Chapter 8: When I Fall in Love...

Sid was sitting, moping in her hotel room again.

She was back ‘home’ in Nashville, performing at the Graystone Quarry, an old quarry that had been turn into a outdoor performance center. It was actually in Franklin, Tennessee, about 20 miles south of Nashville. It was an amphitheater, with great acoustics and space for large audiences.

She had spoken to Charlie just before the show, but just talking remotely wasn’t doing it for her anymore.

Charlie had warned her, and she knew from her prior experience touring with the “Jewels” about the difficulties and temptations of being on the road. A lot of performers turned to drinking too much, others did drugs, and some, promiscuous sex. She wasn’t into any of those things and did her best to make sure that her band members, who were also her friends, didn’t get caught up in the lifestyle either. Not because she was a prude, or was making moral judgements on anybody, but if the band wanted to stay together, they needed the discipline.

Oddly, ‘Cat’, who had indulged in a lot of the vices herself before joining the band, was helping her keep things under control. The bandmember they had to watch over the most closely, was Linda, who was the youngest and newest. And Heather needed some watching as well.

Her other big issue was dealing with the people (both men and women, something that kind of embarrassed her) hitting on her. It was another reason for being careful about what she would drink or eat, and certainly a reason to avoid drugs.

Sid was not very experienced sexually.

She had a high school boyfriend, and like so many others, had lost her cherry after their senior prom. It was an eminently forgettable experience, and she and her first romantic relationship foundered after that. He wanted more, while she was completely indifferent. Soon he took off, looking for other flowers to pollenate.

Her other experiences were basically one-night stands with men who were handsome, charming, or well endowed. But there was never any chemistry there with any of them. Most of them didn’t have a clue as to what a woman wanted, either. And since she started touring, this time, there were none of the men who tempted her in the slightest.

Charlie, on the other hand was handsome, charming and it was obvious to her that he was as attracted to her as she was to him. But his damn rules to keep himself from taking a risk with a woman was keeping them apart.

She had fallen in love with Charlie during their scant eight weeks together. They had become close friends as well as coworkers in a way that other men didn’t think was important. Sex was enough for the others. Charlie respected her as a musician and as a person. The fact was, in an odd way, she kind of respected Charlie’s unwillingness to have anything less than serious sex with her. She wanted a one-woman man, so she could be his one-man woman.

For Sid, love was to be a permanent thing, one of those ‘til death do us part things. Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton, Georginna Young and Ricardo Montalban*, forever kinds of love. And if they could find a way, then she and Charlie could find a way.

Now it was up to her to make it happen. Somehow. She just didn’t know how, yet.