Whisky Lullaby: Rock Star Romance, Step-brother New Adult Romance (Tennessee Romance Book 1) (2 page)

Accelerando- Italian word that means to play faster, music will pick up speed at an increasing rate.

Accompaniment- A part of an additional performer to support and enhance a musical piece.

Air- A tune or melody for an instrument.

Aria- A song performed in an opera.

Allemande- A German dance from the Baroque era performed in 4/4 time and of moderate speed and tempo.

Anthem- A short vocal composition for a full choir. A song full of pride and soul.

Arabesque- Elaborate piano pieces of the early 19
th
or 20
th
centuries in the style of Claude Debussy.

Ballad- A folk song with four pieces from the 14
th
and 15
th
centuries.

Beat- The pulse of the music.

Brass- Brass section of the orchestra that features instruments such as trumpets, trombones, tubas and French horns.

Brio- An introduction to a piece that is played with brilliance and fire.

Cello- A member of the string instrumental family, and provides one of the deepest tones from a string instrument.

Chord- the Simultaneous sound of two or more notes.

Clef- The five lines used in musical notation.

Duet- A musical piece for two performers.

Fiddle- A folk instrument with an earthy tone.

Fuocoso- To play with passion, fiery.

Grave- To play slow and solemn.

Harmony- The flow of two or more notes in a song.

Hymn- A song of praise.

Interlude- Music between acts.

Jig- A lively dance.

Metronome- A device that helps a musician time beats.

Note- A single sound of music.

Octave- The interval of an eighth, which jumps from a high note to a low note, or vice versa.

Quartet- Composition for four musicians.

Rhapsody- A work free in form and inspiration.

Sonata- Music that is to be played rather than sung.

Fuocoso
. It’s the Italian word for fiery. To play with passion.

Only the best musicians know that it isn’t enough to simply sing an elegant harmony or string together notes to create a beautiful song. To achieve the absolute nirvana, the ultimate in creative highs, you must feel your music with all your heart and soul. A song isn’t born from a set of lips. In the hallowed halls of the heart, mixed with love, sorrow, heartache and Spitfire, that is where the song is born. The deepest yearning of the heart can make a poet out of any of us, but when the ache of love and sorrow ravages the soul of the musician, it heightens the depth of their song. It takes the listener through the lows of their despair and the echelon of their joy.

Lonely is the artist who sings a song that no one else understands. You might as well speak another language. Your razor-sharp lyrics fall on deaf eyes. The world is blind to the passion and the creativity that pours from you. But when there is another soul who understands… When a song touches another heart as deeply and significantly as it has touched your own, it creates a connection. A spark is ignited that no one can extinguish.

It doesn’t matter what walk of life you come from, what music you prefer, or what tiny blip of the map you’re from. Music transcends barriers. It breaks down walls, blends genres and translates languages. The strum of my banjo and the melody of my songs come straight from the heart, deep within my soul – my inner being I’m still finding.

When was the last time you felt something that real. That raw?

For me, it’s every single time I’m on the stage.

-Logan Murphy, lead singer of Whisky Lullaby

Tennessee State University

3500 John A. Merritt Boulevard

Nashville, TN 37209

Miss Ashley Slater

291 7
th
Avenue

New York City, NY 10001

Dear Miss Slater,

Congratulations! You have been accepted to Tennessee State University. On behalf of TSU’s Admissions Committee and the entire University staff, I am pleased to extend this offer of admission. Welcome to Tennessee State University, home of the Tennessee Tigers! We were impressed with your application and you will make a fine addition to our music program. We expect that your creativity and intellectual strengths will be given an environment where it can flourish and grow. Here at Tennessee State University, you can expect hard work, a busy class roster, and a thriving student population. More importantly, you can expect to find opportunities for advanced learning, plenty of room for growth and an award-winning music program which you will make a proud addition to.

Enclosed you will find a packet of documents which we think you will find informative. Please send back your intent form as soon as you can. This will initiate the process of enrolling in the Fall 2015 semester.

We look forward to seeing you in the fall!

Kind Regards,

Dean Paul Schaeffer

Little Lion Man

Ashley Slater’s pink manicured nails tapped nervously against the cracking leather seat of the taxi. Her legs bounced with anxiety as she peered out her window. It was as if she was stepping into a whole new world. Brushing her hands against the material of her skinny jeans, she tried to calm herself as the taxi came to an abrupt stop outside the administration building. It seemed like just yesterday she received her acceptance letter from Tennessee State University. Her parents were so proud. While it wasn’t Juilliard like they had planned, Ashley was attending TSU with a full scholarship.

Nashville would certainly be different than the life she was used to in New York. She had left the hustle and bustle of Manhattan, the bright lights of Times Square and the cool hot spots in SoHo behind her. She had never ventured south of the Mason-Dixon Line before, so she was unsure of what to expect. She knew one person on the entire campus – her cousin Kaylee, who she had only met once before at a family reunion. Butterflies swirled in Ashley’s stomach as the driver announced the cost of her fair from McGhee-Tyson Airport.

