In the heart of Nashville's country music scene, two stars shine bright but from opposite ends of the spectrum. Piper James, the quintessential girl next door, captivates audiences with her soulful voice and down-to-earth charm. Loved by all, she em...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
I groaned as I scrolled through my phone, dreading what I might find. Sure enough, there it was, plastered across the headlines like a neon sign—another drunken escapade, another embarrassing incident.
BEN MORGAN ATTACKS PEDESTRIAN IN DRUNKEN RAGE
"Damn it," I muttered under my breath, feeling the weight of disappointment settle in my stomach. This headline was complete bullshit. That asshole attacked me on the street and I wasn't supposed to defend myself? "Danny's gonna have my head for this," I muttered to myself, already anticipating the inevitable lecture from my manager.
Sure enough, my phone buzzed with a call from Danny as if his ears were ringing from the mention of his name. I hesitated for a moment before answering, bracing myself for the inevitable scolding.
"Hey, Danny," I said, trying to sound nonchalant despite the sinking feeling in my chest.
"Ben, what the hell were you thinking?" Danny's voice came through loud and clear, his frustration palpable even through the phone.
I winced, knowing I had messed up—again. "I know, I know. It was stupid. I shouldn't have—"
"You think?" Danny interrupted, his tone incredulous. "Do you have any idea what this does to your reputation? To your career?"
I sighed, running a hand through my hair in frustration. "I messed up, okay? I get it."
"You're damn right you messed up," Danny snapped. "And now we've got a PR nightmare on our hands. Do you have any idea how much damage control we're going to have to do?"
I clenched my jaw, feeling the weight of my mistakes bearing down on me. "I'll fix it, Danny. I promise."
"You better," he warned. "This kind of behavior is unacceptable, Ben. You're a professional, not some frat boy on a bender. Get your act together before you ruin your career for good."
I swallowed hard, the reality of Danny's words sinking in. "I will. I swear." I rake a hand through my hair, pulling at the ends in frustration. Damn I need a haircut.
There was a long pause on the other end of the line before Danny finally spoke again, his voice softer this time. "You're better than this, Ben. I know you are. But you've got to start showing it. Clean up your act before it's too late."
I nodded, even though I knew he couldn't see me. "I will, Danny. I promise."
With that, we ended the call, leaving me to grapple with the consequences of my actions once again. As I stared at the damning headline on my phone screen, I knew that I had to do better. Not just for my career, but for myself.
As I sat there, stewing in my own frustration, a memory flashed through my mind—a chance encounter with Piper James, Nashville's leading lady, topping the country charts. She carried herself with grace and poise, her reputation as the epitome of the good girl in the industry. And the best ass.
An idea began to form in my mind, a glimmer of hope amidst the chaos of my own mess. What if I could convince Piper to collaborate with me on a single? Her squeaky-clean image could be just the thing to help repair my tarnished reputation. If I could align myself with someone as respected and admired as her, maybe I could start to turn things around.
Or I could just stop being an asshole. Putting out a song with Piper is definitely the easier option.
I grabbed my phone, fingers flying over the screen as I typed out a message to my manager. "
From Ben: Hey... I've got an idea. What if we try to get Piper James to collaborate on a single with? Can you reach out to her people and see if they'd be interested?
I hit send, feeling a surge of anticipation mingled with uncertainty. This could be my chance to redeem myself, to show the world that I was more than just a headline-grabbing asshole. And if Piper was willing to give me a shot, maybe there was hope for me yet.
A few minutes later, my phone buzzed with a response from Danny.
From Danny: I'll reach out to Piper's team and see if they're open to the idea. I'll let you know as soon as I hear back.
Relief washed over me at his prompt reply. It was a long shot, I knew, but just the possibility of collaborating with Piper James was enough to lift my spirits a little bit. If anyone could help me salvage my reputation, it was her.
Thinking back to last night gave me a glimmer of hope. Her and I had briefly spoken before, but yesterday was the first time I got to actually talk to her. I see what everyone is talking about. She's a knock out and if I were a relationship type of guy she'd be someone I could spend more time with. But that's not who I am. I have no interest in inviting anyone into my life like that. Not again.
From Ben: Keep me posted
I replied, my fingers crossed as I waited anxiously for his follow-up.
As I sat there, lost in my thoughts and anxiously awaiting Danny's response, 1 heard the sound of the toilet flushing from the bathroom. Confusion washed over me-l was alone in the hotel room, or so l thought. Who the hell... oh.
My heart raced as the bathroom door swung open, revealing a sight that both surprised and intrigued me. A girl emerged, wearing nothing but my t-shirt, a seductive smile playing on her lips. My mind raced with questions, but before I could say anything, she crossed the room with a knowing look in her eyes.
Instinct took over as I reached out to pull her close, the allure of the moment impossible to resist. We found ourselves entangled in each other's arms once again, the heat between us undeniable.
This was purely physical, my mind elsewhere. My mind on Piper James. My career was on the line, my drunken fight costing me my brand endorsement with multiple big names. My imagine needed to change, even if it wasn't really me changing. Singing with her would be easy, she's not hard to look at either which is a bonus.
As we tumbled onto the bed, passion ignited, fueled by desire and the thrill of the forbidden. But even as we lost ourselves in the moment, a voice in the back of my mind whispered a reminder— a reminder of the mess I had made, of the reputation I needed to salvage.
I was still riding the wave from my album almost two years ago. Almost every song landed me in the top charts, 4 of which in the top 5 amongst the country charts and 2 in the top songs in the world. Truth is I hadn't touched my song writing notebook in over six months. I had nothing to inspire me. I had to put something out soon, that's why capitalizing on a song with Piper James was exactly what I needed. I just needed to convince her that she needed me too. Even though clearly she doesn't.
As the intensity of our encounter reached its peak, I made a silent vow to myself. This would be the last time. The last time I let myself get caught up in reckless behavior, the last time I let my impulses dictate my actions. I needed to take time to clean up my act, to repair the damage I had done.
With that determination fueling my resolve, I surrendered to the moment, savoring every fleeting second of passion. But as we lay tangled together in the aftermath, I knew that this was the end of the line. From now on, it was time to focus on building myself. Even if it was all bullshit.
