Page 33 of Missing Pieces
Chapter Sixteen
I ride with Ivy up to Nashville along with her friend Bella. The rest of the girls drove up yesterday because they wanted to start the morning off with a spa day. But the three of us had to work yesterday so we couldn’t join in on the festivities which was fine with me because I did not want to waste money on the spa right now.
Bella is super nice. A bit quiet but overall a nice girl. She grew up in White Creek like most everyone else here and met Ivy through Summer.
I spend the two-hour drive quietly while the two of them talk. The drive brings me back to a little over a month ago when I was driving down the same highway. Running. That’s what Easton called it. Maybe he was right. I pretty much hightailed it out of Chicago once my lawyer said I could. I couldn’t afford an apartment there and since my friends turned their backs on me because I was no longer an asset to their social status, I had nowhere else to go.
It’s crazy how your entire life can change in a couple months. To think only two months ago I was hanging out with my girls at the hottest clubs with bottle service. Looking back I realize how ridiculous it was. The few nights me and Ivy have hung out drinking wine have felt more real than those nights ever did. Maybe that’s why I am nervous about tonight. This isn't going to be a sit on your couch in pajamas and get wasted slumber party night. This is a night on the town and I hope to god it’s different than those nights in Chicago.
“Are you excited?”
I realize Bella is talking to me and I blink away the sunlight shining in my eyes and turn toward the front of the truck. I can see the skyline of Nashville approaching and I’m a little shocked I spent that long stuck in my damn head. “Yeah. I am. I’ve never been here before.”
She gets giddy and starts clapping her hands, “Oh my god we have to take her to Tootsie’s!”
“I’m pretty sure Summer is going to want to go to Tootsie’s. She drags us every time.” Ivy chimes in. “And if she’s drunk enough she will want us to go again because she’ll have forgotten we already went.”
Bella chuckles and says, “Once she’s drunk we can just keep asking her if she wants to go and then see how many times she tries to take us back.”
“The sad thing is that would probably be true,” Ivy says while merging onto the off-ramp.
I think they forgot I was in the back seat. “What’s Tootsie’s?”
They both look at each other like I just asked what color the sky was. Bella replies, “Only the best live music bar in Nashville!”
I nod and turn back toward the window. Bella turns toward Ivy. “Is Tacoma coming?”
My head snaps back toward Bella. There has to be some weird odd coincidence that they have a friend with the same rare name as Easton’s sister.
“I think she flew in from New York yesterday. There is no way she would miss this. You know Summer is like the older sister she never had.”
I guess that means there is no coincidence. I feel like it will be awkward meeting Easton’s sister especially since Ivy will no doubt open her mouth about him and me at some point.
I look up and see her looking at me in the rearview. “Don’t worry Harper. Tacoma will like you. I bet she’ll be agree that you should bone her brother.”
“Uh, I don’t think she is going to tell Harper to bone her brother.” Bella cuts in.
Ivy retorts, “Ten bucks it’ll happen.”
I scoff and turn back toward the window.
We pull up to the valet at a nice hotel right off Broadway and grab our bags out of the back. As we walk into the hotel, I hear a loud squeal. I turn my gaze to the source of the noise and see a voluptuous blonde with curlers in her hair and the tiniest shorts I have ever seen skip over to us. She gives a huge hug to Ivy and reaches for Bella to wrap them up into a three person hug.
“I am so excited for tonight! I can’t believe it is finally here! Of course, that means that I’m getting married in less than two months. Oh god, I think I need to do this every weekend until then.” The blonde, who I figured was Summer continues to rattle on and on and then stops abruptly to look at me. “Oh my! I am so rude I cannot believe I did not introduce myself. I got so caught up in the excitement. I’m Summer. You must be Harper. It’s so nice to finally meet you!”
Before I can say the same, she throws her arms around me in a tight hug. She pulls back and continues, “I cannot believe I have not made it into town to meet my best friend's new best friend. I have just been so busy with wedding planning. Oh and don’t feel bad about stealing my best friend she’s needed one ever since I moved outta White Creek. Oh gosh, now I’m talking too much. Sorry sugar I am just so excited!”
Ivy shoves her in the arm. “You moved a whole forty-five minutes away to a farm. It’s not like you moved across the country. I still see you every week.”
“It’s fine,” I say to Summer. “Thanks for having me. I’ve never been to Nashville before so this should be fun. And I can’t wait to help you celebrate!” I am so glad I had years of faking smiles and involving myself in conversations I didn’t really want to have. Summer seems like a fun girl, but I am having so much trouble shaking the feeling of sadness I felt on the way up.
“So I booked us two suites, but all of us are hanging out in mine right now while we get ready,” Summer says while leading us into an elevator.
“Did you decide on a place for dinner?” Ivy asks. “’Cause you know I booked two reservations at two separate places in case you changed your mind at the last minute.”
Summer throws her hand to her chest with an ‘I would never’ expression on her face. Ivy laughs and replies, “So I guess y’all decided to go somewhere I didn’t book?”
“Actually no, I put my foot down and said we’re going to the first place you booked. It’s super nice and I thought we could use some class before we get rowdy.”