Love Quotes

+++++++++++

"I made my bed and I sleep like a baby

With no regrets and I don’t mind sayin’

It’s a sad sad story when a mother will teach her

Daughter that she ought to hate a perfect stranger."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kelly paced the floor, her hands wringing together nervously.

"Kelly, come sit down," Jason urged, patting the chair next to him.

She shook her head.

"I'm sure she'll be here soon," he assured, looking over at Kate who was in the corner of the small sound studio, on her phone. "And even if she isn't, it's just rehearsals."

"For my new single, Jay," Kelly pointed out. "She needs to be here to learn the new songs."

"Do you want me to get Carrie on the phone for you?" he offered. "I'm sure she's much better at this than me."

"No, it's ok," she took a deep breath, sitting next to him. "She's at a photo shoot right now."

Kate walked over to them frowning, "She's not answering her phone. I left like ten messages."

"Did you talk to her this morning?"

"I reminded her about rehearsals. She walked out the room."

"Y'all should just get started. Maybe she'll just show up late," Jason offered.

"I hope so," Kelly sighed.

+++++++++

Kelly raised an eyebrow as she sang on the small stage. Jason was waving a hand to get her attention and pointing to the back door. She stopped midline of the song when she noticed Jill standing there. The rest of her band stopped, following her lead. "Take ten, y'all," she turned to them with a smile before jumping off the edge of the stage. She walked to the back of the studio, her hands in her jean packets. "I didn't think you were coming."

"I didn't think I was either," Jill admitted, not meeting her eye.

"Then why are you here?"

"I signed a contract," she reminded. "I'm not gonna go back on my word."

"I don't want you here if you don't want to be here. I'll void the contract."

"No, it's ok."

"And what if I don't think it's ok?" Kelly folded her arms.

"It's fine," Jill reassured.

"Not for you, for me. You didn't exactly hold back your feelings the other day when you found out about me and Carrie's relationship."

Jill frowned at the word 'relationship', "I'm not going to lie to you, Kelly. I don't agree with it."

"You said some pretty shitty things."

She shrugged.

"Jill, look, I am dating Carrie. I plan on dating her for a very, very long time. Any chance we get, we will be around each other. She's actually gonna be here any minute now, and we're going out to lunch. If you have a problem with that, then maybe this isn't the place for you."

"Are you firing me?"

"No," Kelly shook her head. "As your boss, though, I am demanding a little more respect. You don't like the idea of me dating a girl? That's fine. You are entitled to your own opinion, but you will not be voicing that opinion, especially not when Carrie's here. In fact, I'd appreciate it if you'd leave the whole attitude thing outside when we're working because I don't have time for it."

Jill nodded.

"Think you can do that?"

"Yea."

"Good," Kelly nodded, looking up as the door opened again. She smiled.

"Hey," Carrie smiled back before noticing Jill. "Oh, sorry. Am I interrupting?"

"No, you're good," Kelly assured, opening an arm to her, getting a quick hug.

"Good. So, is it just us?"

"Um, no, Jason, Ashley, and Kate all want to come if that's ok."

"Oh, yea, no, that's perfect," Carrie smiled. "The more the merrier."

"Ok, why don't you go hang with them for a sec, k?"

Carrie nodded, giving her hand a quick squeeze before walking to the front of the sound studio.

Kelly turned to Jill, "We're taking a lunch break. You need to be back for two-thirty."

"But I just got here," she reminded.

"Yes, and everybody else has been here for nearly four hours," Kelly pointed out. "I'll see you at two-thirty."

Jill nodded.

Kelly turned, walking back to the front of the sound studio. She smiled at the sight of Carrie and Ashley teasing her brother about something. "Hey," she greeted softly as she stood in front of Kate who was seated on the stage with her legs hanging over the edge.

"Is she staying with us? In the band?" Kate asked.

"Yea," Kelly nodded. "If that's ok with you."

"With me?"

"I've said my peace, but if you don't feel comfortable with her here then I'll ask her to leave."

Kate shook her head, "No, you don't have to do that. It's ok."

"Ok," Kelly nodded, holding out her hands. "Now, you still want to come to lunch with us?"

"Yea," she gave a soft smile, taking her hands as Kelly helped her off the stage.

++++++++

"Bouncin round from cloud to cloud

I got the feeling like I'm never gonna come down

If I said I didn't like it then you'd know I'd lied."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"So how are rehearsals going?" Carrie asked as the five of them sat around a table in the restaurant, her hand stroking Kelly's knee affectionately beneath the table.

"I think they're going good," Jason nodded, looking around the table. The three girls didn't seem to agree with them.

"Was Jill just getting there when I got there?" Carrie asked curiously.

"Yea," Kelly nodded.

"Is she gonna be there when we get back from lunch?"

"We'll see."

"I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault."

"I'm still sorry, though."

Kelly gave her an appreciative smile, placing her hand over the country singer's that was still resting on her knee, "So how was the photo shoot?"

"It was good. The photographer was real sweet."

"What was it for?" Ashley asked.

"Um, you know...I'm not really sure. I know it's a magazine. I just don't remember which one."

"That's usually the first sign that you're working too hard."

"Yea, I know, but I need to make up for the week I took off," Carrie shrugged. "And that was totally worth being exhausted."

"Exhausted?" Kelly turned to her worriedly.

"I could use a nap or two, yea," Carrie nodded.

Kelly smiled softy, "You working tonight?"

"Nope. First night off in a few days, and yes, I'd love to stay over."

Her smile widened.

"Ok, ew," Jason frowned.

"Oh, whatever," Kelly tossed a French fry at him, laughing. "I didn't mean it like that."

++++++++++

"So," Carrie smiled as she held both of Kelly's hands in her own while standing next to her car in the parking lot that Jason had parked next to.

"Bye Carrie," Jason waved.

"Bye y'all," she smiled as he, Ashley, and Kate walked back into the studio before she turned back to the short Texan. "So."

"So," Kelly smiled back.

"This was nice."

"It was. I like hanging out with you and my friends. It feels good, you know?"

"Yea," Carrie agreed, noticing her look around the parking lot. "Is she here?"

"That's her car," Kelly nodded to the car a row down.

"That's good then, right? She's making an effort."

"I hope so. It would majorly suck if she didn't. I'd have to explain it to the band."

"You're not ready for that, yet?"

"Just trying to ease into it as smoothly as possible."

Carrie nodded, looking around.

"Everybody's car's here that should be here. There're all inside."

Carrie smiled, kissing her softly before pulling her into a warm hug, rubbing her back.

"See you tonight?" Kelly asked as they broke apart.

"Definitely."

"Good," Carrie took another quick look around the parking lot before kissing her once more. "Have fun. Don't stress too much about Jill, ok?"

"Ok," Kelly smiled.