Free Bird - Morgan Wallen

Eight

Hardy and Morgan are hanging around in the booth while Dani sits on the floor in front of the couch, messing around with Morgan's notes. She was given the okay to organize everything for him. She has them broken up into categories according to tone; love, drinking, and Tennessee. She has her binders and her dividers ready to be used and she's pumped. Morgan exits the booth and leans down to give her a kiss on the head. "Guess what, darlin."

"What?"

"We need a couple more songs for an album." She looks up at her smiling boyfriend. "We almost have a full album."

"Hey!" She stands and hugs him. "That's so cool. And with your new organized binder, you can make a new song quicker!" He rolls his eyes. "I don't know how you were able to focus with that mess. I'm not even done but I feel great." He shakes his head and pulls her against his side.

"Hey girly!" Hardy says, Dani gives him a huge hug. He motions to her scuffed ankle height rain boots, ripped jeans and a flannel jacket with a hood. "No more city girl, huh?"

"I'm the same girl. It's just be a couple of weeks."

"It's not the same."

Morgan excuses himself to get a drink from the vending machine, leaving Hardy and Dani alone. "Y'all just need a few more songs huh?"

"Yep, I already got some ideas." He smiles, looking her over. "Are we gonna act like nothing happened?"

"Nothing did happen, Michael." She huffs as she sits on the couch.

"I kissed you. You kissed me back." He stays standing.

"C'mon now, Michael." She rolls her eyes. "It was nothing!"

"Not to me, darlin'." She groans as she shakes her head.

Morgan returns with a few waters, handing one to Dani and Hardy, keeping one for himself. "Sounds like we're done for the day. Y'all wanna go back to my house and bang out a few more tracks?"

"Why certainly, Morgan." Hardy says, giving Dani a smug look. They gather their things and head back to his house.

+++

Dani is sitting at the eight seat dining room table, still organizing Morgan's notes. She tosses her hair into a messy bun and slides her jacket off, standing in her infamous black tank top as she organizes. There's a pair of lips against her inked shoulder and she sighs, freezing. "Whatcha need?"

Morgan chuckles. "I need a break, my head's hurtin from thinkin so hard." He sits down across from her at the table. She holds up a piece of cardboard from a six pack of Bud Light and looks at him. "Needed it in the moment." He shrugs.

She puts it in a pile, stopping when she sees an old picture of them from when they were in high school. "Wow." She says as she sits in the chair behind her. "I don't even remember takin this picture."

"I do." He smiles. "One of the best moments of summer." It was their first time camping out under the stars, swimming and kissing in the fireflies.

"I look so weird." She says, squinting at the fuzzy picture. "I, uh, actually found one of these too." She disappears around the corner to the front door, grabbing her wallet out of her purse before returning to Morgan. She takes the Polaroid out and hands it to him. "I think you'll remember this moment." As soon as he looks at the picture, his face turns red.

"Oh wow." He giggles at it. "Wow. I can't believe you found this sexy." She laughs with him.

"Can't believe I still do." She fires back, he rolls his eyes. "You were wearing the same belt buckle when we hooked up the other day."