Right On The Money Honey - Michael Hardy

ONE

Monica Geller as Elizabeth "Liz" Tanner

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Liz and her best friend, Caleigh pull into the dive bar parking lot. She grins as she slides out of the passenger seat, adjusting her purse strap after fixing her pretty dark brown waves. The two make their way into the bar, their matching grins lighting up the place. The girls sit at a high top table after they order their drinks, laughing between each other.

After a little while of sitting and talking, Liz stands and heads to the jukebox. She slides a dollar into the machine then picks a song, spinning on her heel before she starts swaying and snapping to the beat like no one else is watching. She laughs to herself, grabbing Caleigh's hand to get her to her feet, spinning her in a circle, grinning wider as they dance together.

A couple guys come up to the table, they're cute. One leans against the table with a big handsome smile on his face. "Hey ladies."

Liz chuckles, leaning back in her chair. "Hi."

Caleigh smiles at them. "Hey."

"Can we buy y'all a drink?" He asks, drumming his fingers against the table top.

Caleigh looks over at Liz whose already looking back at her. Liz gives the guys a once over before she nods. "Make it two." She bites her lip as she looks the guy wearing glasses over. "C'mon, join us!" She scoots her chair over and the guys pull up two more chairs after they get their drinks.

The guys, Michael and Cliff, spend hours talking with Liz and Caleigh. Cliff whisks Caleigh back out to the dance floor leaving Liz and Michael by themselves at the table.

"Where're you from?" Liz asks, picking at the label on Cliff's empty beer bottle.

"Mississippi." Michael answers, nodding slightly. "You?"

"Texas."

"Wow. What brings you to Nashville?"

"Just a girls trip. Caleigh flew out to see me and we decided to have a spontaneous road trip." She smiles. "What about you?"

"I write songs for other musicians."

"That's pretty cool! Who's your favorite that you've written for?"

"Oh, I don't got a favorite."

She chuckles, raising her hand at the bartender for another drink. "What's your favorite song that you've written?"

"I don't got a favorite." He repeats, a small blush coloring his dimpled cheeks. "Okay, maybe FGL's Simple. That's a pretty good banger."

"Oh I love that song." She smiles before it falters slightly. "Are you like a celebrity 'round here?"

"Far from it, baby." He laughs, shaking his head. "I like bein' under the radar. It's nice."

"I bet." She smiles at him. Her sight shifts from the dimpled gentleman in front of her to her best friend slow dancing with a handsome cowboy. "They look like they're havin' fun." She looks back at her table mate. "I bet you've got some pretty cool stories, Michael."

"I could talk your ear off, baby."

"I'd love to hear 'em stories." She licks her lips, looking him over again with that flirty look of hers.

"You wanna get outta here?" He boldly asks, knowing he's got nothing to lose if she declines the offer.

Liz looks him over once more. "Sure."

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"Liz," Michael mumbles, his large hand rubbing across the girl's back while she has her head resting on his opposite arm, facing away from him. She has so much alcohol in her system that she's just zoinked. "Liz." The two are laying in the bed of his truck a few miles from the smoky dive bar.