“That’ll be thirteen fifty, Miss…” the driver said in a raspy voice. His thick southern accent sounded foreign to Ashley’s ears.

“Pardon?” Ashley asked, broken from her thoughts.

“Thirteen fifty… for the ride,” the driver restated, sounding agitated that he had to repeat himself.

“Oh yes… Sorry,” Ashley said, feeling embarrassed as her face burned. She began to rifle through her purse and pulled out a crumpled twenty-dollar bill. “Here. Keep the change.”

The door of the cab creaked open as Ashley stepped out, the sole of her Chuck Taylors hitting the hard pavement outside the cab. She cast a nervous glance at her surroundings. The cab driver popped the trunk of the cab as he went around to the back of the vehicle to retrieve Ashley’s luggage. Looking around at the bustling campus, Ashley couldn’t help but feel like she had stepped into a whole new world.

Nashville’s going to be so different than New York City
. She knew her eyes were big and wide. Thankfully her sunglasses hid the newbie-in-town expression.

The campus was jumping with activity. A couple of athletic guys tossed a football haphazardly through the crowd of people. A group of sophomore girls chattered loudly and one of them narrowly avoided getting hit in the head by the football. Packs of students roved across the quad, and a rag tag band of musicians sat on the steps of the administration building. They played on guitars and banjos and seemed more of a folk rock group.

We don’t have many of them up in NYC
. They played a song she faintly recognized. It was “The Cave” by Mumford and Sons. Ashley loved Mumford. She took comfort in the fact that maybe she had something in common with someone at this school. Five minutes ago, she didn’t think it was possible.

“Here ya go, Miss…” the driver said as he stacked her luggage on the curb. The pot-bellied driver pulled out a large black case, which held her precious cargo inside.

“Be careful! Please,” Ashley exclaimed as the man proceeded to drop the cello to the ground. She tried not to sound bitchy when she said it, but the contents of the case were more precious than life itself. She tended to be more than a little vigilant when it came to protecting her antique Cello.

The taxi driver didn’t even notice her concern as he let the large case fall.

“Are you kidding me?!” Ashley cried as she caught her instrument mid-air. “This is a vintage 1922 Cello from Prague!”

“A wha—?” The driver glared at her with broad, clueless eyes.

“Never mind. Just… never mind.” Ashley rolled her eyes as she collected her luggage off the sidewalk.

She steadied her cello as she cast a heated look at the driver. Raising his bushy eyebrows in surprise, the cab driver quickly muttered, “Err…. Sorry there, Miss.”

Before Ashley could reply, she and her cello fell crashing to the hard pavement.

Everything happened so quickly, like a blur.

The palms of Ashley’s hands seared with pain as they clashed against the hard cement. One of the students who was haphazardly passing the football across the lawn had crashed hard, right into Ashley, sending her petite frame falling to the ground. Her cello hit the ground with a loud thud.

“My bad,” the brawny sophomore said, not even bothering to apologize to Ashley or help her up.

“Jesus,” Ashley griped as she glared up at the boy, shocked he didn’t bother to offer a hand to help her. “No manners!” She’d grown up in the Big Apple, ignorance and rude jackasses should be second nature to her by now.

As she watched the boy run away with his football in his hands, Ashley could feel the burn of embarrassment warm her rosy cheeks.
If this is any indication of what’s to come, maybe I should just hop right back in the cab and go home now
.

The music that had been playing suddenly stopped.

Ashley could sense before she heard a set of approaching footsteps. She covered her eyes to block out the sun. She couldn’t see who it was thanks to the glare, but suddenly she no longer had a need to shield her eyes. Someone’s large frame effectively blocked it out for her.

Oh, great. Mortification Station, here I come
.

As the person reached out a helping hand to lift Ashley to her feet, her eyes met a handsome, friendly face. Shocked silent by the warm chestnut brown hue of his eyes, Ashley Slater decided she had laid eyes on the most gorgeous man she had ever seen in her life. He had a toned physique and light brown hair that poked out of a tan skully hat. His black Boy & Bear concert t-shirt stretched taut across his toned chest. What struck Ashley most though, was the kind look in his eyes, like looking right into his soul.

“Don’t mind Charlie,” he said in a raspy voice with a deep southern twang.

“Charlie?” Ashley asked, sounding confused and disoriented.

“Yeah, the goon who just barreled you down. That’s my stepbrother, Charlie.”

Ashley’s eyes zoned from one brother’s face to the other. She wondered how one brother could be so damn rude and the other so unbelievably polite.

“What’s your name?” the stranger asked, his brows raised once he had let his eyes run down and then up the length of her to assess she was all right.

Blushing, she blinked and stared at his chest. “Ashley Slater.”

