In the Rose Garden

"I see your name is missing from next week's open mic," Russell said as Addison packed up her guitar. In the three months since she's started playing Silver Lake Bar, Russell has warmed up to her and Lily. They were almost friends, almost but not quite.

"Yeah, my dad has this event thing, I don't know, in Nashville and Lily, my twin brother Finn, and I are going with him. I'm really hoping I can play at the Bluebird Cafe or Douglas Corner Cafe while I'm there."

"I've heard the Bluebird Cafe is hard to get into but good luck."

"Yeah, I heard that too but you never know. Fingers crossed. Thanks, Russell," she said as she shrugged on her hooded sweatshirt. She picked up her guitar case and headed towards the door. "See you in a few weeks, Russ."

"I'll still be here. Good luck." Addison stepped outside and crossed the sidewalk to Lily's idling car. She put the guitar in the backseat and then hopped in the front next to Lily.

"Nashville, here we come!" Lily shouted out of her window. Addison put her hand over her face.

"Oh god."

"We gon' get us some cowboys, ya reckon?" Lily said with a terrible southern accent.

"Lily, stop. Please," Addison begged her.

Lily laughed. "Okay, I'm done. I can't wait though. Can we go to that Hall of Fame thing?"

"I don't see why not. Where are the boys?"

"The boys?"

"Joe... Greg..."

"Oh! South America I believe... maybe Asia. You honestly don't know?"

"Apparently you don't either. I've just been so busy with my music that I missed his last call and when I called back, he was busy. So we haven't really been in touch."

"Are you two doing okay?"

"Honestly, I don't think so. I think this may be too much for both of us."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"It is what it is. Not everything is meant to work out and I'm okay with that. I'm only twenty years old; I still got a lot of life ahead of me."

"Good 'cause I have a feeling about Nashville."

"You sure it's not gas?"

"Very funny Addison."

"Well I mean, last time you had a feeling it was just gas so I thought-"

"Okay!" Lily said and Addison laughed.

"I love you, I really do."

"I know, dear," Lily said and patted her hand. Addison laughed again.

* * *

"Will you girls be okay on your own?" Mr. Turner asked them.

"Dad, I'm here. I won't let anything happen," Finn said as he puffed out his chest.

"I think at this point I'm more worried about something happening to you than them," his father answered.

Finn acted hurt. "Ouch Dad." He put his hand on his chest.

"Burn!" Lily shouted. Addison pulled her phone out of her pocket and stepped away from the others.

Hey babe. What are you up to?

Addison started to respond, I'm in Nashville. Can't really talk. But then she erased the 'can't really talk' part and hit send.

What's in Nashville? Sorry I haven't been in touch lately. Been crazy busy.

Dad has a meeting. It's okay. I've been pretty busy myself lately with my music and open mic nights.

I know I don't tell you enough but I'm proud of you. You've come a long way since we've met and I'm sorry I'm not there to see it.

She could feel Joe's sincerity through the message and felt bad for the conversation she and Lily had a few days prior.

Yeah, the timing is bad but I still needed to make a life outside of you, especially when you tour.

I love you.

I love you too.

"Addison?" Mr. Turner grabbed her attention.

"Sorry." She held her phone up. "I was talking to Joe."

"I have to get going," he said and kissed his daughter's forehead. "Make sure Finn behaves himself."

The four of them walked out of the hotel and her dad got into the rental car. "But seriously, stay out of trouble." They watched him leave.

The three set out on foot to go explore Nashville until Mr. Turner was done for the day. In the process, they came across the Bluebird Cafe. Lily pulled Addison inside. A guy looked up from what he was doing and set his pen down.

"We're not quite open yet. Can I help you?"

"We're from out of town so we're not quite sure how your open mic night works," Lily said. "My friend here is really interested. She's always wanted to play here."

"Well... someone did drop out. Did you bring your guitar with you?"

"No," Addison quietly said.

