"I don't know why you don't put yourself out there more often. Sounds like that show you did was real fun." Florence, one of Jenna's favorite residents say, looking up at her from her spot on her bed.

"I know." Jenna sighs back, gently lifting her arm as she uses a rag to give her a sponge bath. "If it weren't for Michael, I know I wouldn't have done it."

"Obviously." She snorts back. "This Michael fella seems like he only wants the best for you. Girl, you best be puttin' your hooks in 'em now 'fore some tramp swoops in." Jenna smiles, washing between her fingers. "Ever since you first mentioned him, you've been somethin' else."

"Do what?"

"You's smitten, baby."

Jenna chuckles. "I barely know him."

"Bullshit."

"Florence!" Jenna playfully gasps at her vocabulary. "Okay, I know him but not 'know him' know him, y'know?"

"Girl, you make my brain hurt with that language of yours, ha! Go talk to that boy. He's obviously infatuated with you."

"Fine, I'll call him durin' lunch."

"No, call him now! Let me live through you! Ever since my Reggie died, I've been needin' a new man." She jokes, chuckling as she pats her hand. "C'mon, invite me on your date!"

"How's about this? How's 'bout I come back durin' lunch and we can talk to him together." She says in a sweet voice that makes Florence's face light up. "That sound good?"

"Real good!"

Jenna stands and pours out the water she was using to wash Florence then drops the dirty rag into the empty bucket.

"Okay, I gotta go talk to Ms. Sally and Delmar and 'em. I'll be back for lunch."

"Okay, baby. I'll see ya in a couple hours."

+++

"Hey Michael." Jenna says, criss-crossing her legs as she sits at the foot of Florence's bed. "How are ya? Whatcha up to?"

"Put him on speaker!"

"Who's that?" Michael chuckles on the other end.

"My best friend, Ms. Florence." She responds, smiling at the grin that breaks out across the older woman's face.

Nursing homes are lonely and sketchy depending on the shift and employees. Jenna tries to have a relationship with every single resident here, even if they don't like her.

Ms. Sally acts like she doesn't like her but deep down, she loves how caring she is.

"Hi sweetheart." Florence says. "How are ya?"

"Real good, ma'am. How're you?"

"Real good and gettin' better."

"Whatcha up to today?" Jenna asks.

"Just workin' on songs, y'know." He replies. He's hit a wall, writers block, and hasn't been able to get his creative juices flowing since. He's been in this funk for about two weeks now and he hates everything about it.

"Do you want some company?" Jenna asks, mindlessly picking at her lip, Florence pulls her hand away from her mouth. "I get off at four today."

"Yeah, I'd love that." He nods. "Sure."

Florence smiles. She doesn't know this Michael but he sounds like the perfect guy for her granddaughter-figure.

She loves this girl as if she was her own.

"...Okay, I'll see ya then." She says. "Bye."

"Bye Michael."

"Talk to you ladies later." He says then hangs up.

Jenna looks up at the clock on the wall. "Ah man, I gotta give Denny is medication." She stands and pockets her phone. "I'll see you before I leave."

"Okay. You have a good rest of your day, baby." Florence says, giving her hand a squeeze.

+++

Jenna is kind of nervous.

She's parked in front of Michael's house and her stomach is turning.

She gets out of her car and heads to the front door where she knocks apprehensively.

"Hey baby." Michael says when he opens the door. He wraps her in a hug then lets her in.

"Wow." She says, looking around the living room. "Wow." She laughs. "This room is bigger than my whole place."

Michael chuckles back. "You hungry? I just put supper on."

"Sure." She nods, dropping her purse on the couch as well as kicking her Vans off.

Jenna follows him into his kitchen. "Florence, huh?"

"She's this sweet lady I take care of at the nursin' home. Her kids put her in a home after her husband died and she really needed a friend. Few months later, me and her are inseparable. She's like my Mamaw."

"She seems like a real fun lady."

"She is. She's my favorite resident. You should meet her one day."

"I'd be honored to." He smiles back, making a couple plates for them.

Jenna sits across from him at the kitchen table with her legs tucked underneath her. "Writer's block, huh?"

"Yeah." He nods, using the napkin on his lap to wipe his mouth. "It's a son of bitch."

"I got good ideas to get over writer's block."

"Sure. I want you to help me write some songs. It'll be good exposure for you in the music industry. I can bring your name up to my supervisors and get you a foot in the door for a contract there."

"No way."

"Yeah." He nods again. "It'll be good."

"That sounds pretty cool." She smiles. "Yeah."