The boy laughed.

Ashley wasn’t sure if she should be embarrassed or amused. While her mind waged war with her emotions, Mr. Handsome pushed his hand forward.

“Logan Murphy,” he said as he held his hand out.

Before she had the chance to thank Logan or even shake his hand, someone else distracted him. Logan’s music ensemble began to play again and in the blink of an eye, Logan left Ashley’s side to resume the song he was singing,
Little Lion Man
. She smiled at Logan as he sang the familiar lyrics. She absolutely adored that song. Even after the radios had overplayed the song, airing it every half hour or so during prime listening times, she still got excited every single time it came on the radio or her iPod.

She stood finally and checked her palms to make sure they were all right, all the while listening to Logan. She decided he had a voice like velvet. Picking up her cello, she watched Logan’s hands carefully pluck at his banjo. His fingers manipulated the strings masterfully, causing warmth to awaken in her. As a musician herself, there was something about watching other musicians who felt the heartbeat of the tempo as deeply as she did.

For a moment, Ashley lost herself in the music. Closing her eyes, she let the rhythm ease her mind. As the song progressed, her heart quickened, and excitement raced throughout her body. There was nothing quite like the thrill that good music gave her.

The moment was short-lived.

“ASHLEY! Oh, em gee! Is that you?!” a shrill voice called, causing a migraine to form in Ashley’s head and instantly breaking her from the moment of reflection.

Turning her head, she laughed as she took in the sight of her cousin, Kaylee, dressed in light blue denim and a fluorescent orange TSU t-shirt. Bouncing up and down on her high heel pumps, Kaylee could only be described as a blonde burst of energy. Teetering precariously down the stone path with a bright pink backpack on her right shoulder, Kaylee couldn’t hide how psyched she was to see her cousin. They had only met once before, but Kaylee acted as if they were very best friends.

The two girls couldn’t be more different if they tried. Honestly, they were like night and day. Where Ashley was more introverted and reflective, Kaylee was loud and outgoing. Even their appearances contrasted. Ashley had beautiful long raven waves, while Kaylee had adorable shoulder length blonde hair with platinum highlights. It didn’t matter. They were family.

Ashley hugged her cousin and smiled, happy to see a familiar face.

“How was your flight?!” Kaylee asked with an excited look upon her face.

“Not bad. A little turbulence.”

“Ugh… Turbulence!” Kaylee groaned. “I wouldn’t fly if the airline paid me!”

“Well, it was either that or a 14-hour drive down from New York.”

“Oooh, road trips! I love those!” Kaylee insisted.

“I’m pretty sure a solitary road trip isn’t nearly as fun.”

“True that. I’d make my own party, though! So what’s going on?” Kaylee asked, as if she didn’t see all of Ashley’s luggage on the curb.

“Well, maybe you can help me find our dorm? I want to get this stuff off the sidewalk.” Ashley looked down at all of her belongings strewn across the pavement.

“Oh, yeah. Duh! Look at all your stuff!” Kaylee replied simply as she looked down at Ashley’s suitcases, backpack and now dented cello case. “C’mon, I’ll show you to our suite.”

“Suite?” Ashley replied with a surprised tone of voice.
Fancy!
She smiled.
Finally, my spoiled cousin’s benefits’ll rub off on me!
She didn’t come from a meager upbringing, but she wasn’t spoiled by any stretch of the imagination.

Kaylee was another story entirely. She was a daddy’s girl, and she took full advantage of it. “Yeah! My dad splurged to make sure we had enough space,” Kaylee said in a bubbly tone of voice, which made her head bobble as she spoke.

“Sweet!” Ashley followed her cousin down the long path towards McCarron Hall, lugging her suitcases and cello behind her. Kaylee carried her backpack without offering Ashley any help.

“It’s just over here. We’re right in the middle of all the action,” Kaylee explained as she danced around the hordes of students.

Ashley followed Kaylee into the lobby of McCarron Hall. They weaved their way through the crowds of students. Some were making their way to who knew where. Others were slumped in overstuffed armchairs chatting and laughing loudly with friends. There was a big screen TV on the wall, and several juniors were playing a raucous game of baseball on a Wii. The room erupted into rowdy cheers, applause and boos as a burly looking student hit a grand slam.

Kaylee pressed a manicured finger on the up button on the elevator panel as she impatiently waited for the lift to come.

“Is it always this loud?!” Ashley leaned a bag on the wall by the elevator.

“What?!” Kaylee yelled over the noise.

“Is it always this loud?!” Ashley repeated.

“Oh, this?!” Kaylee shouted. “This is nothing! Wait ‘til you see what the weekends are like!”

Oh, hell
, Ashley thought as the noise level in the room threatened to shatter her ear drums. She liked music. This… this was definitely not a melody of any kind.

The elevator dinged and Ashley stepped forward, ready to embrace and ready to run from her future all in the same moment.