"Can we use this chair?" I asked two guys sitting a table over from us at Edley's BBQ.
Hmmm... the one with a little bit of scruff on his face and that curly chestnut hair is kinda cute. He looks kind of familiar. Ehh... You just think everyone looks familiar when you are in a familiar place.
"Sure. Sure." said scruffy kind of pushing the chair away from the table and towards me with a smile.
"Great! Thanks!" I said dragging the chair way without so much as a backwards glance. "This should be enough right?" I asked Hans returning to the table.
"That's 12? Yeah..." He said counting up the people in our party. "That covers us all."
"We'll all just have to sit big until everyone else gets here." I said dropping my scarf and Laura's purse at opposite ends of the table and looking back over at Scruffy.
"I swear. That guy who gave us the chair looks so familiar to me. But I don't know why."
"Really? Maybe you know him?" said Laura. "Or maybe he just has one of those faces that looks familiar."
"Yeah... Maybe. I kinda think I actually know him though. I'm going to have to go ask. Maybe he went to college with me." I said leaning over to Laura.
"Go ask him!"
"Is that weird? Hey, you look familiar. Do we know each other?"
"I don't think it's weird. But I've never met a stranger so maybe I'm not a good judge of weird."
"Great, now I just look like a stalker because I keep staring." I said as we both laughed and turned back to our table.
"Alright! Let's go order. Brian and Amy can hold down the table." said Hans standing up and starting make his way over to the counter.
Smithfield, the duo we had gone to see perform at a showcase for their new record deal, happen to be friends with Laura and Hans and were sitting at the table when we returned.
I took a seat beside Trey, one part of the duo.
"You guys were really great tonight." I said after I had introduced myself.
"Thanks," he said. "We've had a lot of support along the way and some really great opportunities. I attribute most of our success to the amazing breakfast Hans made for us when we came out to audition originally."
"Yes. I'm sure it had nothing to do with hard work. Merely a solid breakfast."
"Were you at the show?" Jennifer, the other part of the duo asked, as she extended her hand across the table to me.
"Yes. Ya'll were great." I said realizing I get much more country when I'm in the south. "Do you have any of your songs on YouTube or anything? I would love to tell some of my friends about you guys."
"Not really... None of the videos we have are that great. Though I did see Laura taking a bunch of video tonight, so maybe one of those will work!" Trey said nudging Laura.
"Maybe!" She said with a smile.
"You should get some of your stuff out there. It is amazing the cult-like following that can develop around local artists. I know a duo from Eastern Kentucky who basically crowd sourced their early stuff and now they are blowing up. And they were successful largely because they had a fan base that was down right evangelical about them. Don't get me wrong, they are also extremely talented and hardworking! But a little fan support can go a long way!"
As we ate our dinners, casually played along with the Trivia game happening in the restaurant, and told funny childhood stories about building forts, wrecking on bikes, and tricking the little kids into always being it when we played tag, I couldn't shake the feeling that the guy we had gotten the extra chair from was someone I knew.
And because I couldn't shake the feeling I kept staring at him like a creeper, and making at least one additional trip to the bathroom that I didn't really need...
"Are you ready to go?" Laura asked an hour or so later.
"Sure. Just let me go ask that guy if he went to Transy." I said standing up. "I swear he looks like the guy who worked in the Beck Center." I said as I grabbed my purse.
"Excuse me?" I asked stopping by Scruffy's table. "Did you go to Transy?"
"Why yes I did, Ms. Crigger."
"I thought you looked so familiar when I borrowed that chair, but it took me awhile to place you. Why didn't you say something earlier? Your name is Blaine right?"
"Yeah. That's it." He said with a smile. "Do you live in Nashville now?"
"I don't. I'm here for work for a few days. I live in southern California. What are you doing now?"
"Well, I'm an attorney now. I actually just moved back to Nashville a few months ago. I was here for awhile after law school, then took a career opportunity that moved me about for a few years, but now I'm back." he said with smile. "I just couldn't stay away. I like this place too much."
I don't remember him being so chatty in college. But then again I didn't spend a lot of time, or any time actually, talking to him in college. He certainly wasn't this cute in college. Or maybe I just didn't pay attention...
"How long are you in town?" Blaine asked breaking me out of my daydream.
"I'm here for a few more days."
"Great! We should get a drink before you leave and catch up. Are you leaving now?" he asked as Laura walked up beside me.
"Yeah, we are. I have to work early in the morning." Stupid work! "But we should absolutely get a drink before I leave. That would be nice." I said.
