3 TOWNS, 4 HEARTBEATS [RINI AU]

four

Ricky Bowen breathed out a sigh of content relief as he watched the movers handle his stuff with care as they moved it from his tour bus and into the black SUV that would be taking Ricky back to his home in the City of Angels. Usually, when a celebrity closes their first big nationwide tour, they go on vacation, take a break, and enjoy some time to themselves.

And Ricky knew exactly where he wanted to go.

His manager's mouth practically fell open in shock when the words "North Carolina" left his lips upon asking him where he should book his flight for. He had assumed that the singer would be jet set on somewhere grand and inspirational, like France or Spain or Italy, so that he could get a good, clear start on where he wanted to take his next album.

But no, Ricky insisted on the Carolinas, even after his manager had reminded him that he could go anywhere in the world. But to Ricky, the only place in the world that was thrilling and inspirational is wherever Townes was, and that's where Ricky wanted to be to write his next album.

Just as fans had been speculating, the song not so cleverly titled "Carolina" was, in fact, about the girl Ricky had met after his show in North Carolina, and he hadn't stopped thinking about her since the moment she left the room. She lived in his mind, so much so that she should have to pay for the space that she was taking up, as Ricky was physically unable to think about anything but her.

He had done as she told him to, he had gone out to buy the copy of the book she had recommended, and he read it in almost one foul swoop on the tour bus. He was impressed with her taste, and instantly wanted to know more of her recommendations. He knew that it was the first thing he was going to ask her, hoping that maybe she'd even be open to showing him her favorite spot to read, or a place to buy the physical books themselves. He had even taken it so far as to annotate his copy, as means to impress her. He had their first meet-up since that night perfectly planned out in his brain, his brain that was normally filled with melodies and song lyrics and chord progressions, was now simply this plan.

The whole flaw in his plan, however, was the fact that he had lost her number. And although he'd like to place the blame on someone else, it simply boiled down to the fact that he was foolish enough to leave it on the counter of the hotel room, and by no fault of housekeeping, it had gotten thrown away.