"Oh, I invited my buddies over to help too."

+++

Michael got Jenna loosened up with a couple shots of whiskey as they wait for his friends to show up.

Three musicians in the same room as her, she knows she's going to feel under qualified and unimpressive, or something along those lines.

The door opens and in walks two guys, both the same height, a blonde and a brunette.

"Hardy!" The brunette shouts, elbowing the door shut behind him. There's no answer so they make their way to the kitchen. "Oh, hey." He says when his eyes land on Michael getting pretty close to some cute blonde chick. "Shit, sorry man. Are we interruptin'?"

"No, not at all." He says with a blush as he steps back from the girl sitting on his counter. "Uh, guys this is Jenna. Jenny, these are the guys."

"I'm Ernest." The blonde says, giving her an ornery smile.

"Morgan." The brunette says with a matching grin.

"Hey." She waves back with a smile.

"This little lady is gon' help us write some songs." Michael says, patting her thigh.

"No pressure." She jokes back, sliding off the counter.

Jenna makes her way to the living room first, picking a spot on the black leather sectional as the guys mingle in the kitchen.

There's whispering followed by teasing laughs and that makes her smile. It's obvious these three are close.

She's incredibly nervous to write with people. She's only ever written by herself and writing songs with people who are known in the industry makes her a little bit more nervous.

"Okay," Ernest says, clasping his hands together as he walks into the room. "Miss Jenna." He sits next to her.

She laughs softly, leaning against the back of the couch. "What's up?"

"You ready to bang a few out?"

"Uh," She laughs again.

"Okay, I got the keyboard and Morgan's grabbin' a couple guitars." Michael says, setting a guitar next to Jenna and the keyboard in front of her and Ernest on the coffee table.

"Okay, I had this kick ass melody stuck in my brain for like a week." Morgan says, picking up a capo to pop on the third fret. "Listen to this."

He strums a few chords and Michael writes it down, nodding in time with the rhythm.

Ernest adds some more chords while Michael writes down words that pop into his head.

"Whatcha think?" Michael asks, handing her the notepad he's been scribbling on.

She bites her lip as she glances between the paper and her boyfriend. "It's... okay."

"Ouch." Ernest mumbles in a teasing tone.

"You wounded me, Jen."

"Oh hush up." She responds, starting to get comfortable around the guys. "Morgan, I like that chord progression and all but-"

"Uh oh." He mumbles.

"It's just too happy soundin'. You gotta put a damper on it for it to really hit, y'know?" She says then starts playing the revised chord progression on the keyboard, humming melody along with it.

The three share a look.

"Where the hell've you been all this time?" Ernest says with a laugh.

"Cleaning tables and changing bedpans." She mutters back, trying to focus on what she just played.

She snatches the notepad from Michael and tears off the sheet he wrote on before she starts writing her own version of the song.

"Okay, check this out." She sets the notepad down and starts playing, singing along with what she's written.

"Damn."

"That's a good ass song, Jenny." Michael says after he presses pause on his laptop. "Wow."

"Oh c'mon now." She waves them off, blushing slightly. "It's nothin'."

Michael leans over and kisses the top of her head, running his fingers through her blonde hair. He wraps his arm around her shoulders and pulls her against his side.

The foursome spend hours together, brainstorming song after song after fucking song.

They have around ten written by the time tiredness hits Jenna.

Morgan and Ernest stand and start to collect their things.

"Hey, it was nice hangin' out with y'all." Jenna says, a yawn lacing in her voice.

"You too, Miss Jenna." Morgan say with a small smile.

Michael closes the door behind them then turns to his girlfriend. "You stayin' over?"

"I should probably get goin-"

"Nah, it's late and you're tired. Stay the night." He says, brushing her hair behind her ear.

Jenna leans into his touch, her tired eyes fluttering shut.

Michael smiles. "C'mon, I got a guest room you can stay in."

+++

Jenna lays awake in the spare bed, wearing Michael's shirt and her panties. She glances over at the small digital clock and sighs.

She gets to her bare feet and tip toes across the hardwood floor to Michael's door. She pushes the door open then creeps across the floor to the opposite side of his bed.

She invites herself in under his sheets and curls on her side, her back to him.

Michael stirs away and lifts his head, his half open eyes landing on the blonde guest in his bed and he smiles. He wraps his tattooed arm around her middle, pressing soft kisses to her neck.

She hums softly, pulling his arm tighter around her, needing him to be closer. Jenna sighs, relaxing against the bed and slipping into a solid sleep.