Michael has great news for his girlfriend but she's practically fallen off the face of the earth. She's taken time off from the bar but has been working over twelve hours at the home then she just disappears.

It's been a week since that day at the studio and her responses have been few and far between.

Michael's getting worried but also slightly irritated with this.

In order to have a good relationship, communication is key.

Right now, Michael is making his way through the tan hallways of the home in search of his girlfriend.

"Hi, sorry, excuse me." He says, stopping a woman in scrubs. "I'm lookin' for Jenna."

"Why?" She responds, rolling an old man in a wheel chair down the wood floor to his room.

"I'm her boyfriend." She's silent. "I can show you my ID. I'm Michael."

"Down the hall, take a left. Those are her residents."

"Thank you ma'am." He says then follows her directions, checking each room that's open.

"Jen, hi." He says, stopping when he sees her leaving a room, pushing a cart with white paper cups stacked neatly.

"Hi."

"You look so cute." He states, looking her over in her cow themed scrubs. She licks her lips and looks down. "What's up? Why've you been actin' weird lately?"

"It's nothin'."

"Jenna, baby, is that Michael?" An old voice asks from the room she just left.

"Is that Florence?"

She nods, stepping aside. "Hey, I gotta give the others their medication, I'll be back in an hour or so."

"Michael." Florence says with an old smile. "Nice to finally meet you in person."

"You too. I've heard so much 'bout you." He smiles back, sitting on the chair across from her bed.

"That Jenna is somethin' else. She's the only thing that keeps me goin'." She smiles. "She's such a great girl."

"She sure is." He nods back.

"She talks about you a lot."

"Really?"

"Oh yeah. She tells me everything. We're best friends, you know that." She says with a laugh. "And what you and your friend did for her was just so amazin'. Lettin' her sing her own song."

"Yeah, that was a great song but ever since then she's been real quiet."

"It's about some boy, some hard time in her life that she don't talk 'bout. I'm sure she's still just sensitive."

Florence knows she's probably over sharing, if Jenna wanted Michael to know, he'd know but she's also incredibly stubborn.

She'll deal with her shit her own way by just ignoring everyone and dwelling on it.

"Alrighty." Jenna says, joining the two, sitting on the foot of her bed.

The three talk for a while, probably two hours.

"Shit, I gotta go." Michael says when he looks at his watch. "I's supposed to be at the studio after lunch." He stands and slides his jacket back on. "Come over after work." He mutters to Jenna.

"Okay."

He leans down and kisses her sweetly. "I'll see y'all later. Nice meetin' you, Ms. Florence!"

"I like him." Florence says.

Jenna lights up. This woman is her family. She rarely talks to her own so she's all she's got. Her approval means everything to her.

"I gotta get to the bar." She says sadly, standing. "I'll see you in the mornin'." She wraps an arm around her frail shoulders and hugs her.

"Bye girl." She responds, watching her walk out the door.

+++

Once Jenna finally gets to Michael's house, it's near three in the morning.

It was an awful night.

There was a group of obnoxious girls that came in ten minutes before last call and messed everything up so Jenna stayed late to clean up their mess.

Trish was there the whole night too but she would complain about doing anything so Jenna picked up her slack.

The worst part is, Trish is the owner's daughter so she can do whatever she wants and gets paid more than Jenna who does everything.

Without Jenna, the bar would be in the red.

She shuts the door behind her after using her key to unlock it, kicking her shoes off next to it. She drops her purse to the floor then heads upstairs to take a shower.

She borrows one of Michael's shirts, it's an Anthrax shirt then she takes a quick shower.

Once clean, she's crawling into bed next to him, cuddling up against him. After the long, shitty day she's had, she needs this now more than ever.

She gets herself under his arm as he sleeps on his front, holding his limb close against her chest as her eyes start to get heavy. She scoots against him, needing to be as close as possible with him and falls asleep.

+++

A few hours later, Jenna's pulled from her light sleep by the feeling of a rough hand running up and down her inked arm. Her eyes flutter open and she sees that she's laying against Michael, her head on his chest.

"Mornin." She mumbles, rolling on her opposite side. Michael presses himself flush against her back, his arm secured around her middle.

