Tennessee Rose

Gunner

After last night today seems slower. The bar isn’t usually filled for a Friday night; only locals seem to be coming tonight. Tourists are all out at the concert at the Grand Ole Opry. It’s slow so the karaoke machine is out and being used by some of the many regulars.

Just as the music to The Joker starts, the blonde that is seemingly haunting me walks into the bar. Her bodyguard is on one side and some suit is on her other side. The suit has his hand on her back as they walk towards the bar.

“I thought you’d be on your way back to California by now,” I tell her as she sits down in front of me; putting her purse on one of the hooks under the bar. “Who’s the suit?”

“Ian Masters,” he says introducing himself. He pulls out a card from his jacket and hands it to me. “I work for Elektra records. I’m also Presley’s boyfriend.” I take the card but my gaze falls on Presley. She just looks at me, forcing a smile on her lips.

“Gunner,” I tell Ian. “What can I get you?”

“Your demo,” he’s forward and all business. “Presley tells me you’re in a band and aren’t signed to a major label yet.”

“Thank you, but I’m not interested in selling out.” I hand him back the card but like before, my gaze is on the blonde at his side. “Now is there anything I can get you off the menu?”

“Whiskey on the rocks,” he replies with a shark-like grin. “Presley will have a cranberry vodka.” I look over at Presley and she has an annoyed look plastered on her face. She isn’t a cran and vodka kind of girl. She just doesn’t do drinks like that. Give her a drink with whiskey and she’s the happiest she can be.

“Since when do you let people order “girly drinks” for you?” I ask her, letting out a chuckle.

“Just fill the order, Gunner.” She softly says as she looks at Ian with a smile. But hidden deep in her hazel eyes, you can tell she isn’t happy what so ever. There is something very off about this relationship. I’ve got to make a note to myself to ask her bodyguard, Jimmy, about this.

**

“Pres, come on let’s sing next!” Sutton says as she gets to her feet. Some Fleetwood Mac song is playing; one of Presley’s favorites too.

And for the first time, all night, a genuine smile appears on Presley’s lips as she gets to her feet and start towards the stage. But that smile is short lived and quickly disappears once Ian grabs a hold of her wrists; stopping her in her tracks.

Presley whips around, shooting daggers at him. “What the hell are you doing?”

“You’re too good for this.” He simply states. “You’re beyond karaoke night now, Presley. You’re a platinum singing star now.”

“I am allowed to have fun once in awhile Ian.” She spits as she rips her arm out of his grip. “And I am going to sing Fleetwood Mac with my best friend. Okay?” A smile appears on my lips as slowly but surely the Presley I knew and loved comes back. The girl who is never afraid to tell a man off…


“Hey sweet thing!” I heard some drunk guy slur. His arm is up in the air trying to flag down someone. Since it’s close to closing, the only two people working are me and Presley. “Hey sweet thing, I need a drink!” He yells once more.

“Hey Pres, unless he’s calling me ‘sweet thing’ you’re being summoned.” I tell the blonde next to me who is busy stalking booze. An annoyed sigh escapes her lips as she rolls her hazel eyes. “Want me to take care of this guy?”

“No, I’ve got it!” She says, walking over to the table that the guy and his two equally drunk friends have been sitting all night.

“Hey sweet thing,” the man slurs, “I was starting to think you forgot about me.”

“Presley.” She simply says.

“Elvis?”

“My name is Presley, as it says on my name tag,” she says pointing to the name tag Jesse is making all of us wear now. “My name isn’t baby girl, sweet thing or pretty mama. Myself and all the other female bartenders only reply to our names. Okay? If you want service, respect our wishes. We’re not here to be objects.”

“Come on baby, don’t be like that.” His right hand slowly makes its way towards Presley’s back side. I find myself walking towards the table to intervene. I stop when I see Presley quickly grab this man’s wrist and quickly twists his arm, threatening to break it.

“Don’t call me baby and don’t you dare think that just because I work as a bartender and a server that you can grab my ass. I highly suggest you and your buddies find a new bar to haunt. Because once the owner hears how you treat his employees you won’t be welcomed at any bar on this strip of road. Got it.” She let’s go of the man’s arm and him and friends quickly leave the bar. A round of applause erupts from the remaining patrons causing Presley to laugh and take a bow.

“Wow, I think I’m in love.” I joke as Presley walks past me. “I didn’t think you had it in you.”

“I grew up with all older brothers,” she chuckles. “They taught me to never take shit like that from a guy. I quit so many jobs because of guys like him. I finally found a job I like so you damn straight I’m going to fight for it.

“Girls need to learn how to defend themselves from pigs like that guy. The more girls that show that she’s not going to let some man control her or treat her like an object the sooner guys like that will stop treating us like trash.”

“That’s wishful thinking, Pres. You know that won’t happen. It’s going to get worse before it gets better.”

“If I ever let a man control me, smack some sense into me. Okay? Promise me that you’ll do this.”

“Promise…”

“Okay so what’s the deal with them?” I ask Jimmy as I point to the bickering couple. “The Presley I knew wouldn’t let a guy treat her like that.”

“Ian is the reason why she’s famous,” Jimmy starts. “He’s the one that got her signed to Mercury records and eventually onto Universal Music Group. He told her that she owed him and that’s why they started dating. They fight like cats and dogs and I had to break up a couple of the fights. Ian’s gone after a few times; put her in a hospital once. Fear, I think, is what is keeping her with him. She’s after if she leaves him, he’ll call in her connections and she’ll lose all her record deals.”

“But she’s leaving them so she can put her new album out on her own record label.” I point out. “So why doesn’t she just kick his ass to the curb?”

“Again fear.” Jimmy shrugs. “Ian can destroy Presley’s career and drag her reputation through the mud. She doesn’t want that to happen.”

“Where has the Presley from seven years ago gone?” I sigh.

“I’ve been asking myself that same question.” Jimmy sighs. “I think she needs to get out of L.A so she can find herself again. Because this Presley isn’t the same girl that swore up and down she’ll take over the country scene. This girl is just afraid of some douche canoe in a suit.”

“She needs to do something about this guy.” I tell him. “Or I’ll have to make good on my promise that I made over 8 years ago…”