"Are you on Linked In?" he asked.
"Yes..."
"Okay! Find me on there and we'll set something up."
Did I really just have someone tell me to find them on Linked In? That is a new one.
"He's cute." said Laura as we walked to the car. "He went to college with you?"
"Yeah. He was a year behind me. Worked at the fitness center with my friend. But I'm pretty sure that conversation right there is the longest one we've ever had."
"That's funny."
"Yeah, I guess we'll see if we actually get together."
Back in my hotel room I washed my face and was crawling into bed just as my phone buzzed.
Blaine has added you as a contact! My Linked In app flashed briefly on the screen.
Wow, that was fast. I thought as I picked up my phone and opening the Linked In app to accept the contact request. Who uses Linked In instead of Facebook for social things? Kinda odd. Oh well!
I clicked accept and another notice popped up.
Blaine has sent you a message.
"Mackenzie, it was great to see you tonight. Give me call and we'll grab a drink before you leave. Here's my number XXX-XXX-XXXX" the message read.
Copying the number into my contacts I quickly typed out a text.
"Hey Blaine! It was great to see you as well. I'm leaving Wednesday afternoon, but I'm free tomorrow night if that works for you."
His nearly instant reply back read, "Tomorrow is actually my birthday and I'm supposed to go to my friend's house for dinner. You're welcome to come."
"Well, I don't want to cramp your birthday style. I'm supposed to meet my friend Laura for dinner anyway."
"Well, I'm free right now...? But you probably have to work early tomorrow."
"I do. And I literally just got in bed."
"Well, why don't you give me a shout when your free tomorrow and maybe we can grab a late drink."
"Sounds goof."
"Good*"
"Incidentally, I thought you looked really cute tonight."
"Thanks. That is flattering." I really should have hung out with the KAs more in college. "Alright, I'm off to bed. Night night!"
"Sleep well."
The next day Blaine and I texted through out the day and made tentative plans to meet up after I had dinner with Laura and Hans if his party was still going on. When I called him at 9:30, the party was winding down, it was a work night after all. But he suggested grabbing a drink in his neighborhood, which was close to where Laura, Hans and I had dinner.
I met Blaine at his apartment and had a quick tour.
"Well, this is it! Would you like a drink?" he asked.
"Bourbon?"
"Of course."
"Then, certainly. I'm going to use your restroom quickly." I said as my heels clicked down the hardwood hallway.
"Thanks." I said as he handed me my bourbon.
"Let's go sit down." Blaine said nodding towards the living room and letting me lead the way.
"What are you doing over there?" He asked walking over and taking my hand, pulling me from the chair to the couch.
"I don't know... Sitting?" I asked as I sat down beside him on the couch.
"This is better." Blaine said as he put an arm around my shoulders.
"Yes." I said relaxing against his side. "So, what has been going on since your days at the Beck Center and Transy?"
"Oh you know... Law school. Working. Normal stuff. What about you?"
"Oh you know... moving around the world. Studying a profession I never thought people who pay me to actually do. Not normal stuff."
"Yeah, you weren't one for normal. I can remember in college, when you came around we were all on our best behavior."
"Ahhh, well you probably remember Super Serious Sorority President Crigger. I spent a year being terrified that something horrible was going to happen to someone and it was going to be my fault."
"Now it all makes sense."
"So why did you end up back in Nashville?" I asked taking a sip of bourbon. "Oh, Basil Hayden's. That's nice."
"Nashville is just a really easy place to live. It is the south, but not too slow. There is plenty going on. And I have a lot of friends here."
"Nashville is great. I would love to live here."
"You should move."
"Well, if you know of someone who is hiring a sustainability manager. Or you know someone who is independently wealthy and wants to pay me to hang out in Nashville, you let me know."
"Alright. I'll do that." He said leaning in and kissing me lightly on the lips.
Blaine and I continued to talk about college, post-college lives, work, good bourbon, perks of a southern accent in So-Cal.
"The one and only reason I don't want to leave California for the South is I'll no longer be the girl with the cute accent."
"I think you'll do just fine." Blaine said.
"Well, its getting late. My cab just texted they were close. I should go downstairs." I said looking at my phone.
"We should hang out again when your back East of the Mississippi. When will that be?"
"Probably not until December."
"Well, let me know. It was really fun spending time with you."
"I'll keep you posted." I said as we walked out the door.
With a kiss on the cheek and wave over my shoulder I climbed into the cab.
I have go to get back to the south!
