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came with the dead rat let them know that it was a woman causing all this trouble. Deep down , Paden knew she was being irrational. But the words “my man” from the note kept ringing in her ears. Every day that went by, she wanted to call CJ and run into his embrace. She missed him and her body ached for him.
    But something very dangerous and sinister was going on and it was fear that kept her from picking up the phone. If something horrible happened to CJ because of her, she would never be able to live with it.
    When CJ got home, he stopped into The Cat’s Cradle one afternoon to have a beer and talk to his good friend Archie Bowan about the band’s recent tour.
    When he finished recounting how well the band had been received, Archie poured him another beer and asked, “Hey, man. What aren’t you telling me? You don’t seem like yourself. Is everything okay?”
    Needing someone to talk to, CJ unfolded the whole story about the damage to Paden’s car, the mysterious paying of his hotel bill, the redheaded woman who gave Paden the evil eye at the Memphis bar, the dead rat , and how Paden had broken up with him for the sake of their safety.
    Archie remembered vividly that night when CJ’s truck had gotten vandalized in his parking lot and he still felt a bit guilty about it even though it had nothing to do with him. The monitor to those outdoor cameras he installed sat behind the bar and Archie had instructed all of his bartenders to glance occasionally at the monitor to keep tabs on what was going on out in the parking lot. Archie felt horrible for his friend. He thought CJ and Paden made a great couple and he liked Paden very much , even though he didn’t know her all that well.
    “You’re in a tough spot, my friend ,” Archie sympathized. “But I’m glad you’re back in town and I look forward to you guys coming to play this weekend before you go back out on the road again.”
    Thanking his friend for his sympathetic ear, CJ paid for his beer . “See you Saturday night,” he said as he pushed away from the bar.
     
    ***
     
    Just as Paden was about to leave the radio station after her Monday shift, Russ Farrell, her program director, pulled her into his office with a happy smile on his face. He explained, “Paden, we just closed a deal with The Cat’s Cradle to do a live appearance Saturday night. They requested you to be the announcer.”
    Paden didn’t usually mind doing live station appearances but she knew going back to that club would bring back memories of CJ. It had been over a month since she had seen or spoken to him and she knew going there was going to be difficult.
    As they talked about the logistics and details of the event , Russ said, not knowing that she and CJ had once had a personal relationship, “Oh, by the way, you’ll be happy to know that the Café Cowboys will be performing that night.”
    Immediately her heart started to speed up with anxiety but she kept her face neutral and her voice calm , responding back with a positive comment. As Paden left his office, she muttered “crap,” under her breath and knew it was going to be a very difficult night seeing him again even though they would both be working.
     

 
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Chapter Ten
     
     
    Because the radio station had sold this live appearance to The Cat’s Cradle after the publishing deadline of the weekly entertainment magazine Roxanne worked for, she was not aware the radio station was going to be there on Saturday night. Now that CJ was back in town, Roxanne was going to have him all to herself.
    Over the last month, she hadn’t been able to get out of town to follow him to his gigs, and night after night she fantasized about him missing her and being desperately sad and lonely without her. That week leading up to the Saturday gig at The Cat’s Cradle, Roxanne went shopping and took extra care buying a new outfit.
    As she tried on her new items, she fantasized about CJ telling her how pretty she