Music of the Heart, page 3
“Cross, why are you ignoring all the ladies tonight? You do realize you are Atlanta’s most eligible bachelor four years running, right? Take that title and go with it. You could have any woman in this room. This is the first time I have really seen you turn your head from women. Usually, you find your flavor of the night and we hear about it a few days later. What’s up man?”
Mason’s right. They’re all right. I have never hidden the fact that I enjoy the ladies but won’t commit. Hell, it’s what I’m known for in Atlanta other than my business. I’m about to be thirty-two years old. I need to settle down but I don’t just want any woman in my life. I want the right woman in my life.
“Okay guys, I’m out of here. “
“Oh come on Cross, don’t leave just because we’re riding your ass about the ladies tonight. You know we’re just messing with you.”
“I know Jake, I know. I’m just not in the mood tonight. Plus, I have a long day at work tomorrow getting ready for my trip. Later guys.”
I head out to the waiting SUV and to Thomas. He takes me home to my condo. I can’t help but think though is it really a home or just the place I sleep at night? With millions of thoughts running through my head, I strip down and try to go to sleep.
Chapter Four
ASHLEIGH
“Ashleigh, Dr. Hansen is ready for you now. Come on back with me.”
Believe me, I love Dr. Hansen. He is the best ENT in the city of Atlanta but this is the last place I want to be right now. I only have to see him when something is wrong and if something is wrong right now then my career could be in jeopardy. Thankfully, Merritt showed up at my house this morning with coffee from the Sweet Peach Café and a ride to the doctor. There are many things I love about my best friend and being there for me without having to ask her is just one of them. She knows I am nervous about this visit. My voice is my career and if my throat is messed up, again, this could be very bad for me.
The nurse takes us back to a room and takes all my vitals and asks me a few questions. She lets me know Dr. Hansen will be in shortly. I’m nervous. I won’t lie. I haven’t let on just how bad my throat has been bothering me. I’ve even kept it from Allie which is unusual because I tell my assistant everything involving my career.
Dr. Hansen walks in the room. “Ashleigh, it’s great to see you again. Too bad it is under these circumstances. So, I only know your throat is bothering you. I’m going to need more details than that. I don’t have to remind you that I’ve already warned you twice within the last year that you work too much essentially putting unnecessary strain on your vocal chords.”
Merritt looks at me and by the look, I know I better not leave anything out.
“Okay, here goes. Yes, my throat hurts and I always seem to be hoarse a lot more than is normal. My voice has also sounded a little different when I sing. Most people don’t notice it but I do and my lead guitarist questioned me about it as well. It feels shaky a lot and my range feels off. This feels different than the strained vocal chords. It feels worse.”
“Okay, let me take a look although I am pretty sure there is nothing I will be able to help you with.”
“What? Why? You’re the best ENT there is. You always fix me. What’s going on with my voice that you can’t help me?”
“Calm down Ashleigh. I’m going to call a friend of mine who is a laryngologist. He will be better equipped to see what is going on with your voice and throat. Let me make the call and I’ll get him to see you immediately.”
“Wait, you’re sending me to a what?”
He laughs a little bit. “A laryngologist. He specializes in diseases and trauma to your throat and voice. Give me a few minutes to talk to him and I’ll be back. Just sit tight and relax. I promise you will be fine.”
Merritt has been quiet the entire time. After Dr. Hansen walks out she looks at me and finally breaks her silence.
“Hey, you know everything will be fine. I’m with you every step of this. Whatever the doctors tell you, you’ll get through it.”
Before I can say anything, Dr. Hansen walks back in. One of his nurses walks in behind him with some paperwork in her hands.
“You’re all set Ashleigh. Dr. Gregory said to have you come on over now and he’ll get you in when you get there. Luckily, he is just on the next floor in our building.”
I know he could tell I was upset by the look on my face. How can I not worry? Sure I am home until mid November but I am back on the road again with a couple of small breaks along the way. I have to get this under control so I don’t have to think about any of this while touring.
“Ashleigh, I promise you. Dr. Gregory is the best at what he does. He will find out what is going on and get you all fixed up. Hopefully with some rest, you can be back on the road soon.”
“Thank you Dr. Hansen. You know I love you but I hope I don’t have to see you for a while.”
Merritt and I leave and head upstairs to see Dr. Gregory. The office seems pretty busy but luckily a nurse takes me back immediately to a room. I am given paperwork to complete in the room. The nurse informed me they were trying to be discreet with me. Given who I am and my career, someone seeing me in this particular medical office would definitely raise red flags. I thank her for that and wait to meet Dr. Gregory.
An hour later and several procedures later, I am called back into Dr. Gregory’s office.
“Well, I have good news and bad news for you. Which do you want first?”
“Just give it to me all at once, please.”