"We have an extra. Follow me. Just you though." The guy got up and motioned to Addison to follow him. She followed him to the back and into a room. He handed her a guitar. "We don't let just anyone up there so we audition them first. So let me hear a song." He motioned to the stool for her to sit on.

"Oh... okay..." She took a seat and tuned the guitar to the key she needed it to be in. She played a quick three minute song. The guy she would later learn to be Todd, just sat there for a moment.

"You go on at 7:15. You can play two songs," he said.

"Really? That's great! Thanks so much!" She handed him back the guitar. "Seriously, thanks so much!" Addison followed him back out into the main cafe.

"You have to be here and checked in by 5:15," he informed her as he went through the stack of papers. He put her name down in the 7:15 slot. "I'll see you tonight." They left the Bluebird.

"Oh my god you guys, I'm playing the Bluebird Cafe tonight! Like, is this seriously happening?" Addison asked.

"Oh it's happening," Finn said.

"I expect a cut when you become either the most famous singer or the most famous songwriter," Lily said. "Especially for all these gigs I've booked you."

"We'll talk when it happens," Addison said and patted her shoulder. "I gotta tell Joe." She pulled her phone out of her pocket.

I got in at the Bluebird Cafe tonight! I get to play 2 songs.

Now all she had to do was wait.

* * *

Addison looked around the cafe at all the people who were there. It was maybe two to three times more people than what she usually played to at Silver Lake Bar. Two guys sitting at the bar caught her eye.

"Who are you looking at?" Lily asked, looking in the same direction.

"The guys at the bar," Addison said as she stood up. She started to walk away.

"Wait! Where are you going?" Lily asked from behind Addison as she followed her.

"I think I know who they are."

They approached the guys and then stopped. Well more like Addison stopped and Lily ran into her.

"I'm really sorry to bother you but are you Shane McAnally and Josh Osborne?" Addison asked.

"Yeah..." They answered in unison, looking puzzled.

"Oh god, please don't fan girl on them," Lily said.

"Wow, I so did not think this one through. I just... I know you guys are songwriters and I think you guys are amazing. I wish I was half the songwriter you are."

"Well thanks! I really appreciate that," Shane McAnally said.

"Yeah, thanks. I'm sure you're just as good of a writer," Josh Osborne said.

"Thanks. Well it was nice meeting you. I gotta go get ready for my set." They said their goodbyes and the girls walked away.

"Really Addison? They're songwriters and you know who they are?" Lily asked.

Addison looked at her. "Between the two of them, they have written like, a million number one hits! That's what I'm aspiring to be."

"Point taken," Lily said as she returned to the table and Addison grabbed her guitar. She walked up to the side of the stage and a girl introduced her. Addison went up, played her two songs, thanked everyone, and then left the stage. As she put her guitar back in its case, Shane and Josh approached her table.

"Addison, you were great up there," Shane said. "Would you be available tomorrow to meet up with me and talk about your music? Those songs were amazing."

Addison looked at her dad since she wasn't sure if he had made any plans. He said nothing but nodded his head.

"I can. Just name the time and place."

"Great. How about my place at noon?"

"Sounds good. Thanks, Shane," Addison said.

"Oh no, thank you, Addison," Shane responded as he wrote down his number and address and handed it to Mr. Turner. Ted gave Shane his number in return. Shane looked at his watch. "I have to get going but I'll see you tomorrow." As he and Josh walked away, he could hear Addison behind him.

"Dad! Shane freaking McAnally liked my songs!"

He heard Josh quietly chuckle next to him. "I think it's safe to say you made someone's night."

"Just wait until tomorrow when I make her year."

* * *

Addison and her father drove through the quiet neighborhood in silence. She was excited for everything that has happened so far in her life but she wished she were experiencing it with Joe by her side. It was an exciting time in her life and she'd only heard from him once.

"Hey," her father said quietly from beside her. "We're here." Addison nodded her head. "Do you want me to wait out here?"

