Of Course, It's You

Chapter 9

HANNAH

The following day began a bit easier than the last. Hannah's schedule was mostly at venues to meet with owners. Almost Home had another gig lined up at Rhonda's, which Hannah was looking forward to.

It was a bit of a relief to not be in the office. She wasn't sure she could handle coming face-to-face with Carmen just yet. Not after the wedding and most definitely not after the disaster in the conference room. She rubbed her head cautiously in memory.

She felt her phone buzz. Jule's name lit up on the screen.

Jules: I see you're not going to be in the office much. What happened yesterday? You okay?

Hannah: Yeah, everything is fine.

Jules: I need to know more about this wedding. Don't think I've forgotten.

Of course she hadn't. It would have made Hannah's life a bit easier if she had. She took a big breath.

Hannah: Fiiiine.

She let Jules think she was typing, when she was really trying to think of the most simplistic way of explaining.

Jules: Please... do go on.

Hannah: Remember how I said that the woman I met was here on a business trip? She said it was a merger or something?

Jules: Yeah?

Hannah: Just keep thinking, it will come to you.

Jules: wait...

Jules: You're fucking kidding. This is a joke right?

Jules: SERIOUSLY?!

Hannah: Seriously. And, I wish it was a joke.

Jules: Please tell me that I'm following along correctly. You slept with THE BOSS?!

Hannah sent the face palm emoji

Jules: HANNAH! She OWNS this place now.

Hannah: Yeah, I gathered that. But, how did she not think that I worked for the company she bought out? She said she came with her colleague to the wedding when his wife couldn't make it. It was an employee's wedding!!

Jules: I overheard her talking about that to the one manager. She said she hadn't been told that most of the people invited worked here. I don't think anyone told her until the other day.

Hannah: Oh my god. I think I need xanax.

Jules: I'll give you one when you come back to the office next.

This was beginning to be too much. She couldn't wrap her head around the entire situation.

Jules: Hannah, she is the most gorgeous woman I think I've ever seen. She just walked by my desk looking even hotter than yesterday!

Jules: If only I was into women.

Jules: God, I would have slept with her too. I see your dilemma.

Hannah dropped her head into her hands and rubbed her forehead. How did she even end up here? She knew she had acted strangely out of her normal personality, but now, it was as if life was taunting her about her actions.

You finally came out of your shell, let's mock you now with those choices.

Hannah did her very best to not think about Carmen, no matter how difficult it turned out to be.

Later in the day, Hannah had her laptop open at a high table in Rhonda's again, waiting for Almost Home to finish setting up on stage. After showing some videos and social media posts to Ross, he told her to get them to come over and lay down a few tracks and see how they'd feel about signing. It seemed he loved what they had to offer as well.

She began reading emails when she groaned.

Good afternoon everyone,

In light of the current changes within our office, please update your personal signatures to follow the print below by this Friday.

Thank you,

HR Office

Mills Record Studio

New York & Nashville Offices

Just when she hadn't had a singular thought in her head about Carmen, this little reminder came through.

Hannah's phone buzzed.

Jules: You wouldn't be at Rhonda's right now would you?

Hannah: Where else would I be?

Jules: Don't be a smartass. Seriously, are you there now?

Hannah: Yes.

Typing bubbles appeared and disappeared a few times before she got annoyed.

Hannah: Why???

There wasn't a response for several minutes, so Hannah took a breath and went back to focusing on work. The band still wasn't ready to perform, so she went to the bar and found Rhonda.

Rhonda had been telling her how Lee decided it would be a great idea for a vacation.

"Hannah, I swear, I just about had a heart attack right then and there. Come to think about it, I was in such a state of shock, I don't think I moved for a solid two minutes. Lee had to shake my shoulders to get me to focus. We haven't been on a vacation in years. Hannah.... Years." She hung a stemmed glass above her, "So then I asked him if his girlfriend was the one that gave him the idea in the first place."

"Oh, come on. He doesn't have a girlfriend on the side." Hannah laughed.

"Oh, I know! He would never. But, what on earth would make him just all of a sudden decide that we should take a vacation? I tell you, that man has somethin' up his sleeve, and by God, I'm gonna figure out what."

Rhonda bent down to wipe the door of a small fridge. Hannah lifted herself up so that she could lean over and still see her. Her feet were off the ground, and she could tell her ass was in the air, but she didn't care.

"Maybe he bought a truck and wants to sugar you up before telling you?"

Rhonda stopped and thought, "You know, that does sound like somethin' Lee would do."

"Or maybe he listened when you said that you might leave him for me?" They both laughed. "Hey! I am a certifiable catch! And Lee, well he just knows that I'm competition. I've single handedly made him step up his romantic game with you."

Rhonda stood up and looked to Hannah's left. Hannah saw her eyes dart to her leaning on the bar and back to the spot of her left. Hannah started to feel self-conscious and hopped back down to her feet. She tugged on her blouse to flatten it back down. Clearly whoever it was had checked her out, or Rhonda wouldn't have such a distasteful look plastered on her face.

"Well, any woman would be lucky to have you, hun." Rhonda winked.

Hannah scoffed. "I think I'm done with that for a very long time. Forever, probably. I think ... I think I've already had whatever it is everyone looks for and what all these artists sing about." She had to take her eyes off Rhonda's sad face at her honesty. The pity was too much. "What is it that people say? Better to have loved and lost, than to never have loved at all?" She waved a hand. "Well, whatever it is, you get my point."

Someone cleared their throat. "May I have some water please?"

Hannah froze, eyes widening.