“Well, yes, you have some damage to your vocal chords. Bad news, you have a vocal fold hemorrhage. Good news, we caught it early enough where you don’t need surgery. At least not yet.”
Okay, I can handle this. It doesn’t sound too terribly bad, right? But what does he mean by no surgery, at least not yet? As if Merritt can read my mind, she proceeds to ask the same exact thing.
“Dr. Gregory, what exactly do you mean no surgery yet? Will this eventually require surgery?”
“Possibly. As long as you rest your voice and take the medication I am giving you to help heal the hemorrhage, you should not need surgery. But from what I understand, you just don’t sing, you stay on the road touring and singing an extreme amount of time. You might need to re-evaluate your upcoming tour to accommodate your voice. It has been a pleasure meeting you but in all honesty, I could do without seeing you again in my office. I want your voice to heal on it’s own without surgery.”
As everything he tells me sinks in, I am trying to figure out how the upcoming portion of my tour is going to go. I thank Dr. Gregory and Merritt and I head to lunch. I make her promise not to mention this to anyone. I would fill Allie in but other than that, give me some time to figure things out.
“Ashleigh, you know that is an awful idea. You have to tell Grant and Mark. Of anyone, your tour manager and agent deserve to know first. Claire needs to know too. If word gets out, you need your publicist to help blow it all over.”
“I know Merritt and I will tell them. Just not yet. Give me some time. Look, I’m home for another six weeks. That should be plenty of time for my voice to rest. I only intend to sing a few songs at the benefit and then nothing else. I promise.”
With that said, Merritt agrees to keep quiet and we finally get to enjoy our lunch at the Sweet Peach Cafe.
The rest of the week goes by uneventful. I spend most of my time hanging with the girls. I hang out at their house in the evenings and I’ve been helping them with all the details of the benefit during the days. They refuse to let me speak much around them. Merritt insisted I tell Ava, Ellis and Laken about my voice so they understood why I was keeping so quiet. I’ve been a good girl too.
Saturday is here and Tommy Langner should be at Elizabeth’s house very soon for the dress fittings. The girls and I just arrived ourselves and we’re all talking over coffee when the doorbell rings. Tommy walks in and I go to say hello.
“Thank you so much for doing this Tommy. I know it means the world to Elizabeth and all the girls.”
“I am more than honored to be able to do this for everyone. I hope you all find something you like here. I brought about fifty dresses to choose from but of course, I do have Ashleigh one special dress just for her.”
“Of course you do. I didn’t believe you would let me choose my own dress. You always know just what I need. Before we get started let me introduce you to everyone.”
I go through and introduce him to all the ladies here. He goes about setting different styles of dresses on different racks. After he’s all done, he directs Elizabeth and Victoria to one rack, Merritt, Ava and Katie to the second rack and Ellis, Laken and Brooke, who is Elizabeth’s soon to be daughter-in-law, to the last rack. Allie couldn’t be here but Tommy has the perfect dress set aside for her.
“Everything is perfect Tommy. Thank you again.”
“Anything for one of my favorite girls. “
After a couple of hours, everyone has chosen a dress and Tommy has invited over Atlanta’s seamstress to the stars to do any and all alterations for us. We’re finally finished and Elizabeth has an amazing lunch ready for us. Tommy has to leave to catch a flight back to New York City but not before we have the chance to thank him yet again.
After Tommy leaves, Merritt updates everyone on the latest details for the benefit. As always, I am impressed with my best friend. She pretty amazing at her job.
We help clean everything up before we leave for the day. Ava declared it a girl’s night so we all head to the store to grab tons of food to fix and then back to my house for dinner, movies and wine.
CROSS
Waking up in a foul mood does not set a very good tone for the day. From the minute I walked into the office, no one has bothered me at all. I am pretty sure my secretary, Barbara, sent out a mass company message alerting everyone to steer clear of the 30th floor today. So when I hear my office door open with no warning, I am irritated.
“Barbara, I thought I told you I needed the day to myself? No visitors. “
“Well then it’s a good thing I’m not just any old visitor. Plus, I brought you lunch man. The least you can do is say thank you Dixon.”
Dixon comes strolling in my office with lunch from the Sweet Peach. Yes, I own the café. No, most people don’t know that. Most of my business ventures are kept quiet so only my closest friends know all the businesses I actually have my hand in.
“I am assuming lunch comes with a talk about last night. Look, I’m not really in the mood to talk about life right now. I’ve got a lot going on here and juts have a lot on my mind in general.”
“That’s not going to work for me. Something is going on with you so spill it.”
“I just have a lot on my mind. I told you that. Work is crazy and then my moms benefit is coming up soon. I just feel a lot of pressure.”
“I’m not buying it Cross. Tell me exactly what is on your mind besides work.”