Southern men just get it.
Or at least they get me.
Hmmm... the one with a little bit of scruff on his face and that curly chestnut hair is kinda cute. He looks kind of familiar. Ehh... You just think everyone looks familiar when you are in a familiar place.
"Sure. Sure." said scruffy kind of pushing the chair away from the table and towards me with a smile.
"Great! Thanks!" I said dragging the chair way without so much as a backwards glance. "This should be enough right?" I asked Hans returning to the table.
"That's 12? Yeah..." He said counting up the people in our party. "That covers us all."
"We'll all just have to sit big until everyone else gets here." I said dropping my scarf and Laura's purse at opposite ends of the table and looking back over at Scruffy.
"I swear. That guy who gave us the chair looks so familiar to me. But I don't know why."
"Really? Maybe you know him?" said Laura. "Or maybe he just has one of those faces that looks familiar."
"Yeah... Maybe. I kinda think I actually know him though. I'm going to have to go ask. Maybe he went to college with me." I said leaning over to Laura.
"Go ask him!"
"Is that weird? Hey, you look familiar. Do we know each other?"
"I don't think it's weird. But I've never met a stranger so maybe I'm not a good judge of weird."
"Great, now I just look like a stalker because I keep staring." I said as we both laughed and turned back to our table.
"Alright! Let's go order. Brian and Amy can hold down the table." said Hans standing up and starting make his way over to the counter.
Smithfield, the duo we had gone to see perform at a showcase for their new record deal, happen to be friends with Laura and Hans and were sitting at the table when we returned.
I took a seat beside Trey, one part of the duo.
"You guys were really great tonight." I said after I had introduced myself.
"Thanks," he said. "We've had a lot of support along the way and some really great opportunities. I attribute most of our success to the amazing breakfast Hans made for us when we came out to audition originally."
"Yes. I'm sure it had nothing to do with hard work. Merely a solid breakfast."
"Were you at the show?" Jennifer, the other part of the duo asked, as she extended her hand across the table to me.
"Yes. Ya'll were great." I said realizing I get much more country when I'm in the south. "Do you have any of your songs on YouTube or anything? I would love to tell some of my friends about you guys."
"Not really... None of the videos we have are that great. Though I did see Laura taking a bunch of video tonight, so maybe one of those will work!" Trey said nudging Laura.
"Maybe!" She said with a smile.
"You should get some of your stuff out there. It is amazing the cult-like following that can develop around local artists. I know a duo from Eastern Kentucky who basically crowd sourced their early stuff and now they are blowing up. And they were successful largely because they had a fan base that was down right evangelical about them. Don't get me wrong, they are also extremely talented and hardworking! But a little fan support can go a long way!"
As we ate our dinners, casually played along with the Trivia game happening in the restaurant, and told funny childhood stories about building forts, wrecking on bikes, and tricking the little kids into always being it when we played tag, I couldn't shake the feeling that the guy we had gotten the extra chair from was someone I knew.
And because I couldn't shake the feeling I kept staring at him like a creeper, and making at least one additional trip to the bathroom that I didn't really need...
"Are you ready to go?" Laura asked an hour or so later.
"Sure. Just let me go ask that guy if he went to Transy." I said standing up. "I swear he looks like the guy who worked in the Beck Center." I said as I grabbed my purse.
"Excuse me?" I asked stopping by Scruffy's table. "Did you go to Transy?"
"Why yes I did, Ms. Crigger."
"I thought you looked so familiar when I borrowed that chair, but it took me awhile to place you. Why didn't you say something earlier? Your name is Blaine right?"
"Yeah. That's it." He said with a smile. "Do you live in Nashville now?"
"I don't. I'm here for work for a few days. I live in southern California. What are you doing now?"
"Well, I'm an attorney now. I actually just moved back to Nashville a few months ago. I was here for awhile after law school, then took a career opportunity that moved me about for a few years, but now I'm back." he said with smile. "I just couldn't stay away. I like this place too much."
I don't remember him being so chatty in college. But then again I didn't spend a lot of time, or any time actually, talking to him in college. He certainly wasn't this cute in college. Or maybe I just didn't pay attention...
"How long are you in town?" Blaine asked breaking me out of my daydream.
"I'm here for a few more days."
"Great! We should get a drink before you leave and catch up. Are you leaving now?" he asked as Laura walked up beside me.
"Yeah, we are. I have to work early in the morning." Stupid work! "But we should absolutely get a drink before I leave. That would be nice." I said.