"Mornin'." He mumbles back, taking in a deep breath as his face is buried in the back of her hair. "How was work?"

"Fine." She yawns, pulling his arm tighter around her. "How was work?"

"I'll tell you in a bit." He replies, sitting up. She watches him make his way to the bathroom.

Jenna slides out of bed, running a hand through her hair before she uses her claw clip to put her hair up.

She heads to the kitchen to make some breakfast: French toast probably with some bacon.

Michael kisses her cheek when he joins her. "Coffee?" She nods, flipping a piece of bread.

He get some started then sits at the counter. "You okay?"

"Hm?"

"You okay?"

"Yeah. I'm just tired."

He sighs, his chin on his fist. "So Joey gave your demo to the dude that signs people, uh, Bryson, and he loved it."

"Really?"

"He wants to talk to you 'bout maybe signin' a contract."

"Really?" She repeats, popping a done piece of toast into the oven to keep it warm. "Are you- are you serious?"

"Yeah."

"He- you- I might be signed?"

"Yeah."

"Holy shit." She starts pacing, her eyes on the floor. "Oh my god." She throws her arms around his shoulders and squeezes him tight. "You goin' with me?"

"Yeah." He repeats, rubbing her back. "We told him 'bout the song you wrote for Morgan and showed him the song you sang and he loved it. I think he likes you more than he likes me and Ern."

"He should, I'm a delight."

He laughs, patting her ass. "We got a lunch meetin' with him today."

"Thank you." She says, cupping the sides of his face. She kisses him softly then pulls away. "You hungry?"

"For your cookin'? Always."

+++

"I'm gonna throw up."

"You're gon' be fine." Michael says, rubbing Jenna's back as they wait to be seated. "He's a real nice guy, okay? Just pretend you're with me and Morgan and Ern again."

"It's easy to be 'round y'all 'cause you're all so goofy." She mumbles back, scratching the back of her head. "It's like I've known y'all for ever."

"Follow me." The hostess says, leading them to a table out on the patio.

Michael pulls the chair out for her then sits next to her.

"You need to relax, baby." He says as he takes her hand and brushes his thumb across the back of it. He watches her dig through her purse for a pack of cigarettes. "I didn't know you smoked."

"Just when I'm stressed." She responds, using a black bic to light up.

"Michael!" Bryson says when he joins them, clapping his hand on his shoulder. "Thanks for comin' out to lunch with me."

"Of course, yeah."

Jenna turns her head away from the two guys and exhales her cloud of smoke before speaking. "Hi Bryson, how are ya?"

"Jenna, right?"

"Yessir."

"We have much to discuss." He grins, opening up the menu in front of him.

She pops the cigarette between her lips as she looks over her options. Does she get something small so she's lady like in front of her potential employer? Or does she get what she's been craving since she learned about this lunch?

Fuck it.

She orders the hot brisket sandwich with a side of fries while Michael gets a BLT and Bryson gets a burger.

"So, Miss James-"

"Jenna, please."

"Jenna," He clears his throat. "I heard that song you had written for Morgan Wallen and the one you somehow got Joey to record. I don't know how you talked him into giving you time, he's always so busy. You've got such strong songwriting skills you give Michael and Ernest a run for their money."

She gives Michael a nervous look. "I don't want to take away from them. I mean, without them, that would've never came out of my brain."

"Even so." He shrugs. "So, Jenna, how would you like to become the newest talent for Big Loud Records?"

"Me? You want me to-? I don't think I'm- It's just-" She takes a gulp of her iced tea. "I'd love to, Bryson, really, I'd love to but I don't want to take away from him or Ern."

"You aren't taking anything away from them. You'd be like Michael and Ernest, not a replacement for either." He reassures her, using his napkin to wipe the corner of his mouth. "Think about it."

"I think you'd do great, Jen." Michael says between bites. "You've been here for a few years now and you're changing bedpans and pouring drinks."

She bites her lip. "But-"

"This is why you're in Nashville, right? This is why you left Kentucky, right?" She nods. "Why throw this away? Take the deal."

That reassurance is all she needed.

"I'm in."