I don’t really want to spill my heart out like girls do but I guess I do need his opinion and advice on everything. I’m not very good at anything to do with the future and all four of my best friends have serious girlfriends who just all happen to be best friends also.
“Okay, look, it’s nothing crazy like you think. I just can’t get the future off my mind. I know I have my work and my family but what else is there? I don’t have what you, Jake, Reed and Mason all have. Y‘all have four of the most amazing women in your lives who you know you have a future with. All I have is too many one night stands to count that I get rid of before the night is really over. I think I want what you four have.”
“Hold on, are you telling me you actually want to settle down from your playboy ways? That is nothing to be worried about. That is something to cheer about. It’s about damn time you start thinking about something other than work and getting in a different girls panties every night. You know, you really should meet the girls’ friend from college. Her name is Ashleigh and she’s… well, she’s just a really great girl.”
There is something about this girl he isn’t telling me but I have no idea what it is. She’s probably one of those girls who has a great personality but is ugly as hell. I know, that was rude. I can be an asshole a lot. I won’t deny it.
“Yeah, maybe soon. Although, you aren’t painting a very good picture of her for my mind.”
“Look, I can guarantee you this girl is beautiful. She’s just very busy. Kind of like you. Her career is a crazy one and she travels all the time. Again, like you.”
“What does she do?”
“Meet her and you can find out for yourself. I know she’s coming to the breast cancer benefit. The girls convinced her to take some time off and help them out.”
“Can’t wait.” I’m sure he can tell I’m being a smart ass right now. I just need to focus on work. Not girls.
“Okay man, I’ve got a new client coming to my office soon so I’m going to head out. You know I’m here if you really need to talk. Right?”
“I know. I’ll see you Dixon.”
With that, Dixon walks out and I throw myself into last minute work for my trips. I need these deals to go through and I intend to do whatever it takes to make that happen. Of course, throughout the day, I realize I better get everything together for the benefit because I will be pulling in last minute to get there. Taking care of my tuxedo being cleaned and making sure I have a pink tie ready, it crosses my mind I need a date. I’ll figure that out later. For now, it’s back to work.
My trip to California couldn’t have gone better. I just landed in Dubai and it’s time to get to work. I have three days to make this deal and get home. I have no time to waste.
I’ve been in touch with Barbara back home and she let me know my tuxedo is all clean and ready to go and that Paige has been trying to get in touch with me. Apparently word got out that Cross Hamilton was needing a date to his mother’s benefit and Paige has offered herself to take that role. How sad is that? Women are calling because they heard I need a date. I should be embarrassed but I’m not. It’s who I am.
After day two of meetings and trying to win over the great people of Dubai, I am feeling amazing. I landed the job and my company will take over some land at the start of the new year. Now, it’s time to celebrate.
I head to the nearest bar and find a dark corner to hide out in. Several drinks and many flirtatious women later, I find myself tangled in the sheets with a buxom brunette.
“You need to know this isn’t going to be gentle.”
“No problem handsome. I like it rough. You can tie me up and spank me if you want to.”
Of course, getting a good look at her at that moment, I have no desire to do anything she mentioned. I really need to finish and get the hell out of her room. I quicken my pace and thankfully find my release. Rolling off the bed and discarding the condom, I grab my clothes and dress as fast as I can. I feel a hand grab me and pull me to the bed.
“I know you’re not leaving. I have so much more where that came from and I am not near done with you yet.”
No fucking way am I staying here for more with her. I would rather go sit for hours in the airport alone until my flight home.
“Sorry, sweetheart. I have a flight to catch and need to clean myself up. You understand, right?”
“Well, at least tell me your name and where you’re from. Maybe we can meet up again soon.”
“Sorry honey, that’s not going to happen. Look, it was nice but I’ve got to go.”
I hear her shoe slam against the door after I walk out. That is a sound I have become accustomed to. As I go to my room to clean up and get ready for my flight, I can’t help but wonder why I just let that happen. Thomas and I end up going to the airport three hours early. I just need to sit and think.
Thankfully, sleep finds me on the flight home and fourteen very long hours later, I am home and immediately curl up in my sheets to sleep the day and night away. The time difference is going to kill me tomorrow night at the benefit.
Chapter Five
ASHLEIGH
I wake up early and feel refreshed. After the spa day Elizabeth had for us yesterday, I am ready for the busy day ahead. The day of the Breast Cancer Benefit has finally arrived and I could not be more excited. I change into comfy clothes and go for a run through the neighborhood. As I am coming back to my house, I feel a car creep up beside me. Thankfully, I look over to find Merritt. We all live in the same neighborhood and she is headed straight for my house. I make it to my driveway and she is already out of the car.
“Let’s go Ash! I need your help setting up. The girls are finishing loading up their cars and everyone is headed up there to make it look perfect.”
“Merritt, I’m disgusting and sweaty. Can’t I shower and meet y’all up there?”