"Are you on Linked In?" he asked.
"Yes..."
"Okay! Find me on there and we'll set something up."
Did I really just have someone tell me to find them on Linked In? That is a new one.
"He's cute." said Laura as we walked to the car. "He went to college with you?"
"Yeah. He was a year behind me. Worked at the fitness center with my friend. But I'm pretty sure that conversation right there is the longest one we've ever had."
"That's funny."
"Yeah, I guess we'll see if we actually get together."
Back in my hotel room I washed my face and was crawling into bed just as my phone buzzed.
Blaine has added you as a contact! My Linked In app flashed briefly on the screen.
Wow, that was fast. I thought as I picked up my phone and opening the Linked In app to accept the contact request. Who uses Linked In instead of Facebook for social things? Kinda odd. Oh well!
I clicked accept and another notice popped up.
Blaine has sent you a message.
"Mackenzie, it was great to see you tonight. Give me call and we'll grab a drink before you leave. Here's my number XXX-XXX-XXXX" the message read.
Copying the number into my contacts I quickly typed out a text.
"Hey Blaine! It was great to see you as well. I'm leaving Wednesday afternoon, but I'm free tomorrow night if that works for you."
His nearly instant reply back read, "Tomorrow is actually my birthday and I'm supposed to go to my friend's house for dinner. You're welcome to come."
"Well, I don't want to cramp your birthday style. I'm supposed to meet my friend Laura for dinner anyway."
"Well, I'm free right now...? But you probably have to work early tomorrow."
"I do. And I literally just got in bed."
"Well, why don't you give me a shout when your free tomorrow and maybe we can grab a late drink."
"Sounds goof."
"Good*"
"Incidentally, I thought you looked really cute tonight."
"Thanks. That is flattering." I really should have hung out with the KAs more in college. "Alright, I'm off to bed. Night night!"
"Sleep well."
The next day Blaine and I texted through out the day and made tentative plans to meet up after I had dinner with Laura and Hans if his party was still going on. When I called him at 9:30, the party was winding down, it was a work night after all. But he suggested grabbing a drink in his neighborhood, which was close to where Laura, Hans and I had dinner.
I met Blaine at his apartment and had a quick tour.
"Well, this is it! Would you like a drink?" he asked.
"Bourbon?"
"Of course."
"Then, certainly. I'm going to use your restroom quickly." I said as my heels clicked down the hardwood hallway.
"Thanks." I said as he handed me my bourbon.
"Let's go sit down." Blaine said nodding towards the living room and letting me lead the way.
"What are you doing over there?" He asked walking over and taking my hand, pulling me from the chair to the couch.
"I don't know... Sitting?" I asked as I sat down beside him on the couch.
"This is better." Blaine said as he put an arm around my shoulders.
"Yes." I said relaxing against his side. "So, what has been going on since your days at the Beck Center and Transy?"
"Oh you know... Law school. Working. Normal stuff. What about you?"
"Oh you know... moving around the world. Studying a profession I never thought people who pay me to actually do. Not normal stuff."
"Yeah, you weren't one for normal. I can remember in college, when you came around we were all on our best behavior."
"Ahhh, well you probably remember Super Serious Sorority President Crigger. I spent a year being terrified that something horrible was going to happen to someone and it was going to be my fault."
"Now it all makes sense."
"So why did you end up back in Nashville?" I asked taking a sip of bourbon. "Oh, Basil Hayden's. That's nice."
"Nashville is just a really easy place to live. It is the south, but not too slow. There is plenty going on. And I have a lot of friends here."
"Nashville is great. I would love to live here."
"You should move."
"Well, if you know of someone who is hiring a sustainability manager. Or you know someone who is independently wealthy and wants to pay me to hang out in Nashville, you let me know."
"Alright. I'll do that." He said leaning in and kissing me lightly on the lips.
Blaine and I continued to talk about college, post-college lives, work, good bourbon, perks of a southern accent in So-Cal.
"The one and only reason I don't want to leave California for the South is I'll no longer be the girl with the cute accent."
"I think you'll do just fine." Blaine said.
"Well, its getting late. My cab just texted they were close. I should go downstairs." I said looking at my phone.
"We should hang out again when your back East of the Mississippi. When will that be?"
"Probably not until December."
"Well, let me know. It was really fun spending time with you."
"I'll keep you posted." I said as we walked out the door.
With a kiss on the cheek and wave over my shoulder I climbed into the cab.
I have go to get back to the south!
Southern men just get it.
Or at least they get me.
