Chapter 7 #2
Her M.O. at Jake’s was to wear something low-cut and be just on the right side of bitchy to get the best tips. Typically, from men, who were the majority of the late-night clientele at the bar right off a long stretch of freeway heading down into Mississippi.
That was to say – she got hit on a lot. And she’d long trained herself to be impervious from that kind of thing.
She’d dabbled in reciprocating men’s attention in her teenage years, and it never did anything for her.
All she’d been able to do when she’d have sex with men was think about how she could either be working on her music at that moment, or even just working.
Color her shocked when the businesswoman from Nashville had turned on the charm and Darcy had felt a little dumbstruck by how much she’d felt it.
But Blythe didn’t know that.
She’d always figured she’d tell Blythe when there was something to really tell. It wasn’t like she was in a relationship with any of the women she had sex with who were passing through.
Besides, what would be the purpose?
All Blythe would do was turn her attention to Darcy getting into a relationship with a woman, instead of a man. When the reality was that Darcy only wanted something physical. Her deepest feelings, her most vulnerable thoughts… that was all still dedicated to her music.
Nothing and no one would distract her from The Goal.
Now, she’d obtained The Goal, and her unhealthy fixation was on how to maintain it.
“Oh? Can you guess?” Blythe asked, dragging Darcy from her thoughts just as she reached the bistro.
Darcy clicked her tongue in mock-disappointment. “Ohhh, you know what? I just arrived for lunch.”
“Ugh.” Blythe immediately switched gears. “Are you prepared to set aside your differences?”
She was using Eliana’s exact phrase from when Eliana had brought this lunch to Darcy’s attention yesterday. In her firm, no-nonsense way, she’d told Darcy that she was going to be able to record a song on Shelby Linwood’s tribute album, provided she made her “overdue” peace with Juliet.
Darcy had nearly fallen out of her chair at the Shelby news.
And she was accepting of her fate, regarding the second piece of news.
Especially when Eliana had given her a stern, grounding look as she’d delivered her final blow: “I’m going to level with you here.
Juliet’s career is tried and true; she’s been around for almost ten years.
She’s survived flops. Your mutual fanbase loves her.
Your star is on the rise right now, and the last thing you need is for that fanbase to eventually turn on you.
And sooner or later, that’s how this goes.
The tides will turn on one of you, and yes, maybe it could be Juliet. But do you want to flip that coin?”
The competitive part inside of her wanted to say yes.
But, she hadn’t because the part of her that wasn’t an idiot knew it was reckless.
She paused before she opened the door to the restaurant, and she took a long, deep breath. Centering herself. And she said the same thing to Blythe that she’d said to Eliana: “I’m prepared to call a truce if Juliet is.”
After all, Juliet had started this damn thing! Not Darcy.
“Darce…” Blythe trailed off with the faintest hint of disapproval.
“Look, she’s not going to be a monster. You two are both there to call a truce about a ridiculous media scuffle that’s been blown out of proportion.
You both want to do this song, even if it’s together.
I’m sure it’s going to be fine. I’m also sure that’s the mentality you should have going into this. ”
The thing was, Blythe had always been better at politicking than Darcy was. And she knew her sister was right.
Juliet had agreed to this, too. If she was here, she had to be ready to get over whatever the hell this thing was, too.
… right?
After all, Juliet didn’t need the boost with the Shelby Linwood song the way Darcy did. Juliet’s career, despite the rollercoaster of critical success, was years long. She wasn’t still hungry and clawing the way Darcy was.
“You’re right,” she conceded. “Juliet probably wants to put this adolescent crap behind us, too.”
Darcy sincerely hoped so.
It had taken just about everything inside of her not to hit back after Juliet had posted her song response to Darcy, especially after the ridiculously catchy remix had been made. But Eliana had been on top of her not to and so had Emerson and Blythe.
Specifically, Emerson, who had very patiently, very calmly – as was her specialty – allowed Darcy to vent out her feelings every time she felt the knee-jerk reaction to blast Juliet right the fuck back.
Look in the mirror and admit you love living in a man’s world.
Juliet’s accusation lived in her mind, rent-free. Like. Fuck her.
Breathing out a long, low breath, she unclenched her jaw. Best not to think about that as she was heading into lunch together.
Yeah, she couldn’t let herself get even deeper embroiled in this.
“Is that Darcy?” She heard Colton’s voice in the background. “Hey, did you hear? We bought a house!”
“Tell him that I heard, and that I do expect him to be committed to becoming a full-on farmer version of himself,” she informed her sister.
“I will. I’m looking forward to it.” The excitement had crept back into Blythe’s voice.
“I really have to go.” And now, she didn’t know what she’d prefer: finally having this face-to-face with Juliet or talking to Blythe about the bomb dropping of her new house. “I’m walking into the restaurant now.”
“I wish you would have borrowed one of my outfits,” Blythe managed to get in before Darcy hung up.
She slid her phone into her back pocket, glancing down at herself as she pulled the door open.
Not that she’d needed to look down at herself to look at her outfit; C?te I see her. Thanks, though.”
“Of course.”
She gave the woman another polite smile, before turning in Juliet’s direction.
Darcy refused to brace herself now, she refused to give in to any of the thoughts that had circled her mind over and over again regarding Juliet in the last few months.
If there was one thing her rise in fame had given her perspective on: everyone was just a person. Just like she was.
Even Juliet fucking Jacobs.
The funniest thing was that if this had been a year ago, before Darcy’s life had completely been thrown upside down, she’d have tripped over herself seeing Juliet. Not because she was a celebrity, but because she was Juliet.
Granted, a year ago she’d have never stepped foot in this restaurant.
Though C?te & Crumb was modeled in simple, upscale décor, it was one of those places that was deceptively expensive.
Darcy had looked at the menu last night in preparation, and a garden salad with a glass of wine cost was just about equal to what she’d made in her typical shift at the bowling alley.
That was a habit she didn’t know if she’d ever be able to break, always wanting to prepare for the price tag that would come along with a day out, regardless of knowing that she could definitely afford it, now.
In her cropped t-shirt and flared, ripped jeans, she’d have been given the stink-eye if she stepped foot in here last year. Maybe they wouldn’t even have let her in.
Granted, she was still wearing the same clothing.
But that was a deliberate choice on her part.
She wasn’t going to change who she was because of this.
She was still the same person that many of the clientele in this bistro would have looked down on before, and even if she had some lingering insecurities deep inside, she wasn’t going to put on an act.
Now that she was successful, she was treated very differently. People who wouldn’t have given her a second look – or would have given her a dirty one – looked at her with respect, with a smile.
Now, she was here to have lunch with Juliet. To settle their differences.
Now, Juliet was very much aware of who Darcy was… and inexplicably disliked her.
Now, Juliet was – she was staring, Darcy realized as she approached, her gaze immediately locking with Juliet’s.
Juliet had an unexpected intensity about her, Darcy clocked that immediately, even from several feet away. The look in her eyes was inscrutable, but it wasn’t lacking emotion. Emotions Darcy couldn’t possibly understand or decipher.
She didn’t let her gait falter, even as she felt that rush again. The thrum of wondering how this was going to play out. It was similar – not quite exactly the same, but similar – to how she felt when she was inspired for a new song.