily against Kate's neck.

She pulls back and gives him a flirty smile. "Not tonight. I got things to do in the mornin' but I'll give you my number." He bites his lip and hands her his phone. She puts her number in. "Call me." She winks then returns to Taylor.

"I should probably get goin'." Kate tells Taylor. "I got an interview in the mornin'."

"Okay! Call me when you're done!" She shouts back, hugging her tightly. "Good luck!"

"Thank you!" She pays their tab then makes her way down to the garage to her car.

+++

Katie smiles as her sleek black heels click on the tiled floor. She got the job at a record label, Big Loud, and has been working for them for a few months now.

She runs her hand over her neat ponytail as she uses her elbow to hit the elevator button, her files stacked up in her arms.

"Wait!" A guy shouts, jamming his hand between the door before it closes. "Sorry! I'm kinda runnin' late." He laughs breathlessly.

Kate chuckles back. "What floor?"

He glances at the panel. "Three. Same as you."

"I'm Kate." She says. "I'd shake your hand but..."

"Michael." He laughs back. His smile falters slightly. "Kate Hurst?"

"Yeah, that's me. Michael Hardy?" He nods. "You're my ten o'clock?"

"You're the manager I'm interviewin' with?" They laugh together.

The door chimes open and Michael holds it open for her. "How long've you been workin' here?"

"Couple months." She pokes her tongue out as she unlocks her office door, using her elbow again to flip the switch on. "Sorry for the mess, I just moved in here." She says as she steps over a box on the floor. "Have a seat." She points at the chair across from hers.

The two spend hours talking. First, about what she'd be doing for him as his manager then about smaller things- 'getting to know you' things.

"I know you're fresh outta college and all but I know you're gonna do great with all this." He tells her with a small smile. "You wanna get a drink after work?"

"I- I can't. I've got a boyfriend."

"So? Invite him! Me and my girlfriend usually hit a bar every Friday."

"Can I let you know?"

"Sure." He stands. "Lookin' forward to workin' with you, Miss Kate."

"Likewise, Mister Hardy."

He gives her a dimpled smile then slips out the door.

Kate exhales heavily, rubbing her hands over her face. Michael is her first big artist and the pressure is on. No one really notices if a smaller artist has bad shows or whatever but a bigger one?

Everyone notices everything.

+++

As Kate is locking her office, she blows stray pieces of hair out of her face. Today has been stressful and all she wants is to curl up in her bed and maybe invite her boyfriend over.

Evan.

The guy she met at Kid Rock's bar her first night in Nashville. They've been together ever since.

Kate rubs her eyes under her glasses as she steps into the elevator. Once the doors shut, she kicks her heels off, not even caring that there might be other people left.

She's usually the last to leave.

With her heels in her hand, she exits the elevator, bumping into someone. "Sorry." She mumbles, looking up mid-text from her phone. "Uh, Morgan?"

"Katie?"