"No!" she nearly shouted in his face. "No. Please come with me."

"Okay. Let's go." They both got out of the rental except her dad went into the backseat and pulled her guitar out. "Just in case." They went up to the front door and it opened before her dad could ring the door.

"Hey guys," Shane said as he opened the door fully. "Come on in." They stepped into an immaculate house.

"Your home is beautiful," Addison said.

"Thanks. I can't take credit though. My partner holds it down here." They followed him down a hallway and to his office. They walked into a bright spacious office filled with guitars and plaques on the walls with songs he'd written. He took a seat behind a mahogany desk and pointed to a chair in front of the desk for her to sit. Mr. Turner opted to sit on a couch in the back of the room.

"Dad..."

Mr. Turner shook his head. "This is your meeting. I'm just here for support and backup should you need it."

"Okay," she said quietly and sat across from Shane McAnally.

"Would you by any chance have any demos with you with your original music?" he asked.

"I didn't even think to bring any..."

"Addison."

She looked behind her to see her dad holding some out.

"Just in case?" she asked as she took them.

"Just in case."

She handed them to Shane and he looked them over. "Thank you. This one," he held up the one she did with Nick, "looks very professionally done."

"Nick Jonas produced it kind of as a side project for us. He made sure that I still owned all the rights to my songs-except the last song, obviously. That one belongs to the Jonas Brothers. The other two demos were just me and my dad in his studio with my guitar."

"Tell me about the performance aspect of your music."

"I do a lot of open mic nights. To be brutally honest, I prefer the songwriting aspect of it. I don't want to be a performer. I think there are way better people out there than me who can sing. I just want to give them something to sing."

Just then, Shane's partner, Michael, walked in. "Oh I'm so sorry. I totally forgot you had a meeting. I'm sorry." He was about to walk back out when Shane stopped him.

"No, come in. This is Addison. I was telling you about her last night."

"Oh-from the Bluebird Cafe. Okay. Nice to meet you," Michael said and they shook hands. "Well, I'll let you get to it." He left, shutting the door behind him.

Addison and Shane spent more time talking and even played a couple songs together. Then he got right back to business.

"I see a lot of potential in you and I feel that I can bring out your full potential. I know you're not really looking for a record deal but what I'm offering you is a publishing deal through my company, SMACKsongs. We can get your songs out there. Some of the songs I've heard today definitely have the potential to be in the top ten. So I would like to extend a contract to you to join the SMACKsongs family."

"Oh my god, seriously?"

"Seriously." He slid some papers across the desk to her. "It's up to you though."

"Oh my god, of course! I mean," she took it down a notch. "I would be honored to sign a deal with you."

Mr. Turner took the contract to go over and look at the details.

"Holy shit! I'm a real bonafied songwriter now! Excuse my Swahili."

Shane just laughed. "I don't think I've ever seen anyone this excited."

"Dad!" Addison whispered loudly behind her. "Shane likes my music!"

"I know!" he whispered back loudly.

"Snap!" she exclaimed and slapped Shane's desk. "Oh god! Sorry! How embarrassing!"

"You're okay." Shane laughed. "We could definitely use your kind of energy on our writer retreats."

* * * * *

Joe knocked on the door and took a step back. He checked his watch and then looked at the door as it opened. Addison stepped aside to let him in.

"Hey Addison," he quietly said and ran his fingers through his hair.

"Hi."

"So obviously we're done with our tour..."

It was awkward. Things had gotten bad between Joe and Addison and they had decided the easiest thing to do would be to call it quits. Beyond friends and family, no one knew they had broken up. After Addison signed her publishing deal, it had been four months of busy for her. They rarely spoke to each other.

"Uh huh... Joe, I don't know what you're expecting."

"I just wanted to talk about our relationship, Addison."

"Joe, I'm sorry but I'm not quite sure there's anything